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(Photo by Getty Images)
PHOENIX – The faster-paced COVID-19 variant has been detected in Arizona, the Arizona Department of Health Services said in a press release Friday night.
AZDHS, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Pinal County Public Health Services, and Arizona State University report that variant (B.1.1.7) has been confirmed in three state test samples.
While the variant spreads faster, according to the publication, studies suggest that vaccines licensed to fight COVID-19 are still effective against the variant.
It is not known to what extent the variant has spread in Arizona, the statement said.
The United Kingdom identified the new strain in the fall of 2020, with the first case of the variant being detected in the United States at the end of December.
Health officials say it is typical for viruses to change by mutation, with new variants of a virus expected to occur over time. Some new variants emerge and disappear, depending on the version, while others appear and linger.
The state’s health department is working with laboratory and public health partners, including the Centers for Disease Control, to monitor the situation, the statement said.
Health officials are calling on people to follow proven mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance and washing hands.
Arizona health officials reported 5,028 new coronavirus cases and 203 more deaths from COVID-19 on Friday.
The state’s documented totals have risen to 748,260 infections and 13,022 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.
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