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HELENA – Montana health officials have confirmed the first known cases of a variant of the COVID-19 virus in the state.
According to the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), all three tests in County Gallatin showed signs of the UK, or UK, variant of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Full Interview: Jim Murphy, DPHHS Administrator – Public Health and Safety Division
Matt Kelley, City of Gallatin Health Officer, makes the following statement:
We know the specimens are from Gallatin County, and we are working with the state health department to investigate the source and timing of these specimens. It should come as no surprise that a variant strain of the virus is found in Montana. Well over 40 other states have identified the virus, so it stands to reason that it is also found in Montana. It is a good reminder that this pandemic is not over and that it is important that everyone do everything they can to help us slow transmission. This means practicing physical distancing as much as possible, wearing face masks in public places, staying home when we are sick, washing our hands and getting vaccinated when there is one.
“We are working with County Gallatin to find out a little more about these cases, but what we know so far is that these people were quite young and they have all recovered,” Jim said. Murphy, administrator of the Public Health and Safety Division.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the UK variant, known as B.1.1.7, was first identified in the fall of 2020. Montana is the 46th state to confirm the virus in the United States.
“So it’s not a one-off thing, but at least our firsts,” Murphy noted.
The British variant first appeared in the United States in December 2020. According to the CDC, this variant is thought to spread more easily and faster than other strains of the coronavirus.
“I think the good news right now is that the British variant has been around for a while. We know a bit more about it, ”Murphy noted. “It doesn’t appear to be causing more serious illness. There is some evidence that it could be slightly more contagious or transmissible, but we also have good evidence that the vaccine responds quite well to this variant. “
The CDC says studies indicate that currently available vaccines produce antibodies that recognize these variants and that further studies are underway to investigate the level of protection provided by current vaccinations.
Visit the CDC website for more details on COVID-19 variants.
*** UPDATE 03/03/2021 5:37 PM: This article has been updated with additional information. ***
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