Michigan confirms the first case of the South African COVID variant in Jackson County

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the first case of COVID-19 variant B.1.351 has been diagnosed in a child in Jackson County.

The health department has not said how the boy was infected, but a case study is being conducted to see if any more cases are linked.

This new variant was originally discovered in South Africa in October 2020 and shares some mutations with the B117 variant. The first case of the B117 variant – originally discovered in the United Kingdom – was identified in Washtenaw County.

READ: Everything we know about virus variants in Michigan, USA

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Officials said B.1.351 is believed to be more contagious, but there is no evidence that it “affects clinical outcomes or disease severity compared to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that has been circulating in the United States for months.”

However, a higher transmission rate could increase the number of people who need to be hospitalized or who lose their lives from COVID-19 if the new variant were to circulate widely in Michigan. Officials said the variant has been identified in 20 other states and jurisdictions as of Monday.

This Michigan case is the only one currently identified. It was first reported in the US on Jan. 28 when it was identified in two people in South Carolina.

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“We are concerned about the discovery of another variant in Michigan, although this was not unexpected,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy for Health. “We continue to urge Michiganders to take a research-based approach by wearing their masks properly, distancing themselves socially, avoiding crowds, washing their hands often, and making a plan for the safe and effective COVID. -19 vaccine as soon as it is their turn. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19 and end this pandemic as soon as possible. “

Based on available evidence, current tests can identify COVID-19 in these cases. The available COVID-19 vaccines also work against this new variant.