A new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 has appeared in Michigan. Ingham County’s top health official is urging residents not to let their guard down.
The new coronavirus variant was detected in a Washtenaw County woman over the weekend. She had recently traveled to the United Kingdom, where the strain was first discovered.
Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail says there’s no change in how the new strain is transmitted, by droplets and aerosol, and the prevention advice we’ve been getting will continue to work. She explains that "the degree to which we get adherence to mask wearing, avoiding social gatherings, distancing, all of those things we've been talking about, will protect us from that as well."
As of Tuesday, there have been 229 COVID-19 deaths reported in Ingham County, 34 so far in January.