Twenty-four confirmed and four likely cases of the more contagious strain of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have been identified in San Diego County, the Health and Human Services Agency announced today.
The new cases of the variant that surfaced in the UK, known as B.1.1.7, bring the total for the region to 32. Sixteen are men and 16 are women. The new total includes 28 cases confirmed by whole genome sequencing and four probable cases directly related to the confirmed cases that have positive diagnostic nucleic acid tests but have not yet been sequenced.
Two dozen new variant cases were confirmed Jan. 4 from samples collected Dec. 27 to Dec. 31 and tested at the San Diego-based laboratory Helix and its partner Illumina as part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research project.
There are no COVID-19 deaths related to the variant, but one woman had to be hospitalized. She is now recovering at home.
The 24 newly confirmed patients are believed to have no travel history and come from 19 different households, but the investigation and contact tracking is ongoing.
New cases have been identified in San Diego, Chula Vista, La Mesa and Lakeside. The cases are among multiple age groups. While the four youngest cases are under 10 and the oldest over 70, the mean age of the variant cases so far is 36, the same as the overall mean for all confirmed cases in the province to date.
“The fact that these cases have been identified in multiple parts of the region shows that this strain of the virus can spread rapidly,” said Wilma Wooten, MD, MPH County public health officer. “People need to be extra careful to avoid getting and spreading COVID-19, especially this variant, which research has shown is more contagious.”
The variant was first identified on December 30 in a man in his 30s with no travel history. Three more cases were announced on December 31.
The province has asked all testing laboratories that have the ability to identify suspected cases of the new strain to forward genome sequencing samples to determine if they are indeed cases of the variant. Local doctors have also been asked to forward COVID-19 positive tests from patients with a travel history to the United Kingdom or other places abroad where variants have been discovered.
“We are doing everything we can to determine how quickly this new species is spreading, especially as the daily number of cases in the region has increased dramatically in recent weeks,” said Wooten.
At this point, it was believed that the vaccines currently available will provide protection against newly emerging variants. Scientists continue to study the new strains of the new coronavirus to determine their possible impact.
County health officials say San Diegans should now more than ever:
- Keep your distance from others and leave your household only for essential activities
- Wear a mask
- Wash your hands
- If you are sick, get tested and then stay home and isolate yourself
For more information on COVID-19, testing sites and vaccine distribution, visit www.coronavirus-sd.com.