Massachusetts confirms it his first case of the COVID-19 variant which was originally identified in South Africa, health officials announced Tuesday night.
The state’s department of public health said ggenetic sequence completed at the Broad Institute has revealed a new case of the B.1.351 variant.
The woman who tested positive is in her twenties, from Middlesex County, and said she has not traveled recently.
In Massachusetts, there are currently 34 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, another variation of the coronavirus initially found in the United Kingdom. Government officials have not yet reported any confirmed cases of the P.1. variant, which was originally detected in Brazil.
The first positive case of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 virus variant, which led to rapid increases in cases in the United Kingdom, was reported in the US in late December. By January 17, civil servants has the first case in Mass. also.
Of the 34 cases currently reported, few residents have traveled recently, indicating that most cases have been obtained in the state in the community, the department said.
These variants, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Seems to spread more easily and faster than other variants, which could lead to more cases of COVID-19.” Officials said the state laboratory is working with several health care and academic partners to identify new variants in the Commonwealth by sequencing a subset of positive samples.
Officials have insisted on continued caution, recalling that the best way to combat the variants in general is by preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
Get Boston.com’s email alerts:
Subscribe and receive coronavirus news and recent updates, from our newsroom to your inbox.