MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and laboratory partners have identified a second variant strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in Wisconsin. A press release says that this most recent variant, known as B.1.351, was first discovered in circulation in South Africa in samples dating back to October 2020.
According to epidemiological and modeling studies, the researchers found that this new strain, similar to B.1.1.7 (UK variant), spreads more quickly and easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. It is not yet known whether this variant has any impact on the severity of the disease.
There is some evidence to suggest that this variant may affect how some antibodies respond to the virus. Experts hope that all three vaccines currently authorized will effectively reduce the risk of COVID-19 for all circulating variants.
COVID-19 cases for Friday, March 5
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Wisconsin increased by 350 on Friday, March 5, Wisconsin Department of Health Services officials reported, to a total of 566,158.
There were 6,477 deaths in the state, with 7 new deaths reported by state health officials on Friday.
Of the positive cases, 26,387 required hospitalization (4.7%), while 552,311 recovered (97.6%), making up 7,211 active cases (1.3%).
More than 2.6 million had a negative test. More than 3.2 million have been tested.
As for the COVID-19 vaccine, DHS officials reported on Friday, March 5, that 1,631,270 doses were administered. To date, 1,895,025 doses have been allocated to Wisconsin.
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If there is one thing that the coronavirus pandemic has shown us, it is the injustices in health outcomes in different populations in the United States. Health leaders are well aware of these disparities and work is being done to close the gaps in vaccinations.