The state of New York has discovered its first case of the Brazilian variant of the coronavirus.
What We Know:
- Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office announced on Saturday that a New York resident has tested positive for P.1, a mutated strain of COVID-19 that was first detected in Brazil. The statement reports that the patient is a Brooklyn woman in her 90s “with no travel history.”
- NBC News reports that the discovery was made by scientists at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and was later verified by the state Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center Laboratories. The state health department is now working with the city Department of Health to learn more about the patient and conduct contact tracing.
- Health officials are working against time to distribute enough vaccines to halt what the CDC calls “variants of concern,” meaning any varying strain of COVID-19 that is more transmissible, fatal, or vaccine-resistant.
“This is a race between the vaccine and the variants, and we continue to make tremendous progress of getting shots in the arms of eligible New Yorkers,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said during the announcement.
- The Brazilian P.1 variant was first detected in the United States at the end of January 2021. As of late, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported a total of 48 cases of the mutated strain across the country. The CDC is also keeping a close eye on other variant strains like the B.1.526 strain in New York, the B.1.1.7 U.K. variant, the B.1.351 strain from South Africa, and the California variant called B.1.427/B.1.429.
Governor Cuomo called the incident a reminder to fellow New Yorkers to continue to take health precautions seriously. “While it’s normal for a virus to mutate, the best way to protect yourself is to continue to wear a well-fitted mask, avoid large crowds, social distance, wash your hands, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn,” he said.
