PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — A coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom has been found in three Rhode Island patients, the state Department of Health announced Tuesday.
The variant was identified Thursday in one patient in their 60s, one in their 50s, and one in their 20s, the agency said in a statement.
Dr. James McDonald, medical director for the state Department of Health, said the cases are still under investigation, but stressed confirmation of the virus in the state isn’t surprising.
The variant has been identified in about 40 other states, including neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut, which have each reported dozens of cases.
The variant is considered more contagious, and maybe even be more lethal, than the strain that has been predominant in Rhode Island.
Some medical experts have predicted the UK variant would become the predominant strain in the area by next month, but McDonald cautioned it was too soon to tell.
He said current treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 will work against the variant and encouraged residents to start using higher quality face masks as an additional preventative measure.
McDonald also added that other virus variants from Brazil and South Africa have so far not been detected in Rhode Island.