MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A second person in Wisconsin has been confirmed to be infected with the more contagious coronavirus variant first documented in England.
The state Department of Health Services says the B.1.1.7 variant was discovered in a lab Feb. 6. It follows the first documented case in Wisconsin, which was announced last month.
“It is concerning that we have identified a second case of a variant that spreads more easily. We are able to sequence a small proportion of tests collected, which means, in reality, there are likely many more cases of this variant in Wisconsin,” Dr. Ryan Westergaard of the DHS Bureau of Communicable Diseases said in a news release.
DHS did not announce where in the state the new variant was found.
DHS says now that the pandemic has entered its second year, labs will work to study viruses found in Wisconsinites to track any possible mutations and variants.
Doctors recommend continuing to wear masks, socially distance and follow other procedures to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. It is unclear how effective vaccines will be against new strains of the virus.
