MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Laboratory Partners has identified a second variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in Wisconsin. A news release states that this latest variant, referred to as B.1.351, was first distributed in South Africa in samples dating from October 2020.
According to epidemiological and modeling studies, researchers have found that this new strain, similar to B.1.1.7 (British variant), spreads faster and easier than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. It is not yet known whether this variant has an impact on the severity of the disease.
There is evidence to suggest that this variant may affect how some antibodies respond to the virus. Experts expect that all three currently approved vaccines will effectively reduce the risk of COVID-19 for all circulating variants.
COVID-19 cases for Friday 5 March
Meanwhile, the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin rose by 350 on Friday, March 5, officials from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported for a total of 566,158.
There were 6,477 deaths in the state, with 7 new deaths reported by health officials Friday.
Of the positive cases, 26,387 required hospitalization (4.7%), while 552,311 recovered (97.6%), yielding 7,211 active cases (1.3%).
More than 2.6 million tested negative. More than 3.2 million have been tested.
As for the COVID-19 vaccine, DHS officials reported on Friday, March 5, that 1,631,270 doses had been administered. To date, 1,895,025 doses have been assigned to Wisconsin.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get news reports in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
COVID-19 vaccine sources and more
Milwaukee Department of Health Information on COVID-19 Vaccine
Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID-19 Vaccine Registry
CLICK HERE to view the Milwaukee County COVID-19 dashboard.
CLICK HERE to see the latest COVID-19 totals (updated daily at 2 p.m.) from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
CoronavirusNow.com: A Fox television station initiative to bring you the latest national and international news on COVID-19.
About COVID-19 (from the CDC)
Hayat Pharmacy, Hmong Agency Partner to Provide COVID-19 Vaccines
If there is one thing that the coronavirus pandemic has shown us, it is the inequality of health outcomes in different populations in the United States. Health leaders are well aware of the differences and work is being done to reduce the gaps in vaccinations.