[ad_1]
The variant of the COVID-19 virus, first detected in the UK late last year, has confirmed cases in the state, the Alabama Department of Public Health said on Wednesday.
Two of the cases are in Montgomery County and a third in Jefferson County. ADPH said two are children under 19 and one is an adult. These are the first confirmed cases in Alabama of the variant coronavirus.
This is the first time that the variant has been discovered in Alabama.
ADPH described the new variant as “more highly transmissible” and is known as B117. Health officials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have confirmed the variant of the virus.
Related: Coronavirus variant: which mask is best to protect you from the COVID-19 variant?
According to ADPH, the variant is associated with increased person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. Other cases of the variant have recently been confirmed in at least 24 other states, including Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.
There are at least 293 cases in the United States, ADHD said.
The ADPH said infectious disease experts and the CDC have indicated that the current COVID-19 vaccine should be effective against the British strain, although it is still under investigation. The variant has not been definitively linked to worse outcomes from COVID-19, ADPH said.
ADPH advises people to continue to apply the usual mitigation standards with an emphasis on the correct and consistent use of a two to three-layer face mask made of washable and breathable fabric such as cotton. Other prevention methods include practicing social distancing and washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
[ad_2]
Source link