The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says the variant was detected in a Twin Cities resident who had recently traveled to the South American country. Officials say the variant is believed to spread quicker, but it is not clear if it is more severe or more lethal.
MDH has a program that conducts regular surveillance for variants, testing 50 random samples from University of Minnesota laboratories weekly. State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said the new finding underscores the importance of testing as well as continued efforts to limit the spread of the disease. ...
It makes sense that it would be first spotted in Minnesota, which has lab capabilities beyond those available in other states, Schaffner said. That means it may already be present elsewhere in the U.S., but simply hasn’t been identified yet, he said.
The CDC has reported at least 195 cases of the U.K. variant in the United States. Those reports have come from at least 22 states, including 8 in Minnesota
Scientists last week reported preliminary but troubling signs that some recent mutations may modestly curb the effectiveness of two current vaccines, although they stressed that the shots still protect against the disease. And there are signs that some of the new mutations may undermine tests for the virus and reduce the effectiveness of certain treatments. Some tests suggest the South African and Brazilian variants may be less susceptible to antibody drugs or antibody-rich blood from COVID-19 survivors, both of which help people fight off the virus.
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https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/01/25/mdh-minnesotan-is-1st-known-us-patient-with-brazil-p-1-variant/
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