Variant strain of COVID-19, originating in UK, found in Guilford County

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Health officials say a case of the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 has been found in Guilford County.

According to the Guilford County Division of Public Health, health officials learned of this new case on Wednesday.

The patient is now in isolation.

“Due to the B.1.1.7 variant being highly transmissible, we are currently conducting contact tracing and will continue to heavily monitor this case,” Guilford County Public Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann said. “We are prepared to address future cases that contain variant strains with the same level of detail. It continues to be important for the community to follow the 3 W’s: Wear a face covering, Wash your hands, and Wait six-feet apart.”

This variant originated in the United Kingdom.

“At this time, there is no evidence that these variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death,” the health department said.

This particular case had been randomly selected for testing to see if it may be a variant strain, leading to this identification.

“According to the CDC, the B.1.1.7 variant is a more highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 which has been detected in 21 U.S. states as of January 22, 2021,” the health department said. “… Current COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be effective against the new variant.

Source: Fox 8 News Channel