Pennsylvania now has its first confirmed case of the COVID-19 variant virus.
Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine made the announcement Thursday.
The instance of the virus is in Dauphin County,
The health department said the person tested positive after known international exposure. Symptoms were reportedly mild and are now no longer present.
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“Pennsylvania has been preparing for this variant by working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has been sending 10-35 random samples biweekly to the CDC since November to study sequencing and detect any potential cases for this new COVID-19 variant,” Dr. Levine said. “Public health experts are in the early stages of working to better understand this new variant, how it spreads and how it affects people who are infected with it.
“There is still much to learn about this new variant, so we need to remain vigilant and continue to urge Pennsylvanians to stop the spread by washing their hands, practicing social distancing, avoiding gatherings, downloading COVID Alert PA and answering the call. Stay calm, stay alert and stay safe.”
The variant to the COVID-19 virus was first discovered in England in December 2020 according to the CDC.
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The health department said the COVID-19 mutates regularly and health experts believe current coronavirus tests will be able to detect the variant.