A new variant of coronavirus first detected in Brazil has been confirmed in Minnesota. The variant was detected by the Minnesota Department of Health, which announced Monday that the new strain is thought to be more transmissible. This is the first documented case of the variant in the United States.
The variant, called P.1, has been circulating in Manaus, Brazil, since at least December, Michaeleen Doucleff previously reported. Scientists have been concerned about this variant because it contains a cluster of worrying mutations. Some of the mutations increase the virus’s transmissibility, making it spread more quickly. Others help the virus evade the body’s immune system, which could make it easier for individuals to contract COVID-19 a second time and hinder the efficacy of vaccines.
A resident of the Twin Cities metro area became ill at the beginning of January and a specimen was collected Jan. 9, an MDH news release said. After initially testing positive for COVID-19, the patient then reported travelling to Brazil before the onset of symptoms.
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