First U.S. Coronavirus Variant Case Is Colorado Guardsman Working at Assisted Living Community

The Colorado State Laboratory said Wednesday that the first U.S, case of someone testing positive for the COVID-19 variant is a National Guard personnel working at an assisted living community in Simla, Colo., reports KDVR . A second possible variant case — also a Guardsman working at the same place — is in the same county. The variant is considered more contagious than previously identified strains, but the currently approved vaccines are believed to be effective against it. The National Guard personnel did not arrive at the community until Dec. 23. The confirmed case is quarantining at home in Elbert County, while the other possible case is isolating at a hotel in Lincoln County. Additional testing is currently underway to determine if the variant is spreading in the assisted living community, and authorities are also contact tracing to ascertain who else may have been infected.