Colorado reported its first two cases of a COVID-19 variant that has proven adept at reinfecting people who already had the virus.
The P.1 variant was first found in Brazil and pushed that country’s health system to the breaking point, even in areas where many people had already had the virus and were thought to be immune. Other South American countries also are struggling with new waves of the virus, largely driven by P.1.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified Colorado that two Boulder County residents tested positive for the P.1 variant. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said Tuesday it is investigating whether they had traveled to other countries or states where the variant is spreading and attempting to find people who could have been exposed. The state health department didn’t say whether the two people lived in the same household or whether they had symptoms.
The CDC has reported 289 cases of P.1 in 25 states. Research from Brazil suggests the variant is more contagious, and possibly more deadly, though that isn’t certain.
Colorado selects a sample of all positive COVID-19 tests for full genetic sequencing. While sampling can give a clue to what variants are circulating and how widespread they are, it can’t tell health officials exactly how many cases are in the community.
So far, Colorado has found 1,268 cases linked to “variants of concern” — versions of the virus that are more contagious, cause more severe illness or are more difficult for the immune system to identify and destroy. Most are caused by variants first identified in California and the United Kingdom, both of which are more contagious than the version that first landed in Colorado.
The state also found a cluster of cases at the Buena Vista Correctional Complex caused by a variant first identified in South Africa. That variant, like P.1, is harder for the immune system to identify, and may increase the risk of reinfection.
A preliminary study from Oxford University suggests the available vaccines still provide good protection against P.1.
The state health department urged Coloradans to continue wearing masks and social distancing, which can reduce the spread of all known variants, saying they are “our best tools for preventing the spread of this virus, no matter the strain.”
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April 07, 2021 at 05:07AM
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Colorado finds first cases of Brazil COVID variant that reinfects survivors easily - Canon City Daily Record
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