SAN BERNARDINO, California (VVNG.com) The San Bernardino County Department of Public Health was notified today by the California Department of Public Health that two cases of the more contagious B117 strain of the new coronavirus in San Bernardino County have been detected.
The variant strain is currently common in London and south-east England and the detection of the B117 strain is not unexpected. Several variants of the virus that cause COVID-19 have been documented during the pandemic in the United States and worldwide.
These cases were among the results collected on Dec. 20 from members of one household in the Big Bear area. One member of the household had contact with a traveler who returned from the UK on 11 December and started showing symptoms on 14 December.
“Based on the available information, we know that the B117 variant appears to be spreading easier and faster,” said Dr. Michael Sequeira, County Health Officer. “That’s why it’s more important than ever to follow all safe practices.”
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends that travelers avoid all travel to high-risk areas, including the UK: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel notifications. html.
Currently, there is no evidence that these variants cause serious illness or increased risk of death, and no indication that the vaccines are less effective for this strain.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on the new COVID-19 variants.