U.K. COVID Variant That May Be More Deadly Found in 22 U.S. States Including Washington
On 1/25/21 at 6:03 AM EST
Washington state reported its first cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID variant over the weekend, public health officials said.
The variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, has now been found in at least 22 U.S. states, with the country reporting a total of almost 200 cases, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)
Scientists say the new variant is around 50 to 70 percent more infectious than the original. Initial data on the variant indicated that B.1.1.7 otherwise known as VOC 202012/01 did not appear to cause more severe disease.
First reported cases of U.K. COVID-19 variant found in Washington
January 23, 2021 5:36 PM KXLY News Staff
Alissa Eckert/Dan Higgins/CDC
SNOHOMISH CO., Wash. The first cases of the COVID-19 variant first seen in the United Kingdom have been detected in Washington, the State Department of Health said Saturday.
The strains found are connected to two Snohomish County residents, and were detected at the University of Washington Virology Lab, according to a release.
The lab was screening 1,035 samples between Dec. 25 and Jan. 20 for mutations of the variant (known as B.1.1.7), which was first reported in the United Kingdom.
The first case known to be found in the United States was reported in a Colorado man in his 20s back in December.