In The Star Tribune, Christopher Snowbeck writes “Minnesota reported Saturday (Jan 9) its first cases of a new variant of the pandemic coronavirus, a strain that has stoked worldwide concern for apparently spreading more quickly than others.”

According to the state’s director of infectious diseases, Kris Ehresmann, the variant strain is not thought to be more virulent than those that have been widely circulating in Minnesota, the Tribune reports.

It’s important to note that this variant strain of the virus has been found in other states in the U.S., so we were expecting to find the virus in Minnesota. Knowing that it is now here does not change our current public health recommendations. While it is thought to be more easily spread from one person to another, it has not been found to cause more serious disease. With RNA viruses, like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, it is not unexpected to see new, more successful strains emerge.

Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist in a statement (source: The Star Tribune)

Dr Michael Osterholm of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, told reporters ‘its arrival in Minnesota is not surprising, but it is troubling since it raises the potential for more spread’.

“It should be a red alert to localities that this variant is now here, and we have to be even more concerned about its potential to cause more infections and what that will do to our health care system. This will just add to the capacity challenges we’ve already had.”

• Minnesota reports first cases of coronavirus variant
• Minnesota health officials confirm five cases of coronavirus variant in Twin Cities

In the MPR News, Andrew Krueger writes that accordig to the state health officials “the five cases come from four different counties in the metro area, from people ages 15 to 37. The onset of their illnesses was between Dec. 16 and Dec. 31. Two of the people reported international travel, one did not, and travel histories of the other two are not yet known.”

“MDH epidemiologists are re-interviewing the cases to gather more information about how they were likely exposed and who their close contacts were. That investigation is continuing.”

“The fact that the variant strain is thought to be more contagious, but not more virulent, than the viral strains currently in wide circulation in Minnesota reinforces the importance of wearing a mask, social distancing outside your home and quarantining if you’ve been exposed to a positive case. This virus makes it really hard for people to know whether they or the person next to them is infected – whether this strain or another strain – so we all need to do our part to protect ourselves and each other.”

Kris Ehresmann, state infectious disease director (source: MPR News)

MPR News writes quoting Kris Ehresmann that ‘preliminary findings show the current COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the variant, which was first detected in the U.K. in September’.