COVID-19 Variant Found Near Harrisburg

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AP

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Ian Meyers

The new COVID-19 variant has found its way to Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County, after the person had known international exposure to the virus.

This variant was first discovered in December, when England saw the first case of it, known scientifically as SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7. While this variant hasn’t been confirmed to increase a likelihood of death, it has been found to spread more easily than the COVID-19 that we have been used to.

Dauphin County is located just below Centre County, and houses the state’s capitol, Harrisburg. Luckily, there have been no other confirmed cases of the variant, and the person who was sick has recovered and completed the quarantine process.

Pennsylvania hit a record number high on December 11th; 12,669 cases in just 24 hours. Because of the rise of the normal COVID-19 virus, Penns Valley had to shut down temporarily in mid-November. Now, more kids are staying home than ever before in the district,  and around the world. We know this mutation is easier to get, so there is a good chance it is spreading right now and could come back to get us soon.

The new COVID-19 vaccines available are assumed to have the ability to protect against the virus, along with its other mutations. Currently, over 5 million doses have been given to people across the United States, and over 15 million around the globe. Pfizer and Moderna currently have the only two COVID-19 vaccinations in the world, and have promising effectiveness rates to show. Pennsylvania has given doses to nearly 180,000 people.

Learn more about current events with Pennsylvania and COVID-19 here.