The variant of the COVID-19 virus, which was first detected in the UK late last year, confirmed cases in the state, the Alabama Department of Public Health announced Wednesday.
Two of the cases are in Montgomery County and a third case in Jefferson County. ADPH said two children are under 19 and one is an adult. These are the first confirmed cases in Alabama of the coronavirus variant.
This is the first time the variant has been found in Alabama.
ADPH described the new variant as “more transferable” and is known as B117. Health officials at the University of Alabama in Birmingham have confirmed the variant virus.
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According to ADPH, the variant is associated with increased transmission of COVID-19 from person to person. Other cases of the variant have recently been confirmed in at least 24 other states, including Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.
There are at least 293 cases in the US, ADPH said.
ADPH has said that experts on infectious diseases and the CDC have indicated that the current COVID-19 vaccine should be effective against the British strain, although it is still being studied. The ADPH did not definitively link to worse outcomes of COVID-19.
ADPH advises people to adhere to the usual softening standards with the emphasis on the correct and consistent use of a two- to three-layer face mask made of washable, breathable fabric such as cotton. Other prevention methods include exercising at a social distance and washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.