New Coronavirus Strain First Found In The U.K. Has Officially Been Identified In The United States

The first case of the new Coronavirus strain first found in the U.K. has just touched down in the United States.

Coloradans, the new Covid-19 strain has just been confirmed in your state, Colorado health officials said on Tuesday. The Covid-19 patient is a male who is in his 20s; he is currently in isolation in Elbert County, Colorado, CNBC reports. Officials said the man does not have any travel history. 

“There is a lot we don’t know about this new Covid-19 variant, but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious. The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority, and we will closely monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis said Tuesday.

“We are working to prevent spread and contain the virus at all levels,” Polis said, adding that public health officials were working to identify other potential cases through contact tracing interviews.

The new strain, called SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01, could be as much as 70 percent more contagious than the first strain of Covid. But, don’t worry. In December, U.S. coronavirus vaccine czar Moncef Slaoui said Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 shots should be effective against new strains, the outlet reports.

The new strain was first discovered in the U.K., and the CDC says the arrival of the new strain in the states is likely due to the ongoing travel between the two nations. A new variant of the strain was also found in South Africa, but it has not been identified in the States.