MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – State health officials say a new, more infectious strain of COVID-19 has arrived in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed on Thursday that the COVID variant first detected in the United Kingdom was identified in five people in the twin cities. Cases range from 15 to 37 years. They reported that they felt bad between 16 and 31 December.
Dr. George Morris and other health experts believe the new variant is more contagious.
“We have had more than 90 million cases identified worldwide, and having so many cases without expecting viral change or change, that is not realistic,” said Morris.
He says the most familiar strain of COVID has about a 10% chance that an infected person will pass it on to at least one other person.
(credit: CDC / NIAID)
“With this new variant, the B-117, it looks like it’s 15% more, maybe 20%, so it’s increasing,” said Morris.
Still, the variant is not believed to be more deadly. However, Dr. Morris says it can cause more deaths by spreading more quickly to vulnerable populations.
“If the normal coronavirus spreads to 10,000 people, we will have a certain percentage of deaths,” he said. “But if this new variant spreads to 20,000 people, we will have more deaths.”
That is why specialists continue to encourage the practice of measures such as social distance and the use of masks.
The good news is that preliminary studies show that COVID vaccines will offer protection against the new strain.
“We need to continue to focus on the things we have identified that are useful,” said Morris. “Trust our scientists, use our trusted source of information and continue these conversations.”
Of the five new cases identified in Minnesota, only two reported recent international travel. None of the five people were hospitalized.