February 5, 2021
From Allegany County:
COVID-19 UK Variant Case Found in Allegany County
Allegany County has its first case of the United Kingdom (UK) variant of COVID-19. The variant was found in a student who traveled here from another part of New York State. The student who tested positive was already isolated and the contact tracing was completed even prior to finding out from the random sampling conducted through the Wadsworth Center.
The New York State Department of Health says public health experts are working to better understand the potential impacts of this variant including how the variant spreads and how it affects people who are infected with it. Some of the other counties in New York State with a case of the UK variant of COVID-19 include Essex, Long Island, Niagara, Warren, Westchester, Onondaga, Saratoga, Tompkins, and New York City.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the UK variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants, but right now there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness or increased risk of death.
For more information about COVID-19, go to the Allegany County website at www.alleganyco.com; the New York State Department of Health website at https://health.ny.gov/ or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov .
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Statement From St James Hospital Emergency Room Head Doctor, Dr John Robshaw: “There are several new variants, and some sub variants. They seem to be more infectious but not necessarily more dangerous. Early indications are that the COVID immunization works for them too. The precautions for the new variants are the same: social distance from people you don’t live with, wear a mask, and wash your hands often.”
