MD Detects South African Variant Of Coronavirus

MARYLAND — A Marylander has contracted the South African coronavirus variant, the Maryland Department of Health said Saturday.

The adult, who lives in the Baltimore metro region, has not traveled internationally, officials say, meaning community transmission is likely.

State health officials say contact tracing is underway to ensure those in contact with the infected person are identified, quarantined and tested.

The B.1.351 variant was first identified in South Africa in October, and the case in Maryland is the third confirmed case in the United States, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two cases in South Carolina were detected Thursday, Jan. 28, officials said.

The South African variant is believed to be more contagious than other strains of the virus, authorities reported. However, it has not been shown to be more deadly or cause more severe illness compared with other variants of the virus.

"We strongly encourage Marylanders to practice extra caution to limit the additional risk of transmission associated with this variant," Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement Saturday.

"Please continue to practice standard public health and safety measures, including mask wearing, regular handwashing and physical distancing," Hogan said.

While authorities say more research is needed to gauge whether vaccines will be effective against the B.1.351 variant, preliminary evidence shows they will be, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Officials also believe current coronavirus tests will be able to detect the variant.

"State health officials are closely monitoring the B.1.351 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the state," Hogan said. SARS-CoV-2 stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and it is the virus that causes the disease COVID-19.

This is the second coronavirus variant identified in Maryland.

The first — B.1.1.7, also known as “the UK variant” — was detected Jan. 12 and has since been identified in seven total cases, the Maryland Department of Health reported Saturday, Jan. 30.

Currently three variants of the coronavirus — the UK, South African and Brazilian variants — have been identified worldwide.

Viruses constantly mutate as they replicate over and over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks the coronavirus variants on its website.

This is a developing story and may be updated. Get Patch news alerts.

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