JACKSON, Wyo. A variant of COVID-19, which Britain sent in another exclusion last month, has been discovered in Jackson Hole. The Department of Health in Wyoming (WDH) confirms the first case of the state of the ‘UK variant’, or B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant, today, 16 January. The variant was identified in an adult male in Teton County.
While further investigation is underway, early information suggests that exposure to the virus variant occurred locally.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist at WDH, said the department was not surprised and expected the variant to occur in Wyoming at some point.
The strain is a mutation of the common COVID-19 virus that has spread worldwide. Viruses naturally develop as they spread from person to person, which is why new flu shots are developed every year.
“It is not uncommon for variants with viruses to emerge, and this is happening during this pandemic with COVID-19,” Harrist said. “However, this species is more transmissible than previous COVID-19 variants, and it is a serious concern.”
Harrist noted that the British variant does not appear to cause serious illness. “But a variant that spreads more easily between people means that the number of infections can increase which can cause more diseases, hospitalizations and deaths,” she said. “It’s something no one wants.”
“So it’s still very important for Wyoming residents to wear masks, to physically distance themselves and avoid large gatherings, and to stay home when they are sick unless they seek medical attention,” Harrist said.
“We also do not want people to have to test to see if they are exposed or have symptoms that could be COVID-19,” Harrist said. In addition to local testing options, WDH offers free home COVID-19 testing through Vault Health. These tests are available free of charge to residents of Wyoming; insurance is not required.
It is believed that currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the British variety strain. Information on the distribution of vaccines in Wyoming can be found here.
While Wyoming’s initial case of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant was discovered in a commercial health care laboratory, the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory (WPHL) is also monitoring samples for these and other COVID-19 variants. WPHL is part of WDH.
There are 273 active cases covid-19 as of January 15 in Teton County.