The new year has brought the new strain of the novel coronavirus to Pennsylvania.
On Thursday morning, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed that the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 strain has been confirmed in a patient in Dauphin County.
Advertisements
The new strain, according to health professionals, is more transmissible but not more deadly. It was first located in England last year and has recently been located in other states.
Healthline.com reported that the new strain is thought by experts to be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the original strain.
“This individual tested positive after known international exposure. A case investigation and contact tracing were performed to identify, inform and monitor anyone who was in close contact with this individual. The individual had mild symptoms, which have since been resolved while they completed their isolation at home,” state health officials said in a statement.
Advertisements
The new strain comes as COVID-19 vaccines slowly roll out across the state.
“Pennsylvania has been preparing for this variant by working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has been sending 10-35 random samples biweekly to the CDC since November to study sequencing and detect any potential cases for this new COVID-19 variant,” Dr. Levine said. “Public health experts are in the early stages of working to better understand this new variant, how it spreads and how it affects people who are infected with it.
Advertisements
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
