1st covid-19 variant case identified in Pennsylvania

The first case of the covid-19 variant initially seen in the United Kingdom last month has been identified in Pennsylvania, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Thursday.

“Public health experts are still in the early stages of working to better understand this new variant, how it spreads and how it affects people who are infected with it,” Levine said in a statement.

The variant – officially called SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 – was first identified in Britain in mid-December. Infectious disease experts have said the mutations seem to make the already highly contagious virus even more easily transmittable from person to person.

Levine said the state Department of Health has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to screen for the new variant, regularly sending 10 to 35 random samples of covid-19 tests to the federal lab in Atlanta.

The positive case of the variant was in Dauphin County, Levine said, and the individual had “mild symptoms which have since resolved.” She said the person tested positive after known international exposure. She said case investigators and contact tracers have identified and reached out to close contacts of the person.

“There is still much to learn about this new variant, so we need to remain vigilant,” she said, urging people to continue normal health practices.

Levine said public health experts believe the current diagnostic tests will detect this new variant, and vaccines already developed and in development will be effective.