The case appears to be the first known case of this variant in the US
Fauci: USA seriously analyzes the coronavirus variant that set off alarms in the UK
Colorado officials said the man, who has no travel history, is isolated in Elbert County.
“Public health officials are doing a thorough investigation,” said a press release from the governor’s office. “The individual has no close contacts identified so far, but public health officials are working to identify other cases and potential contacts through thorough contact-finding interviews.”
The variants are all from the same virus, regardless of their small genetic differences.
SARS-COV-2 is a respiratory virus, which means that it is transmitted through droplets, so masks and social distance still work to delay transmission, regardless of the variant.
Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the variant strain is something “to be followed very carefully”.
Millions have been warned to cancel Christmas plans in the UK, as the new COVID-19 strain leads to rapid spread
European Union countries have banned flights from the United Kingdom and Germany is considering limiting those flights to ensure that a new lineage that sweeps across southern England does not establish a solid base on the continent.
Japan dramatically enforces a ban on foreign visitors as a precaution against a potentially more contagious new variant of the coronavirus
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new strain of the virus is 70% more transmissible than existing strains and appears to be causing the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England.
“There is no evidence to suggest that it is more lethal or causes more serious illness,” he said, or that vaccines are less effective against him.
ABC News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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