The Minnesota Department of Health said Monday it is confirming the first known U.S. case of a more contagious coronavirus variant originally found in Brazil.
The Brazilian tribe was found by the health department’s various observation program, according to a press release. The department collects 50 random samples for genome sequencing each week.
According to health officials, the patient with the Brazilian variant is a resident of the Twin Cities metro area who recently traveled to Brazil. The person became ill during the first week of January and the sample was collected on January 9, the state said.
“We are grateful that our testing program has helped us find this case, and we thank all Minnesotans who seek tests if they feel ill or otherwise have reason to take a test,” Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said , said in a statement. “We know that even though we are working hard to defeat COVID-19, the virus continues to evolve as all viruses do.”
Earlier in the day, President Joe Biden expanded travel restrictions to Europe, the United Kingdom and Brazil in an effort to limit the spread of Covid-19, especially as new strains of the coronavirus are identified.
Health officials are concerned that the Covid-19 vaccines currently on the market may not be as effective in protecting against new, more contagious strains of the coronavirus. Moderna said on Monday that he was working on a booster shot to protect against another type in South Africa.
The Brazilian tribe, named P.1, was first identified according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in four travelers from Brazil who were tested during a routine search in Tokyo, Japan. It contains a set of additional mutations that can affect the ability to be recognized by antibodies, according to the CDC.
State health officials also said on Monday that they had found two more cases of the B.1.1.7 virus that were first identified in the UK by last week’s various surveillance tests. Of the two new cases of the variant, both are residents of the Twin Cities metro area and both reported recent travel to California.
“These cases illustrate why it is so important to limit travel during a pandemic as much as possible,” said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, epidemiologist, said in a statement. “If you have to travel, it is important to pay attention to symptoms of COVID-19, follow public health guidelines to get tested before the trip, use careful protection measures during the trip, and get quarantine and after the trip. to be tested. “