New COVID Strain Found In Wisconsin
CHICAGO (CBS Chicago/CBS News) -- The new faster spreading variant of coronavirus was found Wednesday in Wisconsin.
The strain was first identified in the UK last year.
There have been confirmed cases in 11 other states, including Indiana and New York.
Meanwhile, researchers at Ohio State University discovered another new variant that carries a mutation identical to the strain found in the U.K., but was likely already present in the U.S.
Researchers said they also found another U.S. strain with three other gene mutations that were not previously seen. The strain with three new mutations was more prominent in Columbus in recent weeks, they said.
"Also, like the U.K. strain, the mutations in the Columbus strain are likely to make the virus more infectious, making it easier for the virus to pass from person to person," the university said in a news release on Wednesday.
Peter Mohler, a co-author of the study, said there is no evidence showing that the coronavirus vaccines will be less effective against the new mutations.
"At this point, we have no data to believe that these mutations will have any impact on the effectiveness of vaccines now in use," Mohler said.
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