First case of highly-contagious COVID variant confirmed in Georgia. The patient is 18.
State health officials have confirmed Georgia’s first case of a more contagious COVID-19 variant.
The Georgia Department of Public Health issued a statement Tuesday that an 18-year-old male’s sample tested positive for COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7., a variant first discovered in the U.K. in September 2020. The specimen was sent to a commercial lab by a pharmacy in Georgia.
The 18-year-old has no travel history and is currently in isolation at home. DPH is working to identify the patient’s close contacts to monitor and test them for the variant.
State health officials said preliminary information suggests that this variant is “significantly more contagious than the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” but there is no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness or increased chances of death.
“The emergence of this variant in our state should be a wake-up call for all Georgians,” said DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey. “Even as we begin roll out of a COVID-19 vaccine, we must not let down our guard and ignore basic prevention measures — wear a mask, social distance and wash your hands frequently.”
As of Jan. 5, 597,208 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 9,966 confirmed deaths have been reported in Georgia.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 4:06 PM.