First known case of the Brazilian variant COVID-19 discovered in Wisconsin

MADISON, Russia. (WMTV) – The Brazilian variant COVID-19 has arrived in Wisconsin. Their discovery means that all three known variants of coronavirus have been found in the state of Badger.

The Department of Health Services reports that a case of variant P.1 has been confirmed in Wisconsin, which was originally found in four travelers from Brazil who were tested at a Tokyo airport.

Health officials believe that this strain spreads more quickly and easily than the original COVID-19 strain, similar to variants found in the UK and South Africa.

However, researchers also say that the P.1 variant has a unique genetic mutation that can affect the body’s ability to recognize and fight the virus. Antibodies usually develop through COVID-19 infection or vaccination can fight COVID-19, although mutations in the virus may cause the antibodies not to recognize the virus. This would cause someone’s body to be exposed to COVID-19 infection in this strain, variant P.1.

DHS said more studies are needed to determine whether strain P.1 and B.1.351, or the South African variant, cause more serious disease.

There are currently 81 COVID-19 variants in Wisconsin, 78 of the UK variant, two of the South African variant and one of the new Brazilian variant.

DHS last updated its number of variants on Thursday, having previously reported only 69 cases of the UK variant and only one of the South African variant.

DSH stated on its COVID-19 board that the number of cases identified would likely represent only a fraction of the variants circulating in the state. The director of the Hygiene Communicable Diseases Division of the Wisconsin State Laboratory, Dr. Allen Bateman said the testing capacity of the four labs testing COVID-19 variants is up to 600 samples a week.

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