<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Courtesy of <i>KTVB</i> at:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/first-confirmed-infection-with-coronavirus-variant-in-southwest-idaho/277-fcff858b-34ed-461a-a177-1955d6770e95">https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/first-confirmed-infection-with-coronavirus-variant-in-southwest-idaho/277-fcff858b-34ed-461a-a177-1955d6770e95</a></div><div><br></div><div>—————————————————</div><div><h1 class="article__headline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: inherit; position: relative; margin: 15px 0px 30px; font-size: 46px; line-height: 1.13; caret-color: rgb(22, 22, 22); color: rgb(22, 22, 22); font-family: proximanova, sans-serif;">Case of South African coronavirus variant confirmed in southwest Idaho</h1><div class="article__summary" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 40px; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.42; caret-color: rgb(22, 22, 22); color: rgb(22, 22, 22); font-family: proximanova, sans-serif;">Health officials confirmed the first infection with a known variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been found in an adult male who recently traveled abroad.</div><div class="article__summary" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 40px; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.42; caret-color: rgb(22, 22, 22); color: rgb(22, 22, 22); font-family: proximanova, sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">BOISE, Idaho — Idaho health officials have confirmed the first known infection of a person with a variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the Gem State.</span></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Southwest District Health announced on Friday that a South African variant of COVID-19 was found in an adult male living in southwest Idaho and confirmed through laboratory testing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br>That testing identified the B.1.351 variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was first discovered in South Africa in late 2020. This is Idaho's first identified infection with a known variant of concern of the COVID-19 virus. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">So far, there have been 19 infections with this particular variant reported in ten states. Health officials said the man recently traveled internationally and is believed to have been exposed to the virus before returning to Idaho. No other information about the man or his condition has been released. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">Chair of Idaho COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee, Dr. Patrice Burgess does not want people to panic that the new variant has arrived. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">"All viruses have mutations, that's what viruses do so it's not surprising that we are seeing these and there are several, the UK, South Africa, Brazil, there's a California one, and they've probably been around more than we realize, we don't test for them in every single patient," she said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">Burgess said it was commonly believed that the new variants were more deadly, but she added that experts are finding that that isn't the case. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">"They are more transmissible which is concerning because the original covid is pretty transmissible," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">During the committee's weekly meeting, Christine Hahn, State Epidemiologist said South Africa is now administering the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, and the effects are promising. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">"It did prevent hospitalizations in South Africa and they did not see any hospitalizations 28 days after vaccination with this vaccine," said Hahn.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is not available in the United States. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">Burgess said are being conducted on just how effective Pfizer and Moderna are against the new variant. However, anyone who has had COVID-19 and recovered can still contract a variant. Burgess urges people to not let their guard down, and that any vaccine is better than no vaccine. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">"It's hard because we have been at this for so long so I think everyone is very anxious to stop wearing masks and doing all the things that we are doing but this really means that we have to hang in there for this last stretch," said Burgess.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 11.25pt 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);">Epidemiologists at Southwest District Health are working with Health and Welfare to identify any close contacts who were possibly exposed to this person. Health officials said they will provide guidance to anyone identified as close contact and will monitor them closely for symptoms.<br><br>"We are not surprised to find this virus in Idaho," said Dr. Christine Hahn, medical director in the Division of Public Health. "As we just learned from </span><a href="https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/uk-california-covid-19-variants-found-in-boise-area-wastewater-city/277-bbd8126c-1447-47c3-b99d-e155299fb903"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 94, 168); text-decoration: none;">Boise City's wastewater testing program</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46);"> this week, variant strains have arrived in the state. We remind Idahoans to continue wearing masks, physically distancing, washing hands frequently, and staying home when ill. In addition to getting vaccinated when it becomes available for you, those actions are the best things we can do now."<br><br>Idaho public health officials are actively investigating infections suspected to be caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants. The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories (IBL) continues to expand the number of Idaho samples being sequenced to identify emerging strains and better understand how the virus is spreading in the state.<br><br>This variant was identified among the first SARS-CoV-2 samples sequenced by IBL, which continues to work with clinical laboratories, public health districts, and providers to expand the number of Idaho samples being sequenced to identify emerging strains of concern and limit their spread.<br><br>Idaho has had 290 Idaho samples sequenced and published in national databases, which is </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">how they are shared nationally. Eighty-six samples are in process, including 36 samples at IBL</span></p></div>—————————————————<div><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/">http://www.moscowcares.com/</a></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div><div></div></div></div></body></html>