ILLINOIS – A coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has made its way to Illinois, public health officials said Thursday.
It was recently confirmed that a resident of Rock Island is carrying the B.1.351 variant, the first known case in the state, Illinois Department of Public Health officials announced. The department also confirmed that Illinois has 22 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom.
311K vaccinated against coronavirus in IL; 22 cases of British variant
IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said public health officials “expected to see more cases” of coronavirus variants, including those from South Africa and the UK, and warned that they could lead to a further increase in the number of cases.
“These variants appear to be spreading faster, which could lead to more cases of COVID-19 and even another wave,” Ezike said in a press release. “Our best way to beat this virus as soon as possible is to wear our masks and get vaccinated when it’s our turn.”
Cases of the South African coronavirus variant were first identified in the US in late January, and researchers are working to determine whether currently approved vaccines will provide the same level of protection against the virus and other variants according to the IDPH.
Public health officials are also monitoring a variant known as P.1, which has surfaced in Brazil. There were no cases of the P.1 variant in Illinois as of Friday.