WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A Second Kansas Case of the United Kingdom, or UK, variant known as B.1.1.7, has been identified in Sedgwick County, the Kansas Department of Health and the Environment confirmed in a Monday afternoon news release.
The first case was identified earlier this month at Fort Hays State University in Ellis County.
A case investigation was conducted and close contacts notified. The case investigation indicates that the person probably became infected while traveling outside the state. “Further details regarding the patient, including demographics, will not be disclosed,” the KDHE said.
The state said the variant is determined by testing at KDHE laboratories.
“This finding does not change our recommendations on public health. We continue to encourage people to take the necessary precautions. This includes wearing a mask that fits comfortably around the nose and face and has multiple layers of material, or wearing thinner masks with an additional cloth mask to enhance the fit. “Kansans should also follow isolation and quarantine recommendations, take physical distance, maintain good hygiene, stay home when you are sick and get the vaccine if you can, as soon as the stock is adequate,” said Lee Norman, secretary of the KDHE. .
Adrienne Byrne, director of health in Sedgwick County, added that “this finding also shows how important it is to be tested for COVID-19.”
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