Second case of highly contagious coronavirus mutation detected in Oregon

Oregon officials on Saturday announced the state’s second known case of a contagious strain of the coronavirus that quickly swept across the UK.

The Oregon Health Authority said it was informed on Friday that a person in Yamhill County had tested positive for the variant of the COVID-19 strain, known as B.1.1.7. The person has no known travel history, officials said.

Public health officials are investigating possible sources of the person’s infection.

Last week, a University of Portland employee became the first Oregonian identified with the new, more contagious strain of coronavirus.

Federal officials say the strain is much more transmissible than the standard coronavirus and will likely make up a large portion of U.S. infections by March.

Vaccines approved for the coronavirus are believed to work just as effectively against the new strain.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 195 known cases of the variant strain nationwide on Friday. This figure does not include Oregon’s second case.

– The Oregonian / OregonLive