COVID-19 in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia-area woman diagnosed with UK variant of COVID-19

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WPVI) – A variant of COVID-19 that was first identified in the UK has been found in a woman in the Philadelphia area.

The news came following an investigation by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Bucks County Department of Health.

Authorities say the patient, a woman in her 50s, began to experience symptoms in the last week of December and was briefly hospitalized.

The woman, who resides in both Philadelphia and Bucks County, is currently recovering.

The two health services say they worked together to conduct contact tracing.

British scientists said there was no evidence that this variant caused more serious disease, but that it could be spread more easily.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr Thomas Farley said that while it is not yet proven that the variant is more contagious than others, research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appears to show that it is ‘is the case.

“We are concerned about his presence in Philadelphia. Everyone in the area should take this information as a reminder to be even more consistent in wearing masks and keeping their distance from others,” Farley said.

This is the second case of the variant found in Pennsylvania. In the first case, a patient from Dauphin County presented with mild symptoms.