Brazil COVID-19 variant found in Lake County
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - The Lake County Health Department in the north suburbs has confirmed its first case of the coronavirus variant first found Brazil.
The health department said it didn’t have enough information to disclose the person’s travel history.
Health department director Mark Pfister said it was the second new variant of coronavirus to be confirmed in the county.
The "rise of these new variants could impact the progress we have made this year," Pfister said in the statement.
Other coronavirus variants include ones first identified in the United Kingdom and in South Africa.
"These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19," the health department said in its statement. "An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths."