Image:Twitter@WFAE
First US cases of COVID-19 variant first detected in South Africa
The two cases do not appear to be connected to each other, and neither person is known to have traveled recently.
Image:Twitter@WFAE
The new Covid-19 strain first discovered in South Africa last November has now surfaced in the US, after two cases were reported in the state of South Carolina, health officials announced on Thursday.
The two cases of the B.1.351 variant do not appear to be connected to each other, and neither person is known to have traveled recently, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) said in a statement.
“Viruses are constantly changing, leading to the emergence of variants. Variants are closely monitored for their ability to spread faster or cause more disease.”
“South Carolina public health officials were notified late yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of a South Carolina sample that was tested at LabCorp and determined to be the B.1.351 variant originally identified in South Africa.”
DHEC officials said there is no travel history or connection between the two people, but said both cases were found in adults — one from the Lowcountry and one from the Pee Dee region.
CDC tested samples
The variant was discovered in samples from South Carolina tested by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which in turn notified officials in the state late Wednesday about the two cases.
Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious diseases physician at the Medical University of South Carolina, said the two seemingly unrelated cases of the variant were “frightening,” telling the Associated Press: “It’s probably more widespread.”
The B.1.351 strain – also known as 501Y.V2 – was first discovered in South Africa late last year and is more infectious than previous variants, although it is not believed to cause a more severe Covid-19 illness, according to initial data.
DHEC officials said in the release that experts agree that the existing COVID-19 vaccines will work to protect from this variant, and while they are unsure of how effective they are, there’s no evidence that the B.1.351 variant causes a more severe illness.
“Also, DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory tested samples on Jan. 25 and yesterday identified a separate case of the same variant. Since June 2020, DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory has been performing tests of random samples in order to identify any instances of the variant viruses.
