The first case of the COVID-19 variant was identified in Lake County, health officials announced Saturday.
The Lake County Health Department reported the first case of coronavirus variant B.1.1.7, which is the most circulating strain in the UK in recent months.
The individual infected with the variant had traveled internationally and was in contact with a sick person before leaving to return to the United States in late December, health officials said.
According to the department, the person did not experience any symptoms of coronavirus.
“We look forward to seeing more cases of these new variants in Lake County, as they appear to be spreading more easily and quickly than other variants,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed, LCHD’s medical epidemiologist. “It is extremely important that you follow the quarantine recommendations and be tested if you have traveled or been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.”
Health officials recalled that studies suggest that the currently available COVID-19 vaccine is effective against new strains.
In Illinois, the first known case of the most contagious strain was announced by health officials on Friday, January 15th.
An investigation by the Chicago Department of Public Health found the individual had traveled to the UK and the Middle East in the 14 days prior to the diagnosis, officials said, noting that the department had worked to identify close contacts. of the person to alert them to quarantine and isolate them. .
While there are still many uncertainties about the new COVID-19 variant first discovered in the UK, the Illinois chief doctor said on Friday that enough is known, so people can take the right precautions.
“… If something is more transmissible, that would suggest we should wear the mask suit,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, who also stressed social distancing. and hand washing. “Like all these things we’ve been saying … the message doesn’t really change, it means it’s more important now than ever to stick to it [mitigations]. ”
A British scientist revealed some evidence to suggest that the strain has a higher risk of death than the original strain, although he warned that the data are uncertain.
Patrick Vallance, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, said that for a 60-year-old man with the original version of the virus, “the average risk is that for every 1,000 people who become infected, about ten are expected to die.” .
“With the new variant, for 1,000 people infected, approximately 13 or 14 people could be expected to die,” he said.
At a coronavirus briefing on Friday, both Ezike and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said mitigations could increase statewide if there are widespread reports of the new variant.
“If we see an increase in terms of the UK variant, we know it is starting to multiply very quickly once a significant control is done,” Ezike said. “We know the numbers are very, very low now, but that may change …”
The doctor previously warned that the newly discovered strain could be dominant as early as March.
The British variant was first detected in September, according to World Health Organization officials. Since then, cases have skyrocketed across the UK, leading to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to impose a national closure.
The UK variant is one of two new contagious viral strains that have emerged recently, the CDC said in a telebriefing late last month.