Another three cases of the highly contagious coronavirus variant first discovered in the United Kingdom have been identified in New Jersey, bringing the total number in the Garden State to 11.
The first two cases of the variant were announced last week. Officials announced Wednesday that they have discovered six additional cases. Another three were announced Friday.
The cases were reported in six provinces:
- Ocean County – 4
- Essex County – 2
- Morris County – 2
- Hudson County – 1
- Middlesex County – 1
- Warren County – 1
At least one death was attributed to the new variant, and two of the cases related to people with recent trips.
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Health officials in New Jersey reported another 5,023 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 83 additional deaths on Friday, as the vaccination dose was given 725,000 shots.
Scientists have said the mutation is up to 70% more contagious. But there is preliminary evidence that it can be lethal and that other variants are more resistant to vaccines. New Jersey is among at least 24 states where the tribe has been confirmed.
Viruses often get small changes of a letter or two in their genetic alphabet, just by normal evolution. A slightly adapted tribe may become the most common in a country or region, simply because it is the tribe that first took up position there, or because ‘super-distributor’ events helped entrench it.
A bigger concern is when a virus mutates by altering the proteins on its surface so that it escapes from drugs or immune system.
But health officials in New Jersey have said they do not think the variant will limit the effectiveness of the vaccines for the virus.
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Matt Arco can be reached at [email protected].