The more contagious Covid-19 variant known as P.1 has hit New York, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. The patient affected is a Brooklyn resident in their 90s with no history of travel.
It was a team of scientists at New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital that identified the presence of the variant—which was first discovered in Japan, among four Brazilian travelers. Subsequently validating the hospital’s findings was the Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center Laboratories.
“The detection of the Brazilian variant here in New York further underscores the importance of taking all the appropriate steps to continue to protect your health,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “While it’s normal for a virus to mutate, the best way to protect yourself is to continue to wear a well-fitted mask, avoid large crowds, social distance, wash your hands and get vaccinated when it’s your turn.”
While the Brazil Covid strain was first discovered in the United States toward the end of January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have subsequently reported a total of 48 cases across the nation.
Though more than five million New Yorkers have now received the Covid-19 vaccine, the news of P.1’s arrival in the state comes, with daily cases of the coronavirus increasing, as they also have been recently in 20 other states.