Michigan confirms first case of South African COVID variant in Jackson County

LANSING, Mich. The Department of Health and Human Services in Michigan has announced that the first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.351 has been identified in a child in Jackson County.

The health department did not say how the boy was infected, but an investigation is underway to determine close contact and whether there are additional cases related.

This new variant was originally detected in South Africa in October 2020 and shares mutations with the B117 variant. The first case of the B117 variant – originally detected in the United Kingdom – has been identified in Washtenaw County.

READ: Everything we know about virus variants in Michigan, USA.

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Officials said B.1.351 is likely to be contagious, but there is no indication that it “affects the clinical outcomes or severity of diseases compared to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that has been spreading in the United States for months.”

However, a higher transfer rate could increase the number of people who have to be hospitalized or lose their lives to COVID-19, should the new variant start to spread widely in Michigan. Officials said the variant was identified Monday in 20 other states and jurisdictions.

This case in Michigan is currently the only one identified. It was first reported on January 28 in the US when it was identified in two people in South Carolina.

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“We are concerned about the discovery of another variant in Michigan, although it was not unexpected,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical officer and deputy health chief, said. “We continue to call on Michiganders to take a research approach by wearing their masks properly, removing them socially, avoiding crowds, washing their hands regularly and making a plan to ensure the safe and effective COVID-19 get vaccine as soon as it is your turn. We all have a personal responsibility to slow down the spread of COVID-19 and end this pandemic as soon as possible. ”

Based on available evidence, current tests can identify COVID-19 in these cases. The available COVID-19 vaccines also work against this new variant.

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