Following the detection of the B.1.1.7 strand in December of 2020 in the United Kingdom, cases of the stand have recently been confirmed in 22 of the 50 states.
Florida has been the hardest hit with 72 active cases. There are no confirmed cases of this variant in Nebraska but our neighboring state, Colorado, has six cases.
“We could almost say with some certainty that it’s most likely that there are some of those mutant strains here in Nebraska, ”Nebraska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gary Anthone warned.
This strand is said to be 1.5 times more infectious than the previous COVID-19 strand but not more severe when it comes to mortality or seriousness of the infection. It is clear that this mutant is traveling at a quick pace, with the number of cases jumping from 144 to 195 cases in a two-day span last week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still say the best way to control and ultimately eliminate the spread of this new strand is to wear a mask in public and socially distance at all times possible.
A positive to the mutant is it is still able to be detected with current Coronavirus testing and the vaccine appears to be effective in fighting the new strain. Scientists realize that it is not uncommon for new mutations to continue to occur with this contagious virus and they are doing their best to ensure the virus continues to hold its effectiveness.
Here is the current count of variant cases across the nation as of last Friday:
California- 72
Florida- 50
New York- 22
Colorado- 6
Georgia- 6
Minnesota- 5
Connecticut- 4
Indiana- 4
Maryland- 4
Michigan- 3
Texas- 3
Massachusetts- 2
New Jersey- 2
New Mexico- 2
Pennsylvania- 2
Tennessee- 2
Illinois- 1
Louisiana- 1
Oregon- 1
Utah- 1
Wisconsin- 1
Wyoming- 1
