First case of South African COVID-19 located in SWVA

The Commonwealth has now seen three cases of the B.1.351 variant

First case of South African COVID-19 located in SWVA
South Carolina became the first state with UK and South African COVID-19 variants (Source: Emily Wakeman)
By Eddie Callahan | WDBJ | February 18, 2021 at 7:56 PM EST - Updated February 18 at 7:56 PM

(WDBJ) - The first case of the B.1.351 COVID-19 variant was identified in Southwest Virginia in an adult who recently returned to the state from international travel. The B.1.351 variant was first located in South Africa in late 2020.

Contacts of the case were alerted and managed.

There is no evidence that shows this variant causes more serious disease than the base COVID-19 strain. Through Thursday, the B.1.351 variant has appeared in nine states. A total of three were found in the Commonwealth.

Click here for more from the Virginia Department of Health.

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