LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) - Another variant of the coronavirus has been found in Nebraska.
Officials said on Monday that the "New York" variant, also known as B1.526, has been identified in a Douglas County resident.
“The identified B1.526 variant has been spreading throughout the United States, specifically in the Northeast, and is still being studied to determine the level of contagiousness and severity,” state officials said in a release.
Officials said Test Nebraska and other testing providers will still produce a positive result for the New York variant and other variants, such as the California and Brazil variations that have also popped up in Nebraska.
Existing vaccines are expected to remain effective against the variants.
Nebraska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gary Anthone said, “We have continued to stress that Nebraskans cannot let up on our mitigation efforts and testing remains critical against not only the spread, but preventing another major surge of COVID-19 cases. As these variants continue to be discovered in the state, vaccinations, testing, masking, and distancing remain the best defenses we have in this fight. I strongly encourage that individuals continue to get tested, especially if they have symptoms and have not yet been vaccinated.”
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