The first case of the Brazilian variant of COVID-19 in New York detected in a resident of Brooklyn

A Brooklyn resident with no travel history is the first person in New York City to have a confirmed case of the Brazilian variant of COVID-19, said Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office on Saturday.

The state’s first case of COVID-19 P.1 was identified by scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and verified by the Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center Laboratory, the New York Post reported.

The State Department of Health is working to learn more about the patient, who is in his 90s. It is also investigating who the person came into contact with, the office said.

The Brazilian variant is considered more contagious than the first version of the coronavirus. There is a possibility that current vaccines are not as effective against it as previous variants of the virus.

The variant was first found in the United States in January in Minnesota, reported the federal Centers for Disease Control.

There are currently 48 cases in 15 states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, said the CDC website.

Cuomo’s office was optimistic about the fight against the new variant.

“While additional research is needed, researchers at the University of Oxford recently released unrevised peer data indicating that the P.1 variant may be less resistant to current vaccines than originally thought,” said the governor’s office.

Nearly 3.9 million doses of vaccine were administered in the five neighborhoods, the city said.

“This is a race between the vaccine and the variants, and we continue to make tremendous progress in bringing vaccines into the arms of eligible New Yorkers,” said state health commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker.

Zucker urged residents to continue to follow existing safety precautions, such as face masks and social detachment, until the pandemic is under control.