A 23-year-old man from Florida is now out of isolation after being the first person in the state to test positive for a new and more contagious type of COVID-19, health officials said Saturday.
The presence of the new strain in Martin County, on the Treasure Coast of Florida, was first discovered Thursday through the CDC’s random sampling of COVID-19 tests.
The CDC is working closely with the Florida Department of Health to investigate more cases in the area and determine how much the new strain has spread.
It is unclear when the individual tested positive, but Martin County Health Officer Carol Ann Vitani described the patient as “very cooperative” on Saturday, following COVID-19 protocols. The person was asymptomatic and had not recently traveled outside the state.
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Cases of the new strain, which originated in the United Kingdom, have also been found in Colorado and California.
It is common for viruses to change as they spread, but some health experts are concerned that current vaccines will not be effective if COVID-19 mutates too much.
For now, that is not the case.
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“At present, experts expect little or no impact on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine,” the state said. health department said.
The state is currently implementing the coronavirus vaccine, giving preference to its vulnerable elderly population and health workers with direct contact with patients.
Florida has vaccinated 243,107 residents, but the head of the State’s Emergency Management Division said Wednesday that the state is not removing the vaccine quickly enough.
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“I know people are frustrated, and I know it’s the light at the end of the tunnel and they want to get there as soon as possible,” said Jared Moskowitz, who oversees the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida, told the Orlando. Wagwag. “I know the systems that have been set up are not working at the moment.”
Florida recorded 1,354,833 confirmed cases and 21,890 deaths due to the disease.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.