York Daily Record
In a race against time to get residents inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine before the deadly virus claims more lives, Pennsylvania has confirmed its first known case of a new coronavirus strain that has been ravaging the United Kingdom since December.
An individual in Dauphin County was confirmed to have the new, more contagious variant of the virus, known as B.1.1.7, Health Secretary Rachel Levine announced Thursday.
The individual tested positive after known international exposure, and a case investigation and contact tracing were performed to identify, inform and monitor anyone who was in close contact with the patient. Levine said this was not a case of community spread.
Vaccines may be widely available in N J by spring, officials estimate; Pa logs nearly 370 deaths
inquirer.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inquirer.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
COVID-19 news: Pa coronavirus death toll high as N J vaccines expand
inquirer.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inquirer.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
First Case of U.K. Coronavirus Variant Discovered in Pennsylvania Joe Brandt © Provided by NBC Philadelphia
People are seen at Eurostar terminal after France decided on Sunday to close its borders with the United Kingdom because of a new variant of coronavirus in Paris, France on December 22, 2020.
A patient in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania is the first confirmed case of a more contagious coronavirus variant that fueled aggressive spread and forced a national lockdown in the United Kingdom.
The variant, B.1.1.7 has not been shown to have different symptoms or cause more severe symptoms in patients, experts have said, while cautioning that much is still unknown about it. The U.S. recorded its first case of the variant in Colorado last week, in a young man who had no history of travel. Other cases popped up in California, New York and Florida. The man infected with the virus variant in Florida also had no travel history.