Brazil coronavirus variant detected in Washington state

Public health officials say they have detected Washington state’s first case of the coronavirus variant from Brazil.

The University of Washington Medicine Virology lab detected the presence of the variant in a COVID-19 test sample from King County, home of Seattle, public health officials announced Thursday. The state also has found cases of the U.K. and South African coronavirus strains. 

Health experts have warned that the P.1 variant could contribute to another wave of coronavirus infections and complicate efforts to end the pandemic. The strain appears to contain mutations that make it less susceptible to the body’s immune response. There is also data that suggests infected people have a higher chance of being reinfected with the variant. 

“If we let down our guard, these variant strains will make us pay,” said Jeff Duchin, health officer for Seattle and King County, in a statement. “The upside is that we can take steps to limit the damage. The same precautions that have helped us drive down case counts in the past can also protect us from the variants, as long as we are diligent.”

Seventeen cases of the strain have been reported in 10 states: New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Alaska, Oregon and Washington, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The P.1 variant was first detected in the U.S. at the end of January. The CDC says the strain was first identified in travelers from Brazil during a routine screening at an airport in Japan in early January.