Michigan confirms first case of South African variant of COVID in Jackson County

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced that the first case of COVID-19 variant B.1.351 has been identified in a child in Jackson County.

The health department has not specified how the boy became infected, but a case investigation is underway to determine close contacts and if there are any other associated cases.

This new variant was originally detected in South Africa in October 2020 and shares some mutations with the B117 variant. The first case of the B117 variant – originally detected in the UK – has been identified in Washtenaw County.

READ: Everything we know about virus variants in Michigan, United States

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Officials said B.1.351 would be more contagious, but there is no indication that it “affects clinical outcomes or disease severity compared to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that has been circulating across the United States for many years. month”.

However, a higher transmission rate could increase the number of people who need to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19 if the new variant begins to circulate widely in Michigan. Officials said that on Monday the variant had been identified in 20 other states and jurisdictions.

This Michigan case is the only one identified at present. It was first reported in the United States on January 28 when it was identified in two people in South Carolina.

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“We are concerned about the discovery of another variant in Michigan, although it was not unexpected,” said Dr Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS medical director and deputy director of health. “We continue to urge the Michiganders to follow a research-based approach by wearing their masks properly, distancing themselves socially, avoiding crowds, washing their hands often, and making a plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine. safe and effective once it’s their turn. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19 and end this pandemic as quickly as possible.

Based on the available evidence, current testing can identify COVID-19 in these cases. Available COVID-19 vaccines also work against this new variant.