RICHMOND, Va. — A COVID-19 variant first identified in South Africa in late 2020 has been found in Virginia for the first time.
The Virginia Department of Health said the B.1.351 variant was identified in an adult person who lives in Eastern Virginia. The VDH did not give any other details about where the individual lives, and said the person's travel history is being examined.
To date, the only other states that have recorded cases of the B.1.351 variant are Maryland and South Carolina.
The VDH says this variant is easier to transmit between people, but at this time, there is no evidence that infections with this variant cause more severe disease.
Viruses change all the time, and VDH expects to see new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as the disease spreads.
The CDC has set up a page describing the different known variants of the virus.