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COVID-19 variant found in California, health officials say

Posted at 5:20 PM, Dec 30, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-30 18:20:33-05

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- A variant of COVID-19 first detected in the US Tuesday in Colorado has been found in San Diego County, California, health officials say.

According to County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, the case was identified in a 30-year man who was tested on December 29.

Fletcher said the man had no travel history. “We believe this is not an isolated case in San Diego County,” he continued.

Governor Gavin Newsom said during a Wednesday news conference that the variant was found in Southern California, but didn't specify a more specific area.

According to experts, the variant is no more dangerous than the original virus, but is more easily transmitted.

Dr. Anothony Fauci said Wednesday he wasn’t surprised the variant was found in the US. "I don't think Californians should feel this is something odd," Fauci said. "This is something expected."

This article was written by Zac Self for KGTV.