Officials in San Diego County on Tuesday reported a total of 32 cases of the new, potentially more contagious variant of the coronavirus, which also spread rapidly in England.
The variant, known as B.1.1.7, was first identified in a virus sample taken from a man in San Diego County on Dec. 29, confirmed a day later and then publicly announced.
Since then, more cases of the variant have been identified, and on Tuesday, officials announced an additional 24 cases confirmed by whole genome sequence and four more suspected cases.
Prior to Tuesday, San Diego County confirmed four cases of the variant. It is believed that the 24 patients who have just been confirmed have no travel history and that they came from 19 different households, but an investigation and contact tracing continues, according to a statement released by provincial officials.
The new cases have been identified among residents of San Diego and several suburbs, including Chula Vista, La Mesa and Lakeside. The inhabitants range between 10 and 70 years old.
San Diego County officials say no patients infected with the variant died, but one woman was admitted to the hospital. She’s strong at home now.
The variant was also identified in two people from the same household in Big Bear in San Bernardino County, and also in Colorado and New York.
The variant is presumably more contagious than the conventional variety of the virus that spreads primarily in California, but for people infected with it, there is probably no greater risk of serious illness or death.
Health officials say the guidance on dealing with this new variant remains the same: stay at home as much as possible, do not go to meetings, do not travel, wear a mask at all times when working near others or in the grocery store, exercise only yourself or with others from your household, wash your hands every hour and take a break from shopping.
Although LA county officials have yet to document the presence of the tribe there, a ‘frightening thought’ is to have a virus that can infect more people faster than we see today ‘, the provincial director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, said Tuesday.
Dr. Neha Nanda, medical director of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship at USC-Keck Medicine, said Tuesday she thinks the current COVID-19 vaccine will be able to fight the new variant, based on the immune response that the body launches into a natural infection or vaccination.
“This variant is not something people have to succumb to,” she said.
Times author Colleen Shalby and San Diego Union Tribune author Lyndsay Winkley contributed to this report.