California Variant COVID-19 Strain Found in San Diego County

SAN DIEGO (KYMA/KECY) — During Wednesday's San Diego County COVID-19 update it was announced that the more contagious COVID-19 strain or UK Coronavirus variant has been detected in San Diego.

The case was found in a 30-year-old man with no travel history. He developed symptoms on December 27 and was tested Tuesday, December 29, which showed he had the strain.

The patient is not hospitalized and contact tracing is underway. One household contact has become symptomatic and is being tested Wednesday.

"We believe this is not an isolated case in San Diego County," said San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. "There are probably other strains, other cases of the same strain in San Diego County, while it's been pointed out that there is not yet evidence that the strain has any more severe symptoms, there is significant evidence that it does spread considerably faster."

The county’s update followed a virtual conversation between Governor Newsom and Dr. Fauci Wednesday afternoon, during which Newsom said the new UK strain of the coronavirus has been found in Southern California.

"People who have been infected don't seem to get re-infected by this," said Dr. Anthony Fauci. "Meaning the immunity you get from when you get infected is protective against this new strain."

San Diego County currently has more than 152,000 COVID-19 cases, over 1,200 ICU patients and close to 1,500 deaths.