WOODSTOCK — The McHenry County Department of Health is announcing that it has identified its first case of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) variant B.1.1.7, known as the U.K. variant, in McHenry County.
A case investigation is ongoing, but the person who tested positive for the variant does not have a history of international travel.
The B.1.1.7 variant was first identified in the United Kingdom and has already been reported in other Northern Illinois counties, including Cook, DuPage, Lake and Lee. Currently, it is the most commonly reported variant in Illinois.
“We announced our first COVID-19 positive case in March of last year, and we are again announcing something that is new and will require additional research to fully understand this strain of the virus. However, it is not uncommon for viruses to mutate. In the case of this particular variant, it is known to spread more easily,” said MCHD Public Health Nursing Director Susan Karras. “This reinforces the need to continue to wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance, even if you’ve received a vaccine.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, experts in the United Kingdom reported in January that the U.K. variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, but more studies are needed to confirm their finding.
Early indications are that the COVID-19 vaccine offers protection against the B.1.1.7 variant but vaccine efficacy against this new variant is preliminary and evolving.
To keep community transmission low, anyone who is considered a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19 should follow quarantine recommendations and seek testing. Anyone who tests positive for the virus must isolate in their home and from others in their household, follow recommendations from their primary care provider and take the call from the MCDH case investigator and contact tracer.
For general information about COVID-19, please call the Illinois Department of Public Health COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931. For information about COVID-19 vaccine distribution or other general questions specific to McHenry County, please visit mcdh.info or call (815) 334-4045.
