MILWAUKEE- The UK variant of COVID-19, commonly known as the B-117 strain, has been found in Milwaukee.
Interim Health Commissioner Marlaina Jackson said the strain was found in a test taken on January 28th.
“We anticipated that it would reach south-eastern Wisconsin, so we are just being really mindful of that,” Jackson said Thursday morning.
Milwaukee County Director of Medical Services Dr. Ben Weston says the UK variant is the most common, and widely spread variant of the coronavirus.
“When the variant is just getting started you may find it in one percent or two percent of samples tested but as time goes on it may increase to 20% of samples, or 40% or 60% and so on,” Weston said. “The B117 strain is increasing, and at a dramatic pace. In the United States the UK strain is doubling the number of people infected every ten days.”
Both major COVID-19 vaccine producers, Moderna and Pfizer, say their current vaccine cocktail is effective in preventing the new strain of the virus.
Since March there have been more than 94-thousand COVID-19 cases in Milwaukee County since the first case was detected 11 months ago.
