First Reported US Case Of New COVID Variant Had No Travel History, Suggesting Community Spread Pedestrians wear masks while crossing an empty road at the intersection of Market Street and 15th Avenue during the evening rush hour Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in downtown Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
By Patty Nieberg December 30, 2020 10:07 a.m.
DENVER (AP) A new variant of the coronavirus that may be more contagious has been found in a Colorado man who had not been traveling, triggering a host of questions about how the first reported U.S. case of the new version showed up in the Rocky Mountain state.
US man with no travel history tests positive for new Covid strain, authorities puzzled
US man with no travel history tests positive for new Covid strain, authorities puzzled
As the situation stands, the variant is likely still rare in the US, but the lack of travel history in the first case is a clear sign that the new strain is spreading. Scientists believe the new strain is spreading in different parts due to the people that travelled the UK in November and December.
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UPDATED: December 30, 2020 14:52 IST
The US man infected with the new Covid-19 strain has no recent travel history. (Photo: Reuters/Representational image)
No Travel History Linked To First Reported U.S. Case Of Virus Variant
Colorado officials were expected to provide more details on Wednesday about how the man in his 20s came down with the COVID-19 variant.
Patty Nieberg
DENVER (AP) A new variant of the coronavirus that may be more contagious has been found in a Colorado man who had not been traveling, triggering a host of questions about how the first reported U.S. case of the new version showed up in the Rocky Mountain state.
The new variant was first identified in England, and infections are soaring now in Britain, where the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has surpassed the first peak of the outbreak in the spring. The new variant has also been found in several other countries.
2020/12/30 13:07 DENVER (AP) A Colorado man who became the first reported person in the U.S. to have a COVID-19 variant that is spreading in the United Kingdom hadn’t been traveling, health officials said Monday, triggering a host of questions about how the new strain showed up in the Rockies. Colorado officials were expected to provide more details at a news conference Wednesday about how the man in his 20s from a mostly rural area of rolling plains at the edge of the Denver metro area came down with the variant. For the moment, the variant is likely still rare in the U.S., but the lack of travel history in the first case means it is spreading, probably seeded by travelers from Britain in November or December, said scientist Trevor Bedford, who studies the spread of COVID-19 at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
The U.S. set two more devastating COVID-19 records as it counted down the hours to the end of what has been a calamitous year for the nation. On Tuesday, it recorded more than 3,700 new deaths linked to the virus, a chilling new high. The U.S. also reported the most COVID-19 hospitalizations, with more than 124,600 patients nationwide, according to the COVID Tracking Project. On a state level, Texas officials reported record-high hospitalizations Tuesday, with more than 11,700 COVID-19 patients across the state while Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said a temporary hospital with an additional 60 beds could open within the next few days.