State Lab detects COVID-19 variant

The State Department of Health’s Division of State Laboratories announced Monday that it had detected the L452R variant of SARS-CoV-2.

This strain of COVID-19 was first detected in Denmark in March 2020. It is now found in more than a dozen US states, according to the department. Science has not shown that the L452R variant spreads faster or poses a greater threat than other strains of COVID-19, but there is cause for concern as it has been linked to an increasing number of cases in California, including several major epidemics.

“It is common to find variants of viruses like COVID-19. Some pose greater risks than others, ”said Dr Sarah Kemble, Acting State Epidemiologist. “We are working with our colleagues in other states as well as with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to learn more about the characteristics of this particular variant.”

The department’s State Laboratories Division began genome sequencing in June looking for possible variants of COVID-19. It now examines 75 samples per week and has developed a testing algorithm designed to find variants as soon as possible after they arrive.

The B.1.1.7 variant first found in the UK and the B.1.351 variant first found in South Africa both have improved transmissibility. Neither B.1.1.7 nor B.1.351 were detected in Hawaii.