New York identified its first confirmed case of the Brazilian variant of the coronavirus.
Scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City found the variant in a nonagenarian who resides in Brooklyn and has no known travel history, according to an announcement by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday. The New York state Department of Health is working to learn more about the patient’s potential contacts.
“The detection of the Brazilian variant here in New York further underscores the importance of taking all the appropriate steps to continue to protect your health,” Cuomo said. “While it’s normal for a virus to mutate, the best way to protect yourself is to continue to wear a well-fitted mask, avoid large crowds, social distance, wash your hands, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn.”
THE DETAILS ON CORONAVIRUS VARIANTS FROM THE UK, SOUTH AFRICA, BRAZIL, AND THE US
Forty-eight cases of the Brazilian variant, also known as P.1, have been confirmed in 15 states in the United States, according to data last updated on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The variant is believed to have emerged in November and is widespread in Brazil.
The new strain is more transmissible than the original virus and likelier to reinfect patients, according to new research. One study from Imperial College London, in which researchers observed 184 patients from November 2020 to January 2021 from Brazil, found that the variant reinfected 25% to 61% of people who had been previously infected with another strain.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
It may also be more resistant to vaccines. A trial showed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had 61% efficacy in Brazil, while its efficacy was 72% in the U.S. The Pfizer vaccine is also effective against the Brazil strain, although not as effective as it is against the United Kingdom and South Africa strains.
More than 1.7 million New Yorkers have tested positive for COVID-19, and nearly 40,000 deaths have been attributed to the disease, according to the New York Department of Health. More than 5 million New York residents have received at least one vaccine dose, representing 25% of the state’s population, and 2.6 million, or 13% of the population, are fully vaccinated, according to departmental data.
