Story at a glance
- The man had no prior travel history, suggesting community spread is occurring.
- Health officials say the new strain appears to be more transmissible but does not seem to lead to more severe illness or increase the risk of death.
- The strain has been identified in California, Florida, Colorado and more than 30 countries.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday confirmed that his state identified its first case of the more contagious variant of the coronavirus that was initially discovered in the United Kingdom last month.
During a call with reporters, Cuomo said the case was identified in a 60-year-old man in Saratoga County who worked at a jewelry store where three others have tested positive for COVID-19. Whether those cases were caused by the new variant is under investigation. People who visited N. Fox Jewelers between Dec. 18-24 are advised to get tested immediately.
Our country is in a historic fight against the Coronavirus. Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
Cuomo said the man had no prior travel history, suggesting community spread is occurring. New York conducted 5,000 tests for the new strain but only identified one case so far.
The governor said, however, he believes the variant is more widespread than people know, noting initial research has shown the strain could be 70 times more contagious than the normal coronavirus strain.
“If other states could test as much as we were testing and tested for the U.K. strain as much as we’ve tested, they would be finding them,” Cuomo said, according to CNBC.
The strain has been identified in California, Florida, Colorado and more than 30 countries.
Health officials say the new strain appears to be more transmissible but does not seem to lead to more severe illness or increase the risk of death, and current vaccines should still work against it.
The strain could, however, lead to more hospitalizations as a result of the increase in cases.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS RIGHT NOW
A NEW VARIANT OF THE CORONAVIRUS IN THE UK: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
FROM THE LAB BENCH TO THE UPPER ARM: HOW COVID-19 VACCINES CAME INTO BEING
5,000 BODY BAGS AND 60 MORGUE TRUCKS SENT TO COVID-RAVAGED CALIFORNIA
FIRST WILD ANIMAL IN US TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
PFIZER’S VACCINE IS GIVEN IN TWO DOSES — BUT FDA SAYS FIRST DOSE ALONE IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
changing america copyright.
