South Dakota Health Officials are saying that the first cases of a new United Kingdom Coronavirus variant have been detected in the state.

The Center for Disease Control explains that viruses constantly change through mutation and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Right now multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are circulating globally.

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Dakota News Now is reporting that South Dakota's Department of Health confirmed today that the B.1.1.7 variant or the“U.K. variant” have been detected in South Dakota.

As of Thursday there here have been two identified cases of the U.K variant in South Dakota. Neither patient was hospitalized, and both have since recovered.

The CDC informs that the United Kingdom identified a variant called B.1.1.7 with a large number of mutations in the fall of 2020. This variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. And this variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses. This variant was first detected in the US at the end of December 2020.

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