A variant of the COVID-19 virus that can spread more easily than others has been detected for the first time in New Hampshire, health officials said Friday.The B.1.1.7 variant, referred to as the U.K. variant because it was first identified in the United Kingdom, has been shown to spread more easily. Studies are underway to determine whether the variant is deadlier, but officials said its fast spread means more people might be infected, potentially increasing the number of people requiring hospitalization and leading to more deaths.The person infected with the variant virus is an adult resident of Hillsborough County who had close contact with someone who had traveled internationally and was then diagnosed with COVID-19, health officials said. Contact tracing has identified close household contacts, but no other community exposures have been identified, officials said.Health officials said isolation, quarantine and testing guidance was followed, and there’s not believed to be a risk to the community from this case.”The presence of a COVID-19 variant in New Hampshire is not surprising, and we will likely see increasing numbers of infections from the B.1.1.7 variant,” said Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist. “The CDC has estimated that the variant will likely become the predominant circulating variant in the U.S. in the near future.”The variant was previously detected in Maine and Massachusetts and was possibly detected in Vermont. It has been found in at least 37 U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine manufacturers have said their vaccines should still provide some protection against this variant, though Moderna plans to test booster doses against the emerging strains.Mutations are common in viruses, and COVID-19 has been spreading so widely for so many months that new strains were expected, health experts have said. Better control of the coronavirus through vaccination efforts and ongoing precautions, such as mask-wearing and maintaining distance, should help control the spread of the variants and discourage new ones from emerging.”The best way to avoid exposure to this highly contagious variant is to wear a mask, social distance and frequent hand washing,” Chan said. “We continue to recommend that any person with new or unexplained symptoms of COVID-19 be tested for COVID-19.”https://infogram.com/nh-coronavirus-covid-19-1ho16vrnj5774nq?live[/infogram]** Town-by-town COVID-19 case data **
CONCORD, N.H. —
A variant of the COVID-19 virus that can spread more easily than others has been detected for the first time in New Hampshire, health officials said Friday.
The B.1.1.7 variant, referred to as the U.K. variant because it was first identified in the United Kingdom, has been shown to spread more easily. Studies are underway to determine whether the variant is deadlier, but officials said its fast spread means more people might be infected, potentially increasing the number of people requiring hospitalization and leading to more deaths.
The person infected with the variant virus is an adult resident of Hillsborough County who had close contact with someone who had traveled internationally and was then diagnosed with COVID-19, health officials said. Contact tracing has identified close household contacts, but no other community exposures have been identified, officials said.
Health officials said isolation, quarantine and testing guidance was followed, and there’s not believed to be a risk to the community from this case.
“The presence of a COVID-19 variant in New Hampshire is not surprising, and we will likely see increasing numbers of infections from the B.1.1.7 variant,” said Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist. “The CDC has estimated that the variant will likely become the predominant circulating variant in the U.S. in the near future.”
The variant was previously detected in Maine and Massachusetts and was possibly detected in Vermont. It has been found in at least 37 U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccine manufacturers have said their vaccines should still provide some protection against this variant, though Moderna plans to test booster doses against the emerging strains.
Mutations are common in viruses, and COVID-19 has been spreading so widely for so many months that new strains were expected, health experts have said. Better control of the coronavirus through vaccination efforts and ongoing precautions, such as mask-wearing and maintaining distance, should help control the spread of the variants and discourage new ones from emerging.
“The best way to avoid exposure to this highly contagious variant is to wear a mask, social distance and frequent hand washing,” Chan said. “We continue to recommend that any person with new or unexplained symptoms of COVID-19 be tested for COVID-19.”
https://infogram.com/nh-coronavirus-covid-19-1ho16vrnj5774nq?live[/infogram]