The so-called “South African” variant of the COVID-19 virus has been detected for the first time in a Connecticut patient, according to the Department of Public Health.
Variant B.1.351 was found in a Fairfield County resident between the ages of 60 and 70 who has not traveled recently. The person is currently hospitalized out of state, DPH said.
New York health officials communicated the diagnosis to Connecticut.
Variant B.1.351 is more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus. This strain of the virus was first detected in South Africa in October 2020 and was first discovered in the United States in late January 2021, according to a press release.
“Seeing another variant in our state reminds us once again of the severity of this pandemic and reinforces the need to take all necessary precautions that have proven successful over the past year. The virus does not recognize state borders and certainly does not recognize international borders, which means that the responsibility of all of us is to do what we can on a personal level to mitigate the spread, ”said Governor Ned Lamont.
With the discovery of the new variant B.1.351, as well as 42 confirmed cases in Connecticut of the variant B.1.1.7 that was first detected in the United Kingdom, health officials urged residents to continue to monitor the time to wear masks and social equipment at a distance.
Correction (February 15, 2021 4:21 PM) An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information from DPH that variant B.1.351 caused more serious disease than the original COVID-19 strain. DPH now says CDC guidelines show no evidence that causes more serious illnesses.