B.1.1.7 Variant of COVID-19 Identified in Saginaw County

Coronavirus (Photo- National Institutes of Health; NIH)

The Saginaw County Health Department has identified a case of the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19, which originated in the United Kingdom. The variant was found after a COVID-19 test was done Feb. 18 at a local hospital on an 80-year-old Saginaw County woman, and sent to the Centers for Disease Control for further testing and subtyping. The patient is no longer hospitalized and would have been out of isolation as of Feb. 28.

The Saginaw County Health Department urges individuals to continue to take precautions against COVID-19, especially as new variants of the virus become more prevalent, including the South African variant B.1.351 – which was discovered in Jackson County this week. The new variants are believed to be especially contagious and may cause more serious illness in some people.