CT Coronavirus Infection Rate Stays Low, As Variant Cases Rise

CONNECTICUT — The number of coronavirus variant cases in the state has climbed by 563 cases, according to the latest data released by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Variants of the coronavirus are watched carefully by health officials as they can be more contagious, more resistant to vaccines, or even more deadly. New coronavirus variants have been at the heart of COVID-19 surges throughout the world, most notably in the U.K.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified three types of coronavirus variants: variants of interest, variants of concern and variants of high consequence. The CDC has also just introduced a new category, "substitutions of therapeutic concern," which can be found across all variants, and may be more resilient against certain man-made antibodies.

Among the variants of interest currently found in Connecticut, the Brazilian P.2 has held steady for five weeks at seven cases. The variant B.1.525, which hails from Africa and Europe, went up one case, to eleven. The "New York variants" of interest B.1.526 rose from 308 to 460, and B.1.526.1. climbed from 73 to 105.

Among the state's variants of concern, B.1.1.7 ("U.K.") is up from 1,033 to 1,380 cases. Californian variants B.1.427 crept up from 55 to 58, and B.1.429 up from 120 to 125; and Brazilian variant P.1 climbed from nine to 27 cases. Cases of the South African variant B.1.351 rose from 11 to 16.

On "substitution," E484K, was found in 419 variant cases. The other, L452R, was detected in 286 cases.

More than two-thirds of adults have received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose in Connecticut as of Thursday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state has administered more than 3 million total doses, and ranks first in the country for doses administered per capita.

An additional 786 cases of the coronavirus were confirmed Friday in the state, bringing that total to 339,233. With 38,830 tests reported, the daily positivity rate now sits at 2.02 percent.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospital beds fell overnight by 20. That brings the number of those hospitalized the coronavirus in Connecticut to 383.

Coronavirus-associated deaths across the state rose by 13 in the data reported Friday. The COVID-19 death toll in Connecticut now stands at 8,097.

See Also: CT Outdoor Coronavirus Reopening May 1: What To Know

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