SALT LAKE CITY – A new variant of the UK-based COVID-19 has been detected in Utah, state health officials announced on Friday.
The variant, also known as B.1.1.7 COVID-19, was detected in a Salt Lake County man who tested positive last month and was between 25 and 44 years old, according to a Department press release. Utah Health Department. The man had no travel history outside Utah and had only mild symptoms, the statement said.
“We anticipated that we would find this strain in Utah. We know that this strain is more transmissible than previous variants of COVID-19, and our hospitals continue to operate at or near capacity. Now, more than ever, Utah residents need to use masks practice physical distance and avoid large crowds “, said the health department epidemiologist, Dr. Angela Dunn, in the statement.
Salt Lake County health officials conducted a routine investigation of the case, including contact tracking, for the variant case. The Utah Public Health Laboratory discovered the variant through genetic sequencing of COVID-19 samples, the press release said.
The UK variant is believed to spread more quickly and easily than other COVID-19 mutations, but there is no evidence that it is more deadly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was first detected in the United States, in Colorado.
The COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for use are also considered effective against the virus variant in the UK, the health department said.
Dunn is expected to provide more information about the variant’s discovery on Friday afternoon.
This story will be updated.
Jacob Klopfenstein