The Shiawassee County Health Department has confirmed its first case of the Delta COVID-19 variant.
The health department made the announcement on social media Thursday night.
The Delta variant, which is now the most prominent strain in the United States, first emerged in India in October 2020 and became a major driver of a second wave of coronavirus infections there.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the variant has increased transmissibility, causes more severe illness and potentially reduces the efficacy of antibody treatments.
Michigan has reported more than 67 known cases of the Delta variant to date.
As of July 27, the state health department had confirmed 1,762 new cases of COVID-19 in Michigan between Saturday, July 24 and Tuesday, July 27.
