Brazil Variant Of Coronavirus Kills Maryland Traveler: Hogan

MARYLAND — A third coronavirus variant has been confirmed in a Maryland resident, Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday evening. The new P.1 variant of the coronavirus, which is commonly known as the Brazil variant, was confirmed by the Maryland Department of Health in consultation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Brazil variant case involves an adult older than 65 from the National Capital Region who recently died following international travel, the news release said. Contact tracing is under way to ensure those in contact with the infected person are identified, quarantined and tested.

Scientists are researching the P.1 variant to learn how effective vaccines are against it. The Brazil variant is believed to be more transmissible than the initial strain of the virus that causes COVID-19, but it is not currently known whether the P.1 variant causes more severe disease than other common variants. Current diagnostic tests will likely detect the Brazil variant, officials said.

“State public health officials are closely monitoring the P.1 variant, and we mourn the loss of this Marylander to COVID-19,” Hogan said in a statement. “As we continue to test for these variants, we strongly encourage Marylanders to continue taking precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, including mask wearing, regular hand washing, and physical distancing.”

The new variant is one of the predominant strains in Brazil. It was first identified in the United States at the end of January.

While the latest variant case confirmed in Maryland infected someone with a history of travel, many cases of variants have not been connected with travel, officials said. That means community transmission of other variants may be occurring and reinforce the need for public health precautions.

Previous Variants Confirmed In MD

The B.1.351 variant, known as the South African variant, was identified in October. A case in Maryland was the third confirmed case in the United States, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two cases in South Carolina were detected Jan. 28, officials said.

As of Feb. 17, there were seven cases of the South African variant confirmed in Maryland.

The South African variant is believed to be more contagious than other strains of the virus, authorities reported. However, it has not been shown to be more deadly or cause more severe illness compared with other variants of the virus.

While authorities say more research is needed to gauge whether vaccines will be effective against the B.1.351 variant, preliminary evidence shows they will be, the Maryland Department of Health said in late January. Officials also believe current coronavirus tests will be able to detect the variant.

"State health officials are closely monitoring the B.1.351 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the state," Hogan said. SARS-CoV-2 stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and it is the virus that causes the disease COVID-19.

This was the second coronavirus variant identified in Maryland.

The first — B.1.1.7, also known as "the UK variant" — was detected Jan. 12, the Maryland Department of Health reported Saturday, Jan. 30. To date there are 22 cases of the UK variant in the state.

Currently three variants of the coronavirus — the UK, South African and Brazilian variants — have been identified worldwide, including the United States.

Viruses constantly mutate as they replicate over and over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks the coronavirus variants on its website.

Patch Editor Elizabeth Janney contributed reporting to this story.