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Covid-19: Three New Cases Of More Contagious 'Super Strain' Of Virus Confirmed In NY

Three new cases of the COVID-19 variant so-called "Super Strain" that is said to be approximately 70 percent more contagious have now been confirmed in New York.

COVID-19

COVID-19

Photo Credit: Pixabay/dianakuehn30010

That brings to four the total number now reported in the state.

One of the new cases is on Long Island, in Nassau County. That case is a 64-year-old Massapequa man, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday, Jan. 9.

The other two new cases are related to the state's first case - a Saratoga Springs man in his 60s who had been symptomatic and is now feeling better. That case was reported on Mondy, Jan. 4.

The man works at  N. Fox Jewelers on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, which has been closed since Thursday, Dec. 24.

The case in Nassau County appears unrelated to the three cases in Saratoga Springs, Cuomo said.

The four New York cases were sequenced through the state Department of Health's Wadsworth Laboratory, which has analyzed more than 2,200 viral sequences as part of the state's UK strain testing program.

In the United States, a total of 55 cases of the "Super Strain" have now been confirmed in approximately eight states.

"The UK strain is here, it is real, and the Usain Bolt-like speed through which it spreads is nothing short of frightening," Cuomo said. "There's no mystery as to how it got here - it got on a plane and flew here from Europe, just like the original strain did. 

"Yet, the federal government continues to refuse to learn from the spring and mandate testing for all international travelers. Their failure to act means the rest of us need to be that much more vigilant in our work to stop the spread, as well as do all we can to accelerate the distribution of the vaccine. 

"In the meantime, Wadsworth Lab will continue to aggressively sequence samples from around the state, so that any more instances of the UK strain can be identified, and immediately contained and contact traced."s."

The first case in the United States was identified in Colorado on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 29.

The strain was discovered in the United Kingdom before spreading to other European nations.

The UK variant has also been detected in Canada as well as Australia. 

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