Variant of Covid found in Florida; more cases identified in California

Florida health officials said Thursday they had evidence the Covid-19 variant first detected in the UK was found in a patient there, making it the third state to report strain.

As the variant appears in new states, officials in San Diego County, Calif., Said the strain, sometimes known as B.1.1.7., Has been identified in three other people in County of San Diego. San Diego, bringing the number of people confirmed. case there at four.

The Covid-19 variant is believed to be more transmissible but not more deadly than the strain that triggered the pandemic, and there is no evidence that vaccines are less effective against it, according to health officials.

The variant has been found in other countries, including Canada, where cases have been reported in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec, according to Canada’s chief public health officer.

Colorado was the first state to report a confirmed case of the variant, which was found in a member of the National Guard. The case was announced on Tuesday. Another member of the guard may also have it, the state epidemiologist said on Wednesday.

When California announced its first case in a San Diego man on Wednesday, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said more cases were likely.

In Florida, the state’s health department tweeted that the strain was identified in a 20-year-old Martin County man with no travel history. The county is located on the east coast of Florida, south of Port St. Lucie.

The California case announced Wednesday in San Diego County involved a 30-year-old man, also with no travel history. The three new cases were all men, two in their 40s and one in their 50s, and none had known contact between them or the first case, the county said.

“Discovery of the additional cases leads county health officials to believe the new strain of the virus is widespread in the community,” the county said in a statement.

An increase in the number of Covid-19 cases threatens to overwhelm California hospitals. San Diego County reported its highest number of new deaths in a single day on Thursday, 62.

Health officials have pointed out that the best way to avoid getting what is known as the UK variant is the same as with other forms of coronavirus: washing your hands, getting away from crowds and other people and wear a mask.