A variant strain of the coronavirus that originated in Brazil has been confirmed in Virginia.
The Virginia Department of Health announced Friday that the strain, known as the P.1 variant, was identified in two samples from the state.
One was from an adult in the eastern region, which includes Hampton Roads, who had no recent travel history. The other was an adult in the northwest region who had traveled within the United States. Neither had been vaccinated before becoming ill, according to a department news release.
The P.1 variant was first found in Brazil late last year and has since been identified in at least 22 other states. Its genetic mutation makes it more easily spread between people than the original version of the coronavirus, though Virginia health officials noted there’s currently no evidence that infections with the variant cause more severe disease.
The Brazil variant joins others originating in the United Kingdom, California and South Africa already confirmed in Virginia. Researchers at the University of Virginia believe the U.K. variant, the one that’s been most-studied, has become dominant in the commonwealth, meaning a majority of new infections happening are because of it.
“Viruses change all the time, and VDH expects to see new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as disease spreads,” officials wrote in Friday’s release.
Public health recommendations for stopping the spread of COVID-19 will work for all COVID-19 variants, they said. That includes wearing masks correctly, staying at least six feet from others, avoiding crowds, washing hands often, getting vaccinated and staying home if you are infected with COVID-19 or if you have had close contact with someone who is.
Katherine Hafner, 757-222-5208, katherine.hafner@pilotonline.com
