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MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and lab partners have identified a second variant strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, in Wisconsin. A press release says this new variant, called B.1.351, was first discovered in South Africa in samples dating back to October 2020.
According to epidemiological and modeling studies, researchers have found that this new strain, similar to B.1.1.7 (British variant), spreads faster and more easily than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. It is not yet known whether this variant has an impact on the severity of the disease.
Some evidence suggests that this variant may affect the response of some antibodies to the virus. Experts expect the three currently licensed vaccines to effectively reduce the risk of COVID-19 for all variants in circulation.
COVID-19 case for Friday March 5
Meanwhile, the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin increased by 350 on Friday (March 5), officials from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported, for a total of 566,158.
There have been 6,477 deaths in the state, with 7 new deaths reported by state health officials on Friday.
Of the positive cases, 26,387 required hospitalization (4.7%), while 552,311 recovered (97.6%), or 7,211 active cases (1.3%).
More than 2.6 million have tested negative. More than 3.2 million have been tested.
Regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, DHS officials reported on Friday March 5 that 1,631,270 doses had been administered. To date, 1,895,025 doses have been allocated in Wisconsin.
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COVID-19 vaccine resources and more
Milwaukee Department of Health Information on COVID-19 Vaccine
Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID-19 Vaccine Registry
CLICK HERE for the Milwaukee County COVID-19 Dashboard.
CLICK HERE to see the latest COVID-19 totals (updated daily at 2 p.m.) from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
CoronavirusNow.com: An initiative by Fox Television Stations to bring you the most up-to-date national and international news on COVID-19.
About COVID-19 (from the CDC)
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If there is one thing the coronavirus pandemic has shown us, it is the health inequalities in different populations in the United States. Health officials are keenly aware of these disparities and work is underway to close the immunization gap.
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