Covid variant detected in Burlington wastewater

The Covid-19 variant known as B.1.1.7 was detected in Burlington wastewater, indicating that it is probably present in the community, according to the Department of Health.

Health commissioner Mark Levine said in a statement on Thursday that the discovery represents “a new stage of the pandemic here in Vermont”.

The variant, first detected in the UK, put health officials on high alert. It is considered to be more contagious than the virus that spread over the past year, and experts have warned that this and other mutations may cause the increase in cases while the Covid vaccine is still in its early stages.

Burlington has been monitoring wastewater for viral activity since last August. The process was used to collect early warnings about raising Covid levels in the community. In January, the city announced that it would begin testing wastewater for the B.1.1.7 strain.

The Department of Health does not consider the detection of virus B.1.1.7 by the city as definitive – the presence of the variant can only be confirmed through genomic sampling of individuals with a positive test for Covid-19.

Levine said on Thursday that the discovery is not a surprise. For weeks, the health commissioner said it was only a matter of time before a variant was detected in Vermont and that it was probably already circulating in the state.

One case was detected in Saratoga Springs, New York, in early January. The Health Secretariat reported that 34 states registered cases.

The likely presence of the variant should be a reminder for Vermonters to strictly follow public health guidelines, said Levine. “It is extremely important that everyone takes all measures to help prevent the transmission and spread of the virus, even while our vaccination efforts continue – wear your mask, keep a distance of 1.8 m from each other and avoid crowded places at all. “, he said .

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