New case of COVID-19 variant confirmed in Nassau County

Another case of the more contagious variant of COVID-19 has been found in Nassau County, as the CDC says it will likely grow across the country in the coming months.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that the confirmed statewide total for the variant was 16, including an additional case in Nassau.

“Higher infection with this variant puts more people in the hospital, puts more stress on staff,” Cuomo says. “The UK variant can make more doctors and nurses sick – reducing staff. It’s a dangerous situation we find ourselves in.”

The variant, known as B.1.1.7, has infected at least 76 people in 12 states. It is estimated to be around 50% more transmissible than the most common strain. The CDC has issued the sobering warning that the mutation could be predominant by March.

CDC models predict that the variant could experience “rapid growth” in the coming months, putting even more strain on the healthcare system.

“We are already grappling with a very high number of viruses in all of our communities,” says Dr David Hirschwerk of Northwell Health. “Hospitalizations are at very high levels and the death rate continues to climb and be at very high levels. And that’s without having this new variant at least as far as we know, heavily infiltrating our region at this point.

Medical experts say the increased contagiousness of the British variant means the United States must double down on its mitigation methods to help stop the spread of the virus.

“It becomes even more important that we mask, move away physically and avoid crowds, especially in indoor spaces,” says Hirschwerk.