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Maryland becomes second state to report case of coronavirus variant that first emerged in South Africa

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January 30, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. EST
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced Jan. 29 that all nursing homes across the state had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Video: Gov. Jim Justice)
By
, 
and 
January 30, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. EST

The new, highly transmissible coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has emerged in Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Saturday, marking the second state to report a confirmed case of the mutated virus.

The Republican governor said a Maryland resident had been infected with the variant, known as B. 1351, the presence of which was confirmed by Maryland health officials and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“State health officials are closely monitoring the B. 1.351 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the state,” Hogan said in a statement. “We strongly encourage Marylanders to practice extra caution to limit the additional risk of transmission associated with this variant. Please continue to practice standard public health and safety measures, including mask-wearing, regular hand washing, and physical distancing.”

Here are some significant developments:

  • The United States is doing so little of the genetic sequencing needed to detect new variants of the coronavirus — like the ones first identified in Great Britain and South Africa — that such mutations are probably proliferating quickly, undetected, experts said.
  • Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.) has tested positive for the coronavirus shortly after receiving a second vaccine shot, according to his office.
  • Masks must be worn at train and subway stations, bus terminals and airports nationwide, as well as on planes, trains and other types of public transportation in the United States, according to a far-reaching federal public health order issued late Friday.
  • A freezer malfunction in Seattle sent staff at other medical facilities scrambling to administer hundreds of doses of the coronavirus vaccine that were set to expire early in the morning. As the deadline approached, staff and volunteers ran out to the road to give the shots.
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Here's what to know:

The United States is doing so little of the genetic sequencing needed to detect new variants of the coronavirus — like the ones first identified in Great Britain and South Africa — that such mutations are probably proliferating quickly, undetected, experts said.
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.) has tested positive for the coronavirus shortly after receiving a second vaccine shot, according to his office.
Masks must be worn at train and subway stations, bus terminals and airports nationwide, as well as on planes, trains and other types of public transportation in the United States, according to a far-reaching federal public health order issued late Friday.
A freezer malfunction in Seattle sent staff at other medical facilities scrambling to administer hundreds of doses of the coronavirus vaccine that were set to expire early in the morning. As the deadline approached, staff and volunteers ran out to the road to give the shots.

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Coronavirus: What you need to know

Where do things stand? See the latest covid numbers in the U.S. and across the world. In the U.S., pandemic trends have shifted and now White people are more likely to die from covid than Black people.

The state of public health: Conservative and libertarian forces have defanged much of the nation’s public health system through legislation and litigation as the world staggers into the fourth year of covid.

Grief and the pandemic: A Washington Post reporter covered the coronavirus — and then endured the death of her mother from covid-19. She offers a window into grief and resilience.

Would we shut down again? What will the United States do the next time a deadly virus comes knocking on the door?

Vaccines: The CDC recommends that everyone age 5 and older get an updated covid booster shot. New federal data shows adults who received the updated shots cut their risk of being hospitalized with covid-19 by 50 percent. Here’s guidance on when you should get the omicron booster and how vaccine efficacy could be affected by your prior infections.

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