At least 45 people in Michigan have tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 in 10 counties. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun in the state’s chief medical executive and says that will be going up.
“While this variant first appeared in the U.K., the cases we are seeing in Michigan have not all been associated with someone who had a history of traveling, which means the variant is likely in the general community,” says Khaldun.
“This variant is more easily spread from person to person, meaning if we are not vigilant we could see a rise in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths similar to what they saw in the U.K.”
Khaldun says the good news is we know it can be dealt with by washing hands, social distancing, and getting vaccinated.
