Michigan’s second case of new COVID-19 variant discovered in Genesee County

GENESEE COUNTY, MI – A county resident has tested positive for the Brazilian variant of COVID-19, the first in the area and only the second in the state of Michigan.

The province announced that the positive test for Brazilian variant P.1 was reported to it by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services after testing by its Bureau of Laboratories. Case research and contact tracking have been done for this patient, who first tested positive on March 23, the County Health Department said in a press release.

Other information about the patient was not immediately available, but a county health official said the patient is an adult.

“Current evidence suggests that the P.1 (Brazil) variant has the ability to re-infect individuals who were previously infected with the original COVID-19 virus,” the province said in its statement.

Although the Brazilian variant is more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus, the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are the same, the province’s health department said.

Those precautions include wearing a mask and maintaining social distance, following executive orders from Governor Gretchen Whitmer, avoiding large gatherings, and getting vaccinated.

To pre-register for a vaccine through the health department, go to https://www.gc4me.com/.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Brazilian variant of COVID-19 was first discovered in the US in January. It was initially identified in travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan.

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