BOSTON (WHDH) - Just a few weeks after it was detected in the United States, the first case of the South African COVID-19 variant has been found in Massachusetts.
A woman in her 20s who lives in Middlesex County tested positive for the B.1.351 variant, according to the Mass. Department of Public Health. She had no reported travel.
The variant is known to be more contagious, even for people who already had COVID-19.
“The experience of our colleagues in South Africa indicate that even if you’ve been infected with the original virus that there is a very high rate of reinfection to the point where previous infection does not seem to protect you,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.
Two other variants of concern are the B.1.1.7, originally found in the United Kingdom, and the P.1 variant, which was originally detected in Brazil. There are currently 34 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant in Mass. and no confirmed cases of the P.1, Mass. DPH said.
Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Infectious Disease Clinic, says that the U.K. variant acts as the dominant variant.
“What we know from when it’s been in other regions is that it quickly comes in and becomes the dominant variant because it is more contagious…30 to 50 percent more contagious,” he explained.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are believed to be effective against the variants, though the protection is less effective against the South African variant.
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