MAKE REALITY SAFER. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH THE CORONAVIRUS THE SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT OF COVID-19 HAS EMERGED NOW IN THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH CAROLINA IS THE FIRST STATE TO HAVE A POSITIVE CASE OUR NOLAN BLAIR JOINS US LIVE IN GREENVILLE AFTER SPEAKING TO A DOCTOR ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS MOVING FORWARD NOLAN MICHAEL AND CAROL THERE HAVE BEEN TWO DOCUMENTED CASES OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN COVID-19 VARIANT ONE IN THE LOWCOUNTRY THE OTHER IN THE PD HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. IT IS COMMON FOR VIRUSES TO GO THROUGH CHANGES THAT RESULT IN THE NEW VERSION OF THEMSELVES, WHICH IS CALLED A VARIANT. WE ARE TOLD THE TWO CASES OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN COVID-19 VARIANT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WERE REPORTED IN ADULTS AND ARE NOT CONNECTED. DHEC SAYS AT THIS TIME, THERE IS NO KNOWN TRAVEL HISTORY OTHER STATES SEEN HERE IN ORANGE HAVE FOUND CASES OF VARIANTS THAT ORIGINATED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE SOUTH AFRICA VARIANT IS NOT RELATED TO THE UNITED KINGDOM VARIANT. THE TWO VERY DIFFERENT BOTH SPREAD EASIER AND QUICKER THAN THE CURRENT SARS COVEY TO VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19. BUT NEITHER CAUSES MORE SEVERE ILLNESS DHEC SAID EXPERTS AGREE THAT EXISTING VACCINES WORK TO PROTECT US FROM THESE VARIANTS, EVEN IF WE DON’T KNOW PRECISELY HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE. IT’S DEFINITELY A GOOD IDEA THAT CAN TAKE YOU TO GET VACCINATED. DR. NANCY PATEL A CRITICAL-CARE LUNG SPECIALIST IN LAURENS COUNTY SAYS THE CURRENT COVID-19 VACCINES WILL STILL CREATE SOME FORM OF IMMUNITY IF THERE’S A MUTATION AND JUST A SMALL AREA. WILL YOU STILL HAVE HAVE ANTIBODIES TO ALL THE OTHER AREAS? IS OF THAT VIRUS SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO STILL COMBAT THE VIRUS OR NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMS AND FOR THOSE WHO’VE ALREADY HAD COVID-19 PATEL SAYS YOU HAVE SOME FORM OF IMMUNITY TO BUT IT DEPENDS ON HOW LONG THE IMMUNITY LAST. IS IT LASTING JUST A FEW MONTHS AS IT LASTING A YEAR ALL OF THAT. ONCE AGAIN, WE’RE STI TRYING TO FIGURE OUT DR. PATIL STILL ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO SOCIALLY DISTANT SOCIALLY DISTANCE IN TO CONTINUE TO WEAR MASKS FOR NOW L
First known US cases of the South African COVID-19 variant have been found in South Carolina
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Updated: 11:09 PM EST Jan 28, 2021
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced Thursday the detection of two cases associated with the SARS-CoV-2 variant that first emerged recently in South Africa. These are the first two cases of this variant in the United States. South Carolina public health officials said they were notified late Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of a South Carolina sample that was tested at LabCorp and determined to be the B.1.351 variant originally identified in South Africa. MORE NEWS: More than 200 new COVID-19 deaths reported Thursday in SC, including pediatric death in Upstate 6 dead, others injured after liquid nitrogen leak at Georgia poultry plant, officials saySouth Carolina Senate passes bill outlawing most abortionsSmoke fills downtown Greenville church sanctuary after small fire, fire chief saysBomb threat at Greenville Downtown Airport came in through faxMedical facility that gave COVID-19 vaccines to teachers early says supply has been cut for 6 monthsUpstate high school teachers, staff accidentally given COVID-19 vaccineAlso, DHEC's Public Health Laboratory tested samples on Jan. 25 and Wednesday identified a separate case of the same variant. Since June 2020, DHEC's Public Health Laboratory has been performing tests of random samples in order to identify any instances of the variant viruses. Watch the full news conference below: DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory will continue to conduct this important sampling to identify any other changes in the virus.DHEC said experts agree that existing vaccines work to protect us from this variant, even if we don’t know precisely how effective they are. Dr. Nancy Patel, a critical care lung specialist in Laurens County, said the current COVID-19 vaccines will still create some form of immunity."If there's a mutation in just a small area, well, you still have antibodies to all the other areas of that virus," Patel said. "So you should be able to still combat the virus or not have as significant symptoms."For those who've already had COVID-19, Patel says you have some form of immunity too, but it's uncertain for how long. "It depends on how long the immunity last," Patel said. "Is it lasting just a few months, is it lasting a year, all of that once again, we're still trying to figure out."At this time, there’s no evidence to suggest that the B.1.351 variant causes more severe illness, DHEC said. “The arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 variant in our state is an important reminder to all South Carolinians that the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Interim Public Health Director. “While