MADISON (NBC 26) — Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced Friday that a second variant strain of COVID-19 has been found in Wisconsin.
DHS says the newest variant, referred to as B.1.351, was first discovered to be circulating in South Africa in samples dating back to October 2020.
According to DHS, researchers have found that this new strain spreads more rapidly and easily than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. DHS says it's not yet known if this variant has any impact on the severity of the disease.
There is some evidence to suggest that this variant may affect how some antibodies respond to the virus. Preliminary evidence suggests that the Moderna vaccine may be less effective against this variant, but DHS says studies are ongoing.
In Wisconsin, DHS says strain B.1.351 was identified through ongoing surveillance and whole genome sequencing, a routine practice since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. DHS says all viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19, change through mutation. DHS says we can expect additional new variants of the virus to occur over time.