Super-covid hits Pennsylvania | Daily Mail Online

One person in Pennsylvania has the more infectious UK variant of ‘super-covid,’ health officials there confirmed Thursday. 

A total of 38 US cases have been identified, including one in each Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia and New York, two in Colorado and 32 in California, where there is a cluster in San Diego.  

At least seven states have cases of the B117 variant, a CDC official told DailyMail.com this week, but Pennsylvania is only the sixth to announce the arrival of the new variant. 

The Pennsylvania case is a person in Dauphin County who tested positive for the new variant after a ‘known international exposure,’ said Dr Rachel Levine, Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Thursday. 

It comes as the US records its deadliest day on record with nearly 4,000 fatalities reported Wednesday. 

Nonetheless, federal authorities have done little to step up efforts to monitor and stem outbreaks of the new variant, which has caused a surge of infections in the UK and sent the nation into its strictest set of lockdowns yet. 

Pennsylvania is the sixth state to confirm a case of ‘super-covid’, bringing the US total to 38 cases of the more infectious UK strain

‘Pennsylvania has been preparing for this variant by working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has been sending 10-35 random samples biweekly to the CDC since November to study sequencing and detect any potential cases for this new COVID-19 variant,’ Dr Levine said. 

‘Public health experts are in the early stages of working to better understand this new variant, how it spreads and how it affects people who are infected with it.

‘There is still much to learn about this new variant, so we need to remain vigilant and continue to urge Pennsylvanians to stop the spread by washing their hands, practicing social distancing, avoiding gatherings, downloading COVID Alert PA and answering the call. Stay calm, stay alert and stay safe.’