Florida health officials announced Thursday that they have detected the new most infectious strain of the coronavirus, making it the third U.S. state to report an instance of the virus variant.
The new strain was first found in the UK.
“Florida has evidence of the first identified case of the UK COVID-19 variant in Martin County. The individual is a man in his twenties with no travel history. The Department is working with the CDC on this investigation. We encourage everyone to continue practicing COVID-19 mitigation, ”the Florida Department of Health said on Twitter on Thursday.
Florida has evidence of the first identified case of the UK COVID-19 variant in Martin County. The individual is a man in his twenties with no travel history. The Department is working with the CDC on this investigation. We encourage everyone to continue practicing COVID-19 mitigation.
– Florida Dept. Health (@HealthyFla) January 1, 2021
Colorado and California detected cases of the strain this week.
The new strain, called B.1.1.7, was first detected in Colorado on Tuesday and was found in a 20-year-old man who had not traveled.
On Wednesday, a California health official announced that the patient infected with the new strain was a 30-year-old man and had no history of travel, according to Politico.
The Florida Department of Health added, “At this time, experts predict little or no impact on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.”
Florida has evidence of the first identified case of the UK COVID-19 variant in Martin County. The individual is a man in his twenties with no travel history. The Department is working with the CDC on this investigation. We encourage everyone to continue practicing COVID-19 mitigation.
– Florida Dept. Health (@HealthyFla) January 1, 2021
Health experts and pharmaceutical companies have stated that the current Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are believed to be effective against the new strain, although more tests are being done to confirm their effectiveness.
Although it is more infectious, it is not believed to cause more severe symptoms or be more fatal.