Super-COVID IS in the US: Colorado man in his 20s with NO travel history becomes first American to test positive for the mutant strain first detected in the UK
- Governor Jared Polis revealed the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 was found in Colorado
- Case was detected in a man in his 20s who is now ‘in isolation in Elbert County’
- He has no travel history, which reveals he caught it from someone in the US
Colorado has announced it has detected the first US case of the mutant COVID-19 strain that was first found in the UK.
Governor Jared Polis revealed the worrying news in a tweet, writing: ‘Today we discovered Colorado’s first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, the same variant discovered in the UK. The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely.’
An attached statement said the Colorado State Laboratory confirmed the case and notified the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
The case was detected in a man in his 20s who is ‘currently in isolation in Elbert County and has no travel history.’
The fact the man has not traveled tells officials he caught the strain from someone else in the US.
Governor Jared Polis released this statement saying the person infected is a man in his 20s who had not been traveling
He will remain in isolation until he is cleared by health officials.
The statement adds: ‘The individual has no close contacts identified so far, but public health officials are working to identify other potential cases and contacts through thorough contact tracing interviews.’
Gov Polis added: ‘There is a lot we don’t know about this new COVID-19 variant, but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious.
‘The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will closely monitor the case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators very closely.
Governor Jared Polis revealed the worrying news in a tweet, writing: ‘Today we discovered Colorado’s first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7’
‘We are working to prevent spread and contain the virus at all levels.’
The new variant of the coronavirus has been spreading rapidly in Britain recently with huge swathes of England being placed under its strictest COVID-19 restrictions.
The mutation known as the B.1.1.7 lineage may be up to 70 per cent more infectious and more of a concern for children.
It has sown chaos in Britain, prompting a wave of travel bans that are disrupting trade with Europe and threatening to further isolate the island country.