BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont health officials responded Friday to news that the UK variant of COVID-19 was detected in Burlington wastewater samples, indicating that the more contagious mutation is now present in the community.
Dr. Vermont health commissioner Mark Levine said he was not surprised that the variant may have made its way to Vermont and that he has been anticipating it for a while. “Learning this news doesn’t really mean we need to change everything we do, we just need to do better,” Levine said.
The samples with two mutations were from Burlington’s main wastewater treatment plant, which covers the city center, Old North End, South End and parts of the Hill Section. Levine says the variant is likely present here. If the state test confirms the results, Vermont will join 34 other states to have the variant present.
Dr. Levine says the UK, or the B.1.1.7 variant, could even become the predominant COVID strain in the US. “Mutations and variants are expected over time. The reason the B.1.1.7 variant is of concern is that it is thought to be more transmissible and could lead to more cases of COVID-19, as well as potentially more hospitalizations or deaths, ”said Levine.
The state of Vermont will spend the next week genomic sequencing the virus of individuals positive for covid to officially confirm the presence of the variant that some studies believe is 30 to 40 percent more contagious.
People we spoke to in Burlington said that while they are concerned, they are already very careful not to spread the virus. “I’ve been pretty careful myself because I’m from Vermont. We have pretty strict guidelines in the first place, so being used to them really helps,” Manchester’s Ian Anglum said.
“I find it difficult when you walk to a double mask, but I think double masking is also super efficient when you are in a supermarket or indoors. I think it’s well worth it, ”said Sophia Merageas of Burlington.
Dr. Levine said he agreed with the CDC’s findings this week that double masking could be very protective against transmission of the virus, among other precautions from the past year.
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