Health

Second case of UK COVID-19 variant detected in Mass.

BOSTON — State health officials confirmed Wednesday that a second case of the UK variant of the coronavirus has been detected in a man from Worcester County.

The state Department of Public Health said they were notified Wednesday that a Worcester County man in his 20s tested positive for the variant. No details on his travel history or where he may have contracted the virus were released.

Last week, the first case of the variant was identified in a Boston woman in her 20s who tested negative for COVID-19 before boarding a flight back to Massachusetts from the United Kingdom, but felt sick upon returning.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the variant is about 50% more contagious than the other strain that is currently causing the bulk of cases in this country.

Health officials said by March, the new strain will likely become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the United States. The CDC says there’s no evidence that it causes more severe illness or is transmitted differently so mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing and other prevention strategies can still work.


The Associated Press contributed to this report


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