A more infectious strain of COVID-19 first identified in South Africa has now been found in Illinois, raising concerns that the state may be heading for another viral resurgence, public health officials announced on Thursday.
The coronavirus variant known as B.1.351 was detected in a resident of Rock Island, one of the Quad Cities along the western border of Illinois with Iowa.
The discovery follows 22 confirmed cases in the Chicago area last month of another strain first found in the UK.
Both variants – and one more from Brazil that has not yet appeared in Illinois – spread more easily than the original life-altering virus around the globe, but the current arsenal of COVID-19 vaccines distributed across the country still “ recognizes these variants and may offer some protection, ”according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“We expected to see more cases of variants detected in Illinois, including strain B.1.351,” said Illinois Director of Public Health, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, in a statement. “These variants appear to spread more quickly, which can lead to more cases of COVID-19 and even another outbreak. Our best way to defeat this virus as quickly as possible is to use our masks and get vaccinated when it is our turn. “
In addition to masking, officials say the emerging variants emphasize the need to keep 6 feet of social distance, avoiding crowds, washing hands regularly and ensuring that indoor spaces are well ventilated.
Careless attitudes toward these basic guidelines – especially with the most infectious variants looming – can threaten the state’s progress in reducing infection rates, which have dropped dramatically in the past two months.
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With the last 2,838 cases diagnosed among 96,525 tests, Illinois’ seven-day average positivity rate remained stable at 3.3%. This key transmission indicator was four times greater at the peak of the pandemic in November and has not decreased since July.
COVID-19 hospital admissions also dropped sharply to pre-peak levels, with 1,954 beds occupied on Wednesday night, the first time since October 14 that number has dropped to less than 2,000.
But the state suffered its worst day of coronavirus deaths in two weeks on Thursday, when officials reported 102 more lives lost due to respiratory illnesses. Fifty-four of the latest victims came from Cook County, including a man in his 30s.
Overall, however, the state’s average rate of 57 deaths per day in the past week is half of what it was a month ago.
Since last March, nearly 1.2 million people have been infected across the state, and 19,841 of them have died.
The COVID-19 test sites operated by the City of Chicago will be closed on Friday and Monday on Lincoln’s birthday and President’s Day.