By: Erica Rankin OKLAHOMA CITY - Scientists in the U.K. discovered a new COVID-19 variant. Oklahoma health officials are anticipating by March it will be spread widely in our state if we don’t take preventive measures now. Chief medical officer at SSM Health St. Anthony, Dr. Kersey Winfree admitted there’s still a lot to learn about the new strain. “The virus itself does not cause any worse disease that we know in humans,” said Winfree. What health officials have discovered is that the new strain does spread much faster. States across the U.S. have positively identified the U.K. strain to be within their borders. The CDC said Oklahoma is not one of them.