More contagious U.K. coronavirus strain found in Tarrant County, officials say
Officials have identified the more contagious United Kingdom coronavirus strain in Tarrant County.
This could lead to a surge, and officials are urging people to continue to wear masks, social distance, wash their hands and avoid large groups. The county did not release details of the person who contracted the new strain.
The strain was first discovered on Dec. 14 ,and it could become the predominant variant in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The strain is also said to be up to 100% more deadly, according to a British Medical Journal study. The strain led to 227 deaths in 54,906 infected patients, data showed. For comparison, 141 died among a similar population of people with earlier strains of the virus.
Dallas County previously announced they it found the U.K strain on Jan. 16. The first Texas case of the COVID variant was reported Jan. 7 in Houston, about a week after the first U.S. case was identified in Colorado.
The vaccines are expected to be just as effective against the COVID-19 variant, officials said. Both Pfizer and Moderna are looking into additional booster shots for the different strains of the coronavirus.
Vinny Taneja, the county’s public health director, said the U.K. strain has been found in 46 states and people need to continue following COVID-19 protocols or there could be a resurgence locally and nationally.
As of Wednesday, Tarrant County has reported 246,077 coronavirus cases and 3,030 deaths. The county has seen a decline in cases. The weekly average has fallen from more than 10,000 in December and January to 3,000. Hospitalizations are also down from the peak in January.
