The first case of a COVID-19 variant reportedly more contagious has been identified in Dallas County, according to county officials.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Saturday that the variant was identified in a Dallas man in his 20s who had no recent travel history outside of the US. The man is stable and isolated.
The health department is working to identify and notify anyone who had close contact with the man.
Jenkins said genetic sequencing showed the infection was caused by the variant. It is the third case caused by the variant in Texas and the first in North Texas.
The other two cases were reported in Harris County and Nueces County.
“The emergence of strain B.1.1.7, while inevitable given the mobility of the modern world and the fact that we are a major transportation hub, means there is a species that is 70% more infectious in our community and will grow rapidly” Jenkins said in a written statement.
Dr. Steven Berk of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, an infectious disease physician, joined NBC 5 to map the UK coronavirus variant.
The variant was first identified in the UK in September, and health officials have said it spreads more easily and more quickly than other variants, but it doesn’t seem to cause more serious symptoms.
The currently approved vaccines are believed to be effective against the variant.
“This is now the third case identified in Texas and we can assume there are more cases in our community because of the nature of this variant and how quickly it is spreading,” said Dr. Philip Huang, Director of Dallas County Health and Human Services. “must remain vigilant in our fight against this virus and continue all preventive and protective measures, such as wearing our masks, washing our hands, and taking physical distance.”