COLUMBIA, S.C. — The first known case of the U.K.-based variant of the coronavirus has been discovered in South Carolina, state health officials said Saturday.
According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, the agency was notified Friday that a sample from an adult in the Lowcountry “with an international travel history” had tested positive for the variant, which has been identified in many countries.
A total of 434 cases of the variant had been reported in the U.S. as of Friday evening, officials said.
Earlier this week, health officials announced that the first two U.S. cases of a South African coronavirus variant had been reported in South Carolina. According to experts, both variants spread more easily and quickly than other coronavirus variants.
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