California health officials are warning that a new coronavirus variant, 452R, is being increasingly found throughout the state. It is unclear whether it is more transmissible than other variants and is different from the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the UK.
The variant has shown up increasingly in CA since November and has been identified in several large outbreaks in Santa Clara County. “The fact that this variant was identified in several large outbreaks in our county is a red flag,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the county's health officer
Santa Clara County has found that the 452R variant was present in specimens from large outbreaks where very high numbers of people exposed contracted the virus. Analysis regarding the role of this and other variants in outbreaks is ongoing, officials say.
In addition to Santa Clara, the 452R variant has been detected in Humboldt, Lake, Los Angeles, Mono, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Francisco, San Bernardino, San Diego and San Luis Obispo counties, officials say.
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