The secretary of health, dr. Rachel Levine, said Thursday it is not surprising that a COVID-19 variant can be found in Pennsylvania that can spread faster, and she expects more cases.
Pennsylvania announced the case early Thursday, saying it involved someone in Dauphin County who contracted it while traveling. The state does not disclose any personal details or information about where the person traveled.
According to the state, the person had mild symptoms that disappeared while the person was isolating himself. The state said that he did make contact with the detection of others who may have had contact with the infected person, but did not give any further details.
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The variant was first detected in England in December. It is now found in about 30 European countries.
About 50-60 cases have been found so far in the United States, with about half in California and Florida and a small number in Colorado, Georgia and New York.
The variant is believed to spread faster than other strains that have spread to the United States so far. However, there is no evidence that it makes people sicker.
Coronaviruses, including COVID-19, are known for their ability to mutate to bypass the human immune system.
However, experts believe that the vaccines that started last month in the United States and elsewhere are effective against the variant. Levine said: “there is every reason to suspect that the vaccine will prevent this strain.”
To identify the variant strain, genetic sequencing is not widely available. Pennsylvania sent random samples to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which apparently led to the discovery of the case announced Thursday.
Levine said Pennsylvania will soon have the ability to detect the variant at the state lab and other laboratories in Pennsylvania.
She said the strain strain is not currently responsible for the majority of infections, but public health agencies in Pennsylvania and across the state will be closely monitoring the incidence.
Experts believe that a variant that spreads faster could exacerbate the pandemic by causing more cases and deaths and causing more hospitalizations and stress on the health system.
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