The variant of the COVID-19 virus, first detected in the United Kingdom last year, confirmed cases in the state, the Alabama Department of Public Health announced on Wednesday.
Two of the cases are in Montgomery County and a third in Jefferson County. ADPH said that two are children under 19 and one is an adult. It is the first confirmed case in Alabama of the coronavirus variant.
This marks the first time that the variant has been found in Alabama.
ADPH described the new variant as “most highly transmissible” and is known as B117. Health officials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham confirmed the variant of the virus.
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According to ADPH, the variant is associated with increased person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. Other cases of the variant have recently been confirmed in at least 24 other states, including Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.
There are at least 293 cases in the United States, said ADPH.
ADPH said infectious disease experts and the CDC indicated that the current COVID-19 vaccine must be effective against the UK strain, although it is still being studied. The variant was definitely not associated with worse results from COVID-19, said ADPH.
ADPH advises people to continue to practice the usual mitigation standards, with an emphasis on the correct and consistent use of a two to three layer facial mask of washable and breathable fabric, such as cotton. Other prevention methods include practicing social detachment and washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.