2 Read / Add Comments The highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 first identified in South Africa has now made its way to the United States. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced late Thursday morning, Jan. 28 the detection of two cases associated with the variant that first emerged recently in South Africa, the first such cases in the US. Neither patient has traveled recently, meaning the variant is likely already spreading in the community following an undetected introduction. "At this time, there’s no evidence to suggest that the B.1.351 (South African) variant causes more severe illness," the South Carolina Health Department said in a statement.