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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii health officials on Monday reported the presence of the latest variant of COVID in the islands.
The DOH said routine genome sequencing surveillance conducted by the Division of State Laboratories discovered the B.1.617.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 – also known as the Delta variant – in an individual. of Oahu.
Officials said the person was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before traveling to Nevada in early May, around the time the variant was reported in that state.
When the person returned to Hawaii with a negative COVID test, the DOH said the person started to experience mild symptoms and then tested positive. This person and his close contacts have been quarantined.
Officials said there was no sign of home transmission or that secondary cases had been reported.
The Delta variant, which was first reported in India, now accounts for about 6% of all cases in the United States, health officials said.
“Early evidence suggests that the Delta variant may spread faster than other strains of SARS-CoV-2,” said Edward Desmond, administrator of the state laboratories division. “There are reports that the Delta variant produces a higher rate of severe illness than the original COVID-19, but we do not yet have enough evidence to support this conclusion. “
The variant is of concern to the CDC, and the DOH is working with other states to learn more about it. And although vaccinations are not 100% effective in preventing transmission, authorities still encourage the public to receive their doses.
“Vaccines not only help protect against infection, but also against serious illness,” said state health director Dr Elizabeth Char. “Although this was one of those very rare revolutionary cases in which the vaccine did not prevent infection, the infected person did not suffer from serious illness.”
State laboratories are continuing their routine monitoring of genome sequencing.
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