more COVID-19 vaccines are on the way, supplies are still limited. Every one of us must recommit to the fight by recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together.”At this point in time, there is no known travel history and no connection between these two cases, DHEC said. DHEC said both are adults; one from the Lowcountry and one from the Pee Dee region.The B.1.351 variant has been identified in more than 30 countries but these are the first cases of this variant identified in the United States. Other states have had cases of another, called B.1.1.7, originally identified in the United Kingdom. Both variants originally detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa spread easier and quicker than the majority of SARS-CoV-2 variants. The South Africa and United Kingdom variants emerged independently from each other and have different characteristics. Most variants do not change how the virus behaves and many disappear.“We know that viruses mutate to live and live to mutate,” Traxler said. “That’s why it’s critical that we all continue to do our part by taking small actions that make a big difference. These include wearing our masks, staying at least six feet apart from others, avoiding large crowds, washing our hands, getting tested often, and when we can, getting vaccinated. These are the best tools for preventing the spread of the virus, no matter the strain.” DHEC, in coordination with the CDC, will continue to watch out for COVID-19 variants. Public health officials will provide more information as it becomes available.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced Thursday the detection of two cases associated with the SARS-CoV-2 variant that first emerged recently in South Africa. These are the first two cases of this variant in the United States.
South Carolina public health officials said they were notified late Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of a South Carolina sample that was tested at LabCorp and determined to be the B.1.351 variant originally identified in South Africa.
MORE NEWS:
Also, DHEC's Public Health Laboratory tested samples on Jan. 25 and Wednesday identified a separate case of the same variant.
Since June 2020, DHEC's Public Health Laboratory has been performing tests of random samples in order to identify any instances of the variant viruses.
Watch the full news conference below:
DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory will continue to conduct this important sampling to identify any other changes in the virus.
DHEC said experts agree that existing vaccines work to protect us from this variant, even if we don’t know precisely how effective they are.
Dr. Nancy Patel, a critical care lung specialist in Laurens County, said the current COVID-19 vaccines will still create some form of immunity.
"If there's a mutation in just a small area, well, you still have antibodies to all the other areas of that virus," Patel said. "So you should be able to still combat the virus or not have as significant symptoms."
For those who've already had COVID-19, Patel says you have some form of immunity too, but it's uncertain for how long.
"It depends on how long the immunity last," Patel said. "Is it lasting just a few months, is it lasting a year, all of that once again, we're still trying to figure out."
At this time, there’s no evidence to suggest that the B.1.351 variant causes more severe illness, DHEC said.
“The arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 variant in our state is an important reminder to all South Carolinians that the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Interim Public Health Director. “While more COVID-19 vaccines are on the way, supplies are still limited. Every one of us must recommit to the fight by recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together.”
At this point in time, there is no known travel history and no connection between these two cases, DHEC said. DHEC said both are adults; one from the Lowcountry and one from the Pee Dee region.
The B.1.351 variant has been identified in more than 30 countries but these are the first cases of this variant identified in the United States. Other states have had cases of another, called B.1.1.7, originally identified in the United Kingdom. Both variants originally detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa spread easier and quicker than the majority of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
The South Africa and United Kingdom variants emerged independently from each other and have different characteristics. Most variants do not change how the virus behaves and many disappear.
“We know that viruses mutate to live and live to mutate,” Traxler said. “That’s why it’s critical that we all continue to do our part by taking small actions that make a big difference. These include wearing our masks, staying at least six feet apart from others, avoiding large crowds, washing our hands, getting tested often, and when we can, getting vaccinated. These are the best tools for preventing the spread of the virus, no matter the strain.”
DHEC, in coordination with the CDC, will continue to watch out for COVID-19 variants. Public health officials will provide more information as it becomes available.
