US - South Carolina: Two cases in U.S. of South African variant found - community spread

[Treyfish]

CORONAVIRUS VARIANT FIRST SEEN IN SOUTH AFRICA IDENTIFIED IN SOUTH CAROLINA


BY THE WASHINGTON POST | JANUARY 28, 2021
The highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus first identified in South Africa has infected two people in South Carolina with no travel history, state officials announced Thursday. These are the first cases in the United States involving the B. 1.351 variant, and the patients’ lack of travel suggests the variant is already spreading in the community following an undetected introduction...:tiphat:https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/c...south-carolina

 

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The state Department of Health and Environmental Control did not release the names of the people infected, stating only that they are adults, “one from the Lowcountry and one from the Pee Dee region.”
The B. 1.351 variant, first identified in South Africa in December and containing mutations that appear to enhance transmission, is con..:tiphat:https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/01/28/south-africa-variant-south-carolina/

 

[Treyfish]

Coronavirus variant from South Africa identified in US for first time

by Cassidy Morrison, Healthcare Reporter |

| January 28, 2021 12:10 PM

A highly transmissible mutated version of the coronavirus first detected in South Africa has reached the United States, with the first two cases confirmed in South Carolina.

“The arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 variant in our state is an important reminder to all South Carolinians that the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, the public health director of the state's health department.

The two cases appear unrelated, and neither patient had a history of travel, indicating that the mutated virus has begun spreading from person to person. The B.1.351 variant, which a network of labs in South Africa identified in December, has already been detected in at least 29 countries.

"At this time, we have no evidence that infections by this variant cause more severe disease,...:tiphat:https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/coronavirus-south-africa-identified-us-for-first-time

 

[Treyfish]

The US has reported its first cases of the more infectious coronavirus variant from South Africa

Aylin Woodward
26 minutes ago


......B.1.351 was discovered in December in South Africa and has since spread to 30 countries.

There's no evidence that suggests the variant is deadlier than other versions of the coronavirus, however it can "spread more easily and quickly," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The variant has mutations in its spike protein — the part the virus uses to invade cells — which contribute to its increased infectiousness.

Preliminary research published last week suggested the variant can partially evade the defenses current vaccines build in our bodies' immune systems. Pfizer and Moderna, however, both say their vaccines will work again B.1.351.......
:tiphat:https://www.businessinsider.com/south-africa-coronavirus-variant-found-in-us-2021-1