State health officials announced Friday that a highly contagious variant of COVID-19 has been discovered for the first time in New Hampshire.
According to a press release from the State Department of Health and Human Services, a resident of Hillsborough County recently in close contact with someone who has traveled internationally tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant, also known as the UK variant.
The state has carried out contact tracking and currently believes there is no risk to the community of further spread, the press release said.
“The presence of a COVID-19 variant in New Hampshire is not surprising, and we are likely to see an increasing number of infections from the B.1.1.7 variant,” said Dr. Benjamin Chan, state epidemiologist, in a statement. “The CDC has estimated that the variant is likely to become the most common variant in the US in the near future.”
Chan urged residents to continue to wear masks, maintain social distance, and wash their hands regularly. People who show symptoms of COVID-19 are also urged to get a test for the disease.
According to the CDC, New Hampshire is the 39th state to identify the species, which has also spread to more than 80 countries. Both Vermont and Maine confirmed their first recorded cases of the British variant on Thursday.
According to public health officials, variant B.1.1.7 is over 50 percent more contagious and transmissible. State officials said, “However, the COVID-19 vaccines appear to be very effective in preventing COVID-19 from this variant.”
At least two other strains of COVID-19 have also been identified, including one variant first identified in South Africa and another in Brazil.
The CDC warns that “these variants appear to spread more easily and more quickly than other variants, which could lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put pressure on health care resources, lead to more hospital admissions and possibly more deaths. “
This story will be updated as more information becomes available