Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Saturday that the state has confirmed a case of a coronavirus variant that was initially detected in South Africa.
The case was confirmed in an unnamed adult resident of Baltimore, who has no travel history abroad, suggesting the variant is likely to be spreading in the community, the governor’s office said.
“The B.1.351 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus first detected in South Africa has been identified in Maryland,” Hogan wrote in a tweet. “We continue to keep a close eye on new varieties and ask Marylanders to limit the transmission by wearing masks, avoiding gatherings and washing your hands.”
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The news comes as Maryland has administered at least 535,638 vaccines in a state with about 6 million people. The average of seven days for daily vaccinations is more than 25,000.
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The state also appears to be gradually declining from a turbulent winter in terms of the number of cases, when daily infections grew on December 4, 3,700 and again on January 8 and January 9 per state. Maryland recorded less than 2,000 daily cases on January 31 and February 1.
The positive percentage nationwide is at 5.61%, with total confirmed cases around 355,600 and nearly 7,000 deaths associated with the new virus.
The coronavirus strain initially detected in South Africa is not the only mutated strain likely to circulate in Maryland. On 12 January, the Governors’ Office announced two confirmed cases of a highly transmissible British tension. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the figure has since risen to at least eight cases.
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Scientists believe that the British strain spreads about 50 to 70% more easily from person to person, and some experts believe that the B.1.1.7 strain can be even more deadly.
Early findings also suggest that vaccines will remain effective against the strains, although the South African strain in particular has reduced its effectiveness. Recent findings from Novavax, for example, reveal that the vaccine is 89% against COVID-19 disease, but up to 60% among trial volunteers in South Africa. Including volunteers with HIV, the protection was generally 49% against the South African variant.
Maryland is the second state in the country to announce a case of the South African tribe, following earlier reports from South Carolina on Thursday.