South African COVID-19 variant found in Kansas, officials say

Health officials are working to determine how a person in Finney County contracted a COVID-19 variant, known as the South African variant, and if others have been exposed, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Friday.

The variant has been detected in 31 states and territories, the KDHE said in a news release. The variant is not suspected of causing more-severe illness, but it’s not clear if it spreads faster than other strains, the KDHE said.

“The variant was determined through the whole genome sequencing conducted through the laboratories at the (KDHE),” the KDHE said. “Although this strain can reduce the effectiveness of some vaccines, vaccines still provide strong protection against severe illness and death.”

Another variant, known as the UK variant, has previously been reported in Kansas. There have been 76 cases in 14 counties, according to the KDHE.

“Evidence from the UK indicates that this variant spreads much more quickly through the population and, given that fact, may rapidly increase the number of hospitalizations and deaths,” the KDHE said. “More studies are needed to confirm this finding.”

There are several other variants, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Health officials have stressed that viruses can mutate over time and herd immunity would reduce the virus’s ability to mutate.

To achieve herd immunity that would effectively kill the coronavirus, national health experts have estimated 70-85% of the population should be immune, either from vaccinations or from catching COVID-19.

Currently, about 30% of Kansans have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 10% of Kansans have tested positive for the virus but those figures could include people who have also been vaccinated.

“We continue to encourage people to take the appropriate precautions,” KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said in a news release. “This includes wearing a mask that fits (snugly) around the nose and face and has multiple layers of fabric or layering thinner masks with an additional cloth face mask to improve the fit. Kansans should also follow isolation and quarantine recommendations, practice physical distancing, good hygiene, staying home if ill and getting the vaccine if you are able to.”

Contributing: Chance Swaim with The Eagle

This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 3:02 PM.