The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Tuesday that an emerging variant of coronavirus known as the Brazilian or P.1 variant was identified in a Sedgwick County resident. Contact tracing is being conducted to determine how the person became infected with this particular variant of the virus, as well as if others may have been exposed. KDHE secretary Dr. Lee Norman says there is still much to learn about the transmission characteristics and potential severity of the P.1 variant.
"We continue to encourage people to take the appropriate precautions. This includes wearing a mask that fits snuggly around the nose and face and has multiple layers of fabric or layering thinner masks with an additional cloth face mask to improve the fit," says Dr. Norman. "Kansans should also follow isolation and quarantine recommendations, practice physical distancing, good hygiene, staying home if ill, and getting the vaccine if you are able to."
The P.1 variant was originally identified in four travelers from Brazil tested during routine screening at Haneda airport outside Tokyo, Japan. This variant was detected in the U.S. at the end of January 2021 and has been found in 31 states and territories in the U.S. Kansas health officials say the case is a reminder to continue taking appropriate precautions, like physical distancing and wearing a mask. It also highlights the importance of testing, which is available and free for all Kansans. To find a testing location near you, visit coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.
