Press "Enter" to skip to content

COVID-19 Variant Linked to Several Outbreaks in Santa Clara County, Including One at SJ Kaiser

The new COVID-19 variant first found in other countries has been increasingly found in counties across California, and is linked to multiple outbreaks in Santa Clara County, according to a joint statement from the California Department of Public Health, UCSF and Santa Clara County.

The state is working with the Centers for Disease Control and local health departments to learn more about the variant and determine how it spreads.

On Sunday night, health officials confirmed that the new COVID-19 variant has been tied to a recent deadly outbreak at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose which began around Christmas and grew to at least 90 cases.

“The fact that this variant was identified in several large outbreaks in our county is a red flag and must be investigated further,” said Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody. “This virus continues to mutate and adapt, and we cannot let down our guard. This news underscores the need for everyone to follow all prevention measures and get vaccinated as soon as they are offered the vaccine.”

A state health official said that it is common for variants of viruses to be found, and that the state is working with federal, local and university partners to better understand the variant known as 452R.

This is not the first variant of COVID-19 to be discovered. It was first identified last year in other countries and states. Another variant, B.1.1.7, was first detected in the United Kingdom, health experts said.

In addition to Santa Clara County, the 452R variant has been detected in Humboldt, Lake, Los Angeles, Mono, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Francisco, San Bernardino, San Diego and San Luis Obispo counties.


Source: NBC Bay Area

Be First to Comment

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *