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(CNN) –– Colorado health officials on Tuesday announced the first known U.S. case of the covid-19 variant originally discovered in the United Kingdom.
Covid-19 variant B.1.1.7 was identified in a Colorado man in his 20s with no travel history, Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a statement Tuesday. Polis said the man is in isolation in Elbert County and will remain in isolation until cleared by health officials.
Close contacts of the man have not yet been identified. However, health officials are working on tracking them down, he added.
“There is a lot we don’t know about this new variant of covid-19. But UK scientists are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious, “said Polis. “The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority. And we will closely follow this case, as well as all the covid-19 indicators, very closely.
Health authorities around the world have said that this variant does not appear to be any more deadly than previously identified strains of Covid-19.
Public Health England said initial analysis showed that while the variant appears to be more transmissible, there is no evidence that it is linked to an increased risk of hospitalization or death.
