Colorado Detects Second Possible Case Of Mutated Coronavirus - Health Official

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st December, 2020) The authorities in the US state of Colorado have detected a second possible case of an individual infected with the mutated coronavirus, the state's epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

"Our investigation efforts and contact tracing are ongoing but at this time we are aware of one confirmed and another possible case with the B.1.1.7 variant of the virus," Herlihy said.

Herlihy noted that both patients are National Guardsmen who were sent to the Good Samaritan Society nursing home in Simla, Colorado, on December 23 to provide support to the facility.

The National Guardsmen had not traveled internationally prior to arriving at the nursing home and there is no evidence that the mutated virus is circulating in the nursing home, Herlihy said.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis said the patient confirmed to have contracted the mutated coronavirus has mild symptoms.

On Tuesday, Polis confirmed Colorado health officials detected the first known case of the mutated variant in the United States, and described the patient as a man in his 20s.

Earlier in December, the UK authorities announced that a new coronavirus strain was detected in the country, adding that the new variant can be up to 70 percent more transmissible. There is no evidence that the new strain is more pathogenic.