Highly Contagious COVID-19 Variant Found In Waukesha County

WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI—A second case of the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 has been discovered in Waukesha County.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced it had identified the variant on Tuesday.

The first case was found in Eau Claire County in January.

The United Kingdom (UK) identified a variant called B.1.1.7 with a large number of mutations in the fall of 2020. This variant was first detected in the US at the end of December 2020.

Researches believe the new strain is more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19.

“It is concerning that we have identified a second case of a variant that spreads more easily. We are able to sequence a small proportion of tests collected, which means, in reality, there are likely many more cases of this variant in Wisconsin,” said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, the Chief Medical Officer in the DHS Bureau of Communicable Diseases.

In Wisconsin, both cases of the strain were 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.

Now in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, molecular surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 will increase in importance to quickly identify and understand new variants, the release said.

“All viruses evolve and develop new genetic mutations as they replicate, and sometimes the new mutations can make them more dangerous. Fortunately, we can prevent the virus from replicating and mutating – we can do this by consistently using all the tools we have for stopping the spread,” said Dr. Westergaard.

The Center for Disease Control warned that the U.K. variant is doubling in the U.S. nearly every 10 days, according to a recent study.

But the true picture of the problem in the U.S. is not clear because of the relatively low level of sequencing, according to experts.

So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants, according to the CDC website said.

Waukesha County Health Officer Benjamen Jones made the following statement after Wisconsin DHS identified a second case of variant strain B.1.1.7 of SARS-CoV-2 in Wisconsin:

“Waukesha County is aware that there are variants of COVID-19 in the state. Although there have been two cases detected in Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services (DHS) has stated that there are likely more examples of this variant throughout the state.

“The case that was detected in Waukesha County was identified after testing positive for COVID-19. That individual was successfully contact traced and instructed to isolate. We are working in cooperation with DHS to gather additional details to facilitate statewide monitoring.

“Ongoing research supports that the vaccines available in the United States appear to be effective against this variant. Our vaccination efforts, combined with continued vigilance from the public, are vital to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. First and foremost, everyone must continue to be vigilant and take mitigation efforts such as wearing masks, avoiding gatherings outside of their household, and washing their hands. Everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine should do so when they are able, and they should continue to follow measures to stop the spread of the virus even when they are vaccinated.

“Waukesha County will closely monitor this situation while continuing to mitigate the pandemic through our approach of vaccination, contact tracing, testing, educational partnerships, and data collection.

The DHS said to follow best public health practices including wearing a mask, staying home, maintaining physical distance, washing hands frequently, and getting vaccinated when you are eligible.