Medical staff examine a coronavirus patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at United Memorial Medical Center on November 16, 2020 in Houston, Texas.
Go Nakamura | Getty Images
Texas public health officials announced Thursday that they have identified the state’s first case of a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus that was initially discovered in the United Kingdom.
The patient, a 30- to 40-year-old man with no history of recent travel, was discovered in Harris County, home of Houston, the county public health department said in a statement. The man was isolated and in stable condition, and local infectious disease experts are following all his contacts to find and control other people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The variant is likely already circulating in Texas, because the man had no history of previous trips, Dr. John Hellerstedt, the commissioner for the Texas State Department of Health Services, said in a statement. He added that genetic variations of viruses “are the norm” and it is not uncommon for the variant to be discovered in Texas given the speed with which it spreads.
“This should make us all redouble our commitment to infection prevention practices that we know work: mask every time you’re close to people you don’t live with, social distancing, and personal and environmental hygiene,” Hellerstedt said. .
Shortly after Texas officials announced their first case, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said in a tweet that his state identified two Covid-19 cases with the new variant, known as B.1.1.7, in people between 15 and 25 years old. Both patients had a history of out-of-state travel: one to Ireland and the other to New York State, Lamont said.
“As we said last week, given the speed of this new chain of the virus and its identification in several states across the country, we assumed it was already in our state and this information this morning confirms that fact,” he said. say the governor in a tweet.
The strain, which has also been found in California, Georgia, New York, Florida and Colorado, is believed to be more transmissible, but does not appear to make people sicker or increase the risk of death from Covid-19, they said. said the experts. . Earlier Thursday, Pennsylvania health officials said they identified the first case in their state with the new variant.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county’s top elected official, said in a tweet Thursday that the discovery of the variant in the area is “disturbing” given the already rapid spread there.
As of Thursday, the county remained at its most severe threat level, the “first tier,” meaning tracking tests and contact-finding efforts are reduced and outbreaks are “present or worsening.” “, according to the county website.
When the county is at this level, residents are advised to leave their homes for essential purposes only and minimize their contacts with other people whenever possible.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have said current vaccines should work against the new variant, although more hospitalizations could occur if it is allowed to spread without control. Federal health officials are also awaiting a second new strain, first identified in South Africa.
The CDC still does not know to what extent the new variant B.1.1.7 is widespread in the United States. The agency now requires all airline passengers traveling to the United States from the United Kingdom to submit, prior to boarding, proof of a negative Covid-19 test conducted no more than three days prior to the shipment. its output.
– CNBC He wants fire has contributed to this report.