UK variant of COVID-19 detected in SLO County, Public Health warns
A potentially more dangerous variant of COVID-19, known as the UK variant, has been detected in San Luis Obispo County, the Public Health Department announced Friday afternoon.
This comes as the variant is being detected more and more across the state of California.
According to a news release, the California Department of Public Health notified the SLO County Public Health Department that a county resident tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant, which is a Centers For Disease Control “variant of concern.”
According to the release, the CDC considers a variant “of concern” when there is evidence it spreads more easily, causes more severe disease and leads to increased hospitalizations and deaths.
The person who tested positive for the variant has completed their isolation period and is no longer infectious, according to the release.
County officials are investigating the case further, and no other cases of this variant have been identified in SLO County.
“We are so close to ending this pandemic, and we can get there with your help,” Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said. “Continue to wear your mask in public, stay physically distanced from those who don’t live with you, get tested for COVID-19 and get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you are eligible. These actions will continue to protect you from spreading the variants.”
The California Department of Public Health issued a health alert Feb. 25 warning of increased identifications of COVID-19 variants across California, including “variants of concern” like B.1.1.7, B.1.135, B.1.429., B.1.427 and P.1.
According to the release, more than seven of these variant cases were identified in SLO County “weeks ago,” before they were classified as variants of concern.
On Thursday, Santa Barbara County also confirmed two residents had tested positive for the UK variant.
At this time, the United States’ vaccines appear to remain effective against the variants, according to the release. Additional information is being gathered as more variant cases appear.
As of Thursday, at least 15% of SLO County’s population has received a COVID-19 vaccination, according to data from the Public Health Department.
“Our community can make it through this pandemic,” Borenstein said. “It’s going to take the collective efforts of our Central Coast community to stop these variants from spreading. Mask up, keep your distance, get tested if you’ve been exposed, and get the vaccine when it’s your turn.”
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