Two cases of possibly more deadly UK COVID-19 variant confirmed in Columbus
The first two cases of a faster spreading and potentially more deadly COVID-19 variant have been confirmed in Columbus.
Georgia Department of Public Health spokesperson Nancy Nydam told the Ledger-Enquirer Friday that an 18-year-old male and a 32-year-old male tested positive for the variant.
The U.K. variant, also known as B.1.1.7, was first reported in the United States at the end of December 2020. It spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. U.K. scientists reported in January there was evidence that the B 1.1.7 variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared with other versions of the virus, but more studies are needed to confirm the finding. The U.K. variant could be the dominant strain in the U.S. by March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
A total of 85 cases of the U.K. variant have been confirmed in Georgia, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting. The counties are:
- Carroll 2
- Catoosa 1
- Cherokee 7
- Clayton 10
- Cobb 8
- Coweta 3
- DeKalb 11
- Douglas 3
- Fayette 1
- Forsyth 2
- Fulton 16
- Gwinnett 8
- Hall 1
- Henry 3
- Houston 1
- Jackson 1
- Muscogee 2
- Paulding 4
- Rockdale 1
Georgia reported 2,281 confirmed cases, 1,402 positive rapid tests and 112 confirmed deaths on Thursday. A total of 798,785 confirmed cases and 14,358 confirmed deaths have been reported since the start of the pandemic.
This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 11:55 AM.