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SALT LAKE CITY – A much more infectious mutation in COVID-19 has been confirmed by state health officials in Utah.
‘UK variant’ of COVID-19 found in Salt Lake County man aged 25 to 44 who had not recently traveled outside of Utah state, health lab said Utah Public. The man exhibited mild symptoms and the B117 variant was found in a genetic sequence of a COVID-19 test.
It was something the Utah Department of Health had planned. The man involved is not believed to be the only one in the state.
“If we’ve detected it this quickly since we researched it, that tells us it’s more prevalent than this one,” said Dr Kelly Oakeson, director of the state’s public health laboratory.
RELATED: What Makes the British Coronavirus Strain More Contagious?
State epidemiologist Dr Angela Dunn said what makes this particular strain different is that it is much more contagious. The UK variant spreads the same way as other forms of COVID-19 (through droplets and air) but it is more infectious.
“What has changed is how easy it is for the virus to make you sick. So for every person infected with this new variant, they are able to transmit it to more people,” he said. she declared.
This has the potential to further overwhelm Utah hospitals, which have been operating near full capacity since Christmas, when many ignored health guidelines and came together. But the good news is that the vaccines available work against the UK variant.
“Now more than ever, we really need to practice good public health by wearing a face mask, staying home when sick, avoiding large gatherings and physical distances as much as possible,” said Dr Dunn.
The state is now in a race to try to vaccinate more people as the new UK variant spreads. Recently, FOX 13 reported that the Utah Department of Health withdrew doses of vaccine from hospitals, who have spent the past month immunizing frontline healthcare workers, leaving them to long-term care facilities with vulnerable adults. This leaves lower level workers out of luck for the time being.
“It’s a tough time to have a more contagious strain considering it’s winter, people are more indoors, the holiday season has just passed and people are frankly tired of all the recommendations. public health care that we have done, ”said Dr Dunn. . “That in combination with not enough vaccine for everyone is worrying. But I will say the vaccine gives us hope.”
Governor Spencer Cox has ordered vaccination efforts to accelerate in Utah. He has even offered the Utah National Guard to help local health departments.
The Utah Department of Health has said it will not recommend further restrictions in the state. Governor Cox has kept in place a statewide mask mandate and health orders limiting the capacity of restaurants and businesses.
Reacting to reports that the federal government may not have a supply of COVID-19 vaccine, Governor Cox’s office told FOX 13 in a statement: “We are continuing to work with outgoing and incoming administrations to get more clarity about how much and how often vaccines are arriving in our state. We hope that we will soon see an increase in the quantity of vaccines. “
RELATED: How is the COVID-19 Variant Different From the Virus We Already Know About?
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