New, Highly Contagious COVID-19 Variant Found In Wisconsin

WISCONSIN—A new variant of COVID-19 has been discovered in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced it had identified the variant on Tuesday. Researches believe the new strain is more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19. However, there is no evidence that the new strain causes more severe illness or increased risk of death, according to a news release.

“We already know that COVID-19 is easily transmitted through respiratory droplets, and with this new variant appearing to be even more infectious, taking preventative measures like wearing a mask and physically distancing are even more important,” said DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm.

In Wisconsin, the strain was identified through ongoing surveillance and whole genome sequencing, a routine practice since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. All viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19, change through mutation, and new variants of the virus are expected to occur over time.

"It is critically important to follow best public health practices, including wearing a mask, staying home, maintaining physical distance, and washing hands frequently," the release said.

As of Tuesday, Wisconsin has 2,790 new cases with a total of 511,136. There has been a reported total of 5,211 deaths from the coronavirus.