COVID Variant Cases In IL Nearly Double In 1 Week

ACROSS ILLINOIS — The number of COVID-19 variant cases across Illinois continues to increase. As of Thursday, there were 43 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first reported in the United Kingdom and initially identified in Illinois in mid-January.

In one week, the number of B.1.1.7 cases has almost doubled.

Meanwhile, one person in the state, a Rock Island resident, tested positive for the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa. The Illinois Department of Public Health alerted the public to that case, the first known in the state, on Feb. 11.

Public health officials are also monitoring a variant known as P.1, which first emerged in Brazil.
There have been no identified cases of the P.1 variant in Illinois as of Friday.

The health department has been updating its website on Tuesdays and Thursdays regarding the latest count of confirmed variants.

IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said public health officials "expected to see more cases" of coronavirus variants, including those first located in South Africa and the U.K., and warned they could lead to a fresh surge in cases.

"These variants seem to spread more rapidly, which can lead to more cases of COVID-19 and even another surge," Ezike said in a news release. "Our best path to defeating this virus as quickly as possible remains wearing our masks and getting vaccinated when it's our turn."

Nita Ludwig, administrator of the Rock Island County Health Department, echoed Ezike's call for residents to continue following public health guidelines.

"Having this new variant in our community underscores the need to take personal precautions to prevent further spread," Ludwig said in a statement.

• B117 COVID-19 Variant First Identified In UK Detected In Illinois

Cases of the South African coronavirus variant were first identified in the U.S. at the end of January, and researchers are working to determine if currently approved vaccines will offer the same level of protection against it and other variants, according to the IDPH.

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