Several cases of a new COVID-19 mutation has been confirmed in Wisconsin.
State health officials say this variant, B117, spreads faster and is more dangerous than the dominant strain of the virus, the Capital Times reported Thursday (February 18). This mutation could become dominant in the U.S. by the end of next month.
Although one of the patients to contract the mutated virus had traveled internationally, others appear to have been exposed to it in the community, according to the Capital Times.
“At some point we’re just going to have to start to realize that old COVID probably isn’t going to be around as much,” Jeff Pothof of UW Health told the publication. “As some of these strains are more contagious, they’ll become the dominant strains…I think B117’s out of the gate. That one’s here.”
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking the COVID-19 variants — including the B117 and others — as cases emerge across the country.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has tracked more than 557,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday. More than 3.1 million tests have been administered. Of those cases, more than 9,800 remain active. More than 541,000 patients have recovered.
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