Officials Explain U.K. Strain Of Coronavirus As It Hits County

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The first two Anne Arundel County residents tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus, the local Department of Health said Tuesday. Health officials warned that this variant, known as B-117, is more transmissible than the last strain of coronavirus.

B-117 started spreading in the United Kingdom in September of 2020. It first reached the U.S. on Dec. 29, 2020, making landfall in Colorado. It has since reached several other states.

The two Anne Arundel County cases of B-117 are the first in Maryland. Gov. Larry Hogan announced the infections earlier in the day.

Though scientists believe the U.K. strain spreads easier, they have not seen evidence that it creates an increased risk for severe illness or death. There are no data that suggest the current coronavirus vaccines are less effective on B-117, the Anne Arundel County Department of Health said.

"We are working closely with the Maryland Department of Health on contact tracing and testing for these two individuals and their contacts," Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said in a press release. "It continues to be important that county residents keep up the key public health safety measures of wearing a mask, social distancing, washing hands and avoiding crowds."

"Coronavirus" is an umbrella term that covers many different viruses. The coronavirus that hit Maryland in March of 2020 is called SARS-CoV-2.

Like all viruses, SARS-CoV-2 mutates. B-117, otherwise known as the U.K. variant, is a mutation of SARS-CoV-2.

Both of these strains of coronavirus can cause COVID-19, the contagious disease that can lead to illness and, in some cases, death. The numbers that Maryland reports daily on this dashboard are the confirmed cases of COVID-19, not the infections of SARS-CoV-2 or B-117.

To catch up on the latest COVID-19 trends in Anne Arundel County, read Patch's latest update.

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