Contact tracing is underway to determine the spread of the variant.
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The first reported United States case of the COVID-19 variant, the one that's been seen in the United Kingdom, has been discovered in Colorado. The announcement was made by Governor Jared Polis. The coronavirus variant was found in a man in his twenties who is now in isolation in southeast of Denver. The man has no travel history, state health officials said on Tuesday. "There is a lot we don't know about this new COVID-19 variant, but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious. The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority, and we will closely monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely," Jared said. Polis and state health officials are expected to address the public on Wednesday. Public health officials are investigating other potential cases and performing contact tracing to determine the spread of the variant throughout the state. The Colorado State Laboratory confirmed the virus variant following which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was notified. Scientists in the UK believe that the new virus variant is more contagious than previously identified strains of the SARS-CoV-2. The vaccines being given now are thought to be effective against the variant, Colorado health officials said in a news release. The discovery of the new variant lead the CDC to issue new rules on Christmas Day for travellers arriving to the US from the UK, requiring they show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Scientists worldwide are concerned about the new variant that has changed how transmissible the virus is. Connor Bamford, Research Fellow of Virology at Queen's University Belfast has observed that the new variant carries several peculiar changes to the spike protein when compared to other closely related variants. This is one of the reasons why it’s more concerning than other changes observed before on the virus. (With inputs from PTI)
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