A new, more contagious strain of coronavirus has arrived in Illinois.
The state and Chicago health departments announced on Friday that the researchers found the first case of the strain in Illinois initially identified in the United Kingdom. Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine identified the case “through sequencing analysis of a sample of biological samples” from positive tests for COVID-19.
The person who tested positive for the new strain traveled to the UK and the Middle East in the two weeks prior to the positive test, according to a contact tracking investigation around the city. People who were in close contact with the traveler were identified and urged to quarantine.
The new strain was first identified in the United States about two weeks ago in Colorado and has since been identified in several other states. He appeared in the UK in September.
Medical experts say the new strain may spread more quickly, but there is no evidence that it causes more serious illness or an increased risk of death. Nor is it more resistant to coronavirus vaccines.
“This news is not surprising and does not change our orientation on COVID-19. We must double the recommended security strategies that we know to help prevent the spread of this virus, ”said Chicago Health Commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady, in a press release.
“To protect Chicago, please continue to wear a mask, practice social detachment, wash your hands frequently, have no outside guests at your home, and be vaccinated when it’s your turn.”
Governor JB Pritzker said that experts are also monitoring unique strains identified in several other nations, including Japan and Brazil.
Beginning January 26, the United States’ Centers for Disease Control will require all international passengers arriving in the United States to provide proof of having tested negative for the coronavirus, at most three days before flying here.
“If we don’t continue to wear our masks, take care of the distance and avoid meetings, this new variant could sweep the state as it sweeps the UK, and it would take us back to a place we don’t want to go to,” said the Director of Public Health from Illinois, Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
The variant was identified when the state reported 6,642 new cases of COVID-19 and the last 123 deaths attributed to it.
Infections were diagnosed among 107,156 tests, reducing the average test positive rate across the state to 6.5% – its lowest point since October 27.
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Hospital admissions have decreased about 40% since the peak of the state’s record-breaking resurgence. As of Thursday night, 3,446 hospital beds were occupied by patients with coronavirus, with 712 receiving intensive care and 386 on ventilators.
But the numbers marked most of the daily deaths announced by the state in a week, with the state averaging about 94 deaths a day in that period.
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The latest victims included a Cook County man in his 30s and 70 other residents of the Chicago area.
The number of pandemic deaths in the state rose to 18,049, just nine days after the state exceeded 17,000 deaths. The virus has claimed nearly 1,600 lives in Illinois this year.
More than 1 million Illinoisans have been infected since March.