Variant B.1.1.7 Virus Identified In Northwest Virginia

A case of the SARS-COV-2 variant B.1.1.7 virus has been identified in a sample from an adult in Northwest Virginia after recently returning from International travel. The B.1.1.7, which first evolved in the United Kingdom in late 2020 is associated with increased person to person transmission of COVID-19.Preliminary reports show the variant causes more severe illness than other variants, but more studies are needed to confirm the findings.