TENNESSEE, USA — As of Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 19 cases of COVID-19 variants in Tennessee.
Officials said 18 of the cases were of the B.1.1.7 variant, which was found in the U.K. and spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. It has been detected in several countries around the world, health leaders said.
Spanish Version: CDC reporta 19 variantes de COVID-19 en Tennessee
The other variant case found in Tennessee is of the B.1.351 variant, which was identified in South Africa. Health leaders said that it shares some similar traits as the U.K. variant and said cases were reported in the U.S. at the end of January 2021.
There are no cases of the P.1 variant in Tennessee, which was found in Brazil. It was first reported by the National Institute of Infection Diseases in Japan, in four travelers from Brazil.
Scientists are continuing to research the variants to better understand how they spread and to determine whether current COVID-19 vaccines are effective against them.
The number of variant cases is far fewer than the number of variant cases found in other states, such as Florida and Michigan. There are 648 variant cases reported in Florida and 421 cases of the U.K. variant in Michigan.