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Colorado reports first confirmed case of COVID-19 variant in the US

UPDATED: DECEMBER 29, 2020 AT 4:34 PM

(Credit: Getty Images)

BY SIMONE SEIKALY
Digital Content Producer

SALT LAKE CITY — The Governor of Colorado tweeted on Tuesday that the state has seen its first case of the COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.7.

Reporting by the Washington Post indicates that this is the first case of the variant reported in the United States.

The tweet indicates that the person in question, a male in his 20s, is in isolation in Colorado’s Elbert County.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in the tweet that the state will monitor the case closely.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this variant strain indicates that the virus has mutated several times. It is the same strain that has been discovered in the U.K. and which has caused another series of lockdowns across Europe.

This variant strain accounts for 60% of the recent COVID-19 infections in London according to the CDC.

The CDC also reports that this variant strain is predicted to be more rapidly transmissible than other strains of SARS-Co-V-2.

How To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus

COVID-19 coronavirus spreads person to person, similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:

Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
Don’t touch your face.
Wear a mask to protect yourself and others per CDC recommendations.
Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who is coughing or sneezing (in this instance, at least six feet).
If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay at home, instead of going to the movies, sports events, or other activities).
Get a flu shot.