Coronavirus
A variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus first discovered in England this last November has now been detected here according to the Sheboygan County Division of Public Health.
The variant, known as B.1.1.7 was first identified in Wisconsin this past January, and the Wisconsin DHS reported the Sheboygan County discovery this past Friday.
Because of its apparent ability to spread more easily and rapidly than the original strain that caused the pandemic, it is expected to eventually become the dominant form of the virus in the U.S., and over 10,000 cases have now been identified in all states except Oklahoma.
Though it may spread more easily and result in more COVID-19 cases requiring clinical care, it’s still not known if the British variant is more deadly, and it does appear that the three vaccines now being administered are effective against all three variants the virus discovered so far. One of those, known as B.1.351 from South Africa, has been around for some time, while a third, the P.1. strain from Brazil, was discovered in Wisconsin last week.
Officials stress that vaccination, along with current preventative measures such as masking and social distancing, remain the
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