The first two cases of the South African variant of the coronavirus have been detected in South Carolina, state health officials confirmed Thursday, the first known cases of this variant in the United States.
South Carolina public health officials says they were notified late Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of a South Carolina sample that was tested at LabCorp and determined to be the B.1.351 variant originally identified in South Africa. DHEC's Public Health Laboratory also tested samples on Jan. 25 and Wednesday identified a separate case of the same variant.
Variants are closely monitored for their ability to spread faster or cause more disease.
At this point in time, health officials say there is no known travel history and no connection between these two cases. Both are adults; one from the Lowcountry and one from the Pee Dee region of the state. To protect their privacy, no further information will be released, DHEC says.
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