MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – The new coronavirus variant originally found in England has arrived in Wisconsin.
The health services department reported that it confirmed that the variant, which appears to be spreading faster and faster than the current strain, was found Tuesday in Eau Claire. DHS noted that while it is apparently more contagious, the new strain does not appear to be more deadly or cause more severe symptoms of COVID-19.
“We already know that COVID-19 is easily transmitted through respiratory drops and, with this new variant, it seems even more infectious, taking preventative measures such as wearing a mask and physically distancing yourself is even more important,” said the DHS-appointed secretary Andrea Palm. .
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway had previously warned that the variant already existed in the state after confirming it to neighboring Minnesota. DHS’s chief medical officer, Dr. Ryan Westergaard, noted that virus mutations are “very common” and that coronavirus variants were expected.
“As time goes on in the pandemic and the virus continues to reproduce on a large scale, the genetic sequence of the virus will change,” he said.
The mutated strain was discovered with the help of lab partners, DHS explained, through continuous monitoring and genome-wide sequencing.
This story is still unfolding. NBC15 will update it as more information becomes available.
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