MADISON, Russia. (WMTV) – The Brazilian version of COVID-19 has arrived in Wisconsin. Its discovery means that all three known variants of coronavirus have been found in the state of Badger.
The Department of Health Services reports a case of variant P.1, which was initially found in four passengers in Brazil who were tested at an airport in Tokyo, has been confirmed in Wisconsin.
Health officials believe that this strain is spreading faster and easier than the original COVID-19 strain, similar to variants found in the UK and South Africa.
However, researchers also say that variant P.1 has a unique genetic mutation, which can affect the body’s ability to recognize and fight the virus. Antibodies normally develop through a COVID-19 infection or vaccination can fight COVID-19, however viral mutations can cause the antibodies not to recognize the virus. This would cause one’s body to remain exposed to COVID-19 infection in this strain, variant P.1.
DHS said more studies are needed to determine if strain P.1 and B.1.351, or the South African variant, cause more severe disease.
| British version (B.1.1.7) | South African variant (B.1.351) | Brazilian version (P.1) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 3/26 | 78 | 2 | 1 |
| Thursday. 3/25 | 69 | 1 | 0 |
| Thursday. 3/18 | 55 | 1 | 0 |
| Thursday. 3/11 | 31 | 1 | 0 |
There are currently 81 COVID-19 variants in Wisconsin, 78 in the British version, two in the South African version and one in the new Brazilian version.
DHS last updated its version numbers on Thursday, previously reporting only 69 cases of the UK version and only one of the South African versions.
DSH stated on the COVID-19 dashboard that the number of cases identified probably represents only a fraction of the variants circulating in the state. The director of the Communicable Diseases Division for Hygiene at the Wisconsin State Laboratory, Dr. Allen Bateman, said the testing capacity for all four laboratories testing COVID-19 variants is up to 600 samples per week.
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