St. Joseph County health officials announced Thursday that the more contagious UK strain of the coronavirus had been identified in the county.
Deputy County Health Officer Dr. Mark Fox said the B.1.1.7 strain of the virus is more contagious and, in some cases, more deadly than the original strain.
“It’s hard to sort out whether there are more cases and that’s why there are more deaths, or if the strain itself is actually more lethal,” he said.
Either way, Fox said people shouldn’t panic. He said health officials aren’t recommending any changes to the county’s safety protocols; however, they are asking people to be more vigilant about masking and distancing, even if they’ve been vaccinated.
“This ought to cause people to be more cautious and underscore the importance of continuing to follow all the mitigation strategies,” Fox said.
Fox said the presence of the variant makes it even more important for eligible residents to get vaccinated as soon as they can.
(Read the full release from the St. Joseph County Department of Health below.)
St. Joseph County- A case of COVID-19 caused by the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant has been identified in St. Joseph County. Under guidance from the Indiana Department of Health, there is ongoing surveillance testing of positive COVID-19 samples in Indiana. This surveillance effort is intended to provide insight into the proportion of cases caused by a variant strain. There is no difference in the clinical treatment or mitigation strategies recommended. All of the COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the United States have demonstrated efficacy against the B.1.1.7 variant.
Vaccine uptake will be crucial in limiting the impact of COVID-19 variants. For current eligibility, please visit www.ourshot.in.gov as eligibility is rapidly expanding.
With this identification, the St. Joseph County Department of Health urges the continuation of the following actions, even after vaccination:
• Wear a facial covering (should fit snuggly over the mouth and nose) anytime you are around people not in your household.
• Practice extreme physical distancing.
o Maintain at least 6ft between individuals.
o Wearing a mask does NOT eliminate the need for physical distancing.
• Practice frequent and proper hand hygiene & cough etiquette.
o Wash hands often, for at least 20 seconds, with soap & water; coughing and sneezing into your sleeve.
• Stay home if ill.
• Limit indoor social gatherings to fewer than ten people.
• Get the COVID-19 vaccine when you are eligible.
For all COVID-19 testing sites in St. Joseph County, you can view an interactive map at https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/2524.htm. Please be aware each site may have different criteria for testing and may not be up to date.
For more information on COVID-19, visit the Indiana State Department of Health at www.in.gov/isdh and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov. For general questions as it relates to COVID-19 infection, please call 2-1-1.
