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PHOENIX – A variant of COVID-19 that spreads at a faster rate has been detected in Arizona, the Arizona Department of Health Services said on Friday.
AZDHS, Yuma County Public Health Services District and Translational Genomics Research Institute report that the P1 COVID-19 variant, commonly referred to as the Brazilian variant, has been confirmed in three state test samples.
Although the variant spreads faster, studies suggest that vaccines authorized to combat COVID-19 are still effective against the variant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is not known how far the variant may spread in Arizona, officials say.
The new strain was first identified in Brazil, with the first case being detected in the United States in January.
The state health department is working with laboratory and public health partners, including the Centers for Disease Control, to monitor the situation, according to the note.
The so-called “United Kingdom variant” was detected in Arizona in January.
Health officials ask the public to continue to follow mitigation strategies that have been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance and hand washing.