An outbreak of a contagious variant of COVID-19 in a daycare center in Dane County infected 35 people, including 16 children and five caregivers, the county health department said.
Variant B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the UK, has been found in cases associated with the center, according to Public Health Madison and Dane County.
The virus spread rapidly among children, families and workers, the health department said. All children with a positive result are 6 years old or younger.
“This is an important reminder that we should all continue to take precautions,” said director of the health department, Janel Heinrich, in a statement.
Fourteen family members of children and workers are among the 35 people who test positive.
“Most of the children associated with the outbreak had very mild symptoms,” the health department said in a press release.
Track COVID and the vaccine in Wisconsin: Follow the latest data on cases, deaths and our rate of vaccines
Wisconsin vaccine frequently asked questions: Who is eligible, where to get it and what comes next
The outbreak at the daycare center occurs when experts raise concerns about how variant B.1.1.7 is affecting children and Milwaukee Public Schools are preparing for the majority of students to return to classrooms.
Variant B.1.1.7 is 50% to 100% more infectious than the original strain and causes more serious illnesses 50% to 60% of the time, said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, at “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
The variant is at increased risk for children, who are not yet authorized to receive available vaccines.
“This B.1.1.7 variant is an entirely new ball game,” said Osterholm. “It infects children very quickly. Unlike previous strains of the virus, we did not see children below the eighth grade being infected frequently, or they were not very sick very often. They did not transmit to the rest of the community.”
Variant cases are growing in the vicinity of Michigan and Minnesota, especially in schools. Michigan identified more than 1,200 cases of variant B.1.1.7 – the second in the country, behind Florida. The biggest sources of new outbreaks in Michigan are elementary and high schools, according to state data.
More: Michigan’s COVID-19 case rate is the third worst in the US, schools go virtual, hospitals fill up
And Osterholm said that variant B.1.1.7 has been linked to 749 schools in Minnesota in the past two weeks.
Wisconsin identified 149 variant cases, according to state data. All but 10 are variant B.1.1.7.
Wisconsin data does not detail outbreaks of variants in schools specifically. But it does show that educational facilities have the most active outbreak investigations of any location, with 499. Second are non-health-related workplaces, with 329 active outbreak investigations.
Each district in the state has at least some face-to-face instruction, although Milwaukee and Madison remain almost entirely virtual. Many schools have reopened because research has shown that the risk of transmitting the original coronavirus strain is generally low among children.
Milwaukee Public Schools students from kindergarten through third grade will have the option to return to school buildings from April 14, the school council recently decided. Most students will be able to return on April 26.
In Madison, only the youngest students returned to the school buildings, while students in the third grade and above are scheduled to return in phases in April. Third grade students will begin the reopened plan in stages on April 13th.
The Dane County Health Department has asked parents to remain vigilant when observing symptoms in children. Testing children is the key to preventing the virus from spreading to people who may have more severe reactions.
“The symptoms of COVID-19 that are common in children can include fever, cough, fatigue, headache, muscle pain and nasal congestion. Do not confuse these symptoms with seasonal allergies; get tested and discard COVID-19 first,” department said.
Heinrich also asked everyone over the age of 16 to get the vaccine to help protect children who cannot yet do so. The state opened eligibility for everyone on Monday.
“As more and more adults are vaccinated, I hope that we can form a protective circle around our children so that everyone in our community can stay healthy,” she said.
More: What to know about the COVID-19 vaccine and where to get it in Wisconsin as eligibility expands to all adults
Latest vaccine numbers
Total doses administered: 3,087,492
Wisconsin residents with at least one dose: 1,922,832 (33% of the population)
Fully vaccinated residents: 1,171,309 (20.1% of the population)
Residents aged 65 and over with at least one dose: 778,846 (76.6% of the population over 65 years)
Drake Bentley of Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
More: More than 20% of Wisconsin residents are fully vaccinated
Contact Sophie Carson at (414) 223-5512 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @SCarson_News.