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Over the weekend, Colorado health officials confirmed the first cases in the state of a worrying variant of the coronavirus that was first detected in South Africa late last year .
Officials said three cases of the B.1.351 variant were detected at the Colorado Department of Corrections Buena Vista Correctional Complex. Two cases involved staff members and the other involved an inmate.
The samples were detected after being randomly selected for genomic surveillance at the Colorado State Public Health Laboratory, which will “sequence all positive samples from this facility to look for variants,” health officials said in a press release. .
State health officials said they informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the cases, adding that all those exposed in the correctional facility “will be required to perform a 14-day quarantine.”
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Inmates at the Colorado Department of Corrections Buena Vista Correctional Complex are tested weekly, officials said, who noted that testing inmates and staff for COVID-19 “has been one of the most important tools for the Department of Corrections during this pandemic. “
The B.1.351 strain was first detected in South Africa in October 2020. The strain is of concern as experts say it is more transmissible and likely more virulent than the original strain, meaning that it can cause more serious illness. It has also been shown to decrease the effectiveness of vaccines and almost evade antibody treatments. Several drugmakers, including Moderna, are now working on variant boosters in an attempt to better protect themselves against the variants.
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“Everyone should continue to wear masks, practice physical distancing, wash their hands frequently and get vaccinated when it’s their turn. These are our best tools to prevent the spread of this virus, regardless of the strain. Colorado health officials said in The Release. “Early research suggests that currently licensed vaccines are effective against known variants, but perhaps to varying degrees depending on the strain. Experts point out that getting vaccinated can provide significant protection against serious illnesses from COVID-19. “
Kayla Rivas of Fox News contributed to this report.
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