The Virginia Department of Health announced Wednesday that a case of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 was identified in an adult in northwestern Virginia. The patient had recently returned to Virginia after international travel.
The variant first emerged in the United Kingdom in late 2020 and is associated with increased person-to-person spread of COVID-19. A preliminary report from international experts indicates the variant causes more severe illness.
There are three other Virginia cases of the B.1.1.7 variant in northern Virginia. The Health Department said additional cases of the variant are likely. The department urged Virginians to wear a mask, social distance, wash hands often, get vaccinated for COVID-19 and stay home if infected.
