Page 12 - HOH

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 31 december 2020
Colorado Guardsman has 1st reported US case of virus variant

of travel history suggests
the new variant is already
spreading in this country.
Topol said it is too late for
travel bans.
"We're behind in finding it.
Colorado is likely one of
many places it's landed
here," he said. "It's all over
the place. How can you
ban travel from every-
where?"
Colorado public health of-
ficials are conducting con-
tact tracing to determine
its spread.
Researchers estimate the
variant is 50% to 70% more
contagious, said Dr. Eric
France, Colorado's chief
medical officer.
"Instead of only making two
or three other people sick,
you might actually spread
it to four or five people,"
France said. "That means
we'll have more cases in
our communities. Those
number of cases will rise
quickly and, of course, with
more cases come more
hospitalizations."
London and southeast Eng-
land were placed under
strict lockdown measures
earlier this month because
of the variant, and doz-
Graphic shows a diagram of the COVID-19 virus. Associated Press
ens of countries banned
flights from Britain. France
also briefly barred trucks
By COLLEEN SLEVIN and stitute. He noted that the so far no evidence of it has to broaden that search, from Britain before allowing
CARLA K. JOHNSON U.S. does far less genetic been found, she said. with results expected within them back in, provided the
Associated Press sequencing of virus sam- The confirmed case is in days. The discovery in Col- drivers got tested for the vi-
DENVER (AP) — The first ples to discover variants a Colorado man in his 20s orado has added urgency rus. New versions of the vi-
person in the U.S. known than other developed who hadn't been traveling, to the nation's vaccination rus have been seen almost
to be infected with a new nations do, and thus was officials said. He has mild drive against COVID-19, since it was first detected
and apparently more probably slow to detect symptoms and is isolating which has killed more than in China a year ago. It is
contagious variant of the this new mutation. The two at his home near Denver, 340,000 people in the U.S. common for viruses to un-
coronavirus was identified Guard members had been while the person with the Britain is seeing infections dergo minor changes as
Wednesday as a Colorado dispatched on Dec. 23 to suspected case is isolating soar and hospitalizations they reproduce and move
National Guardsman who work at the Good Samari- at a Colorado hotel while climb to their highest levels through a population. The
had been sent to help out tan Society nursing home in further genetic analysis is on record. The variant has fear is that mutations at
at a nursing home strug- the small town of Simla, in a done on his sample, offi- also been found in several some point will become
gling with an outbreak. mostly rural area about 90 cials said. other countries. significant enough to de-
And health officials said miles outside Denver, said The nursing home said it is Scientists have found no feat the vaccines.
a second Guard member Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state working closely with the evidence that it is more South Africa has also dis-
may have it, too. epidemiologist. They were state and is also looking lethal or causes more se- covered a highly conta-
The cases have triggered among six Guard members forward to beginning vac- vere illness, and they be- gious COVID-19 variant
a host of questions about sent to the home. cinations next week. lieve the vaccines now that is driving the country's
how the mutant version cir- Nasal swab samples taken Several states, including being dispensed will be latest spike of cases, hospi-
culating in England arrived from the two as part of the California, Massachusetts effective against it. But a talizations and deaths. q
in the U.S. and whether it Guard's routine corona- and Delaware, are also faster-spreading virus could
is too late to stop it now, virus testing were sent to analyzing suspicious virus swamp hospitals with seri-
with top experts saying it is the state laboratory, which samples for the variant, ously ill patients.
probably already spread- began looking for the vari- said Dr. Greg Armstrong, The discovery overseas
ing elsewhere in the United ant after its spread was who directs genetic se- led the CDC to issue rules
States. announced in Britain ear- quencing at the U.S. Cen- on Christmas Day requir-
"The virus is becoming more lier this month, Herlihy said. ters for Disease Control and ing travelers arriving from
fit, and we're like a deer in Samples from staff and resi- Prevention. He said the Britain to show proof of a
the headlights," warned Dr. dents at the nursing home CDC is working with a na- negative COVID-19 test.
Eric Topol, head of Scripps are also being screened for tional lab that gets samples But U.S. health officials said
Research Translational In- the variant at the lab, but from around the country the Colorado patient's lack