Penn State leaders urge vigilance as covid-19 cases rise, variant detected

A more infectious variant of covid-19 has reached the Centre Region, Penn State officials confirmed Friday, as community leaders called for students and residents alike to take action and stem the concerning rise in cases.

In a joint news conference involving leaders from both the university and State College Borough, officials pleaded with the community to continue masking up, washing hands and social-distancing despite loosening restrictions. The announcement of the detection of B.1.1.7, also known as the “UK variant,” only reinforced the importance of that chorus.

“We are joining together because our concern and call for continued vigilance is for the whole community,” State College Mayor Ron Filippelli said during the virtual briefing that included a half-dozen speakers. “It’s not a matter of students being more lax, or community members or visitors. It’s about everyone. We’re seeing a relaxation across the board, unfortunately.”

It is not known how widespread the U.K. variant might be in Centre County, but the variant — which experts say is 30% to 50% more transmissible — was first confirmed here Tuesday, from a March 7 wastewater sample. The finding was not a surprise, as officials have operated under the assumption for weeks that the variant had likely already arrived.

Still, that makes the variant no less concerning. According to Penn State’s Matthew Ferrari, director at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, the UK variant increases the likelihood of severe disease in addition to a 50% increase in death. (A recent U.K. study found deaths increased from 2.5 per 1,000 cases to 4.1 per 1,000 cases, while more low-risk patients were hospitalized.)

“Even though a lot of things are now allowed, I would caution everybody to be extra cautious about any interactions that involve interacting with individuals outside your immediate household, your immediate family or your immediate pod,” Ferrari said.