DHS launches web page with variant data
MADISON, Wis. – A year ago, the coronavirus pandemic turned everyone’s lives upside-down. Now the coronavirus is flipping the script again in the form of variants.
States including Michigan, Minnesota and Florida are seeing a significant uptick in variant cases.
This week, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services launched a new web page with data specific to coronavirus variants in the state. On Friday, DHS reported the first case of a third variant strain, P.1, which originated out of Brazil.
DHS and laboratory partners detected a new variant strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in Wisconsin….
Posted by Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Friday, March 26, 2021
Cases of the B.1.1.7 variant out of the UK and the B.1.351 out of South Africa had already been reported in the state. As of Friday afternoon, Wisconsin had identified 78 cases of the UK variant and two cases of the South African variant.
That represents just a fraction of the actual number of variant cases throughout the state. A small percent of coronavirus samples undergo genome sequencing to determine if they’re variants. In Dane County, about 5% of samples are sequenced.
“That is more than most other places in Wisconsin,” said Brittany Grogan, a data analyst with Public Health Madison & Dane County.
She said that less than 20 cases in Dane County have been identified as variant strains, estimated to make up anywhere between 1 to 24% of total cases, though it’s hard to get a precise range. PHMDC reports it’s not likely that variants are currently predominant in the county. If they become more common, however, that may up the threshold for herd immunity in the county, and thus how quickly restrictions will be loosened.
“We know that B.1.1.7 in particular is more transmissible,” Grogan said. “There are some concerns it could have a slightly increased lethality as well.”
“We know these variants are particularly infectious, and we’re seeing in places younger people suffering from higher levels of infection,” said DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk. “So we are watching the number of cases very, very closely.”
Grogan said the variants will likely continue to increase as long as COVID-19 is around, meaning everyone should keep up the same precautions such as distancing and masking.
DHS is cautioning against spring break travel.
“We don’t want to be bringing variants into Wisconsin that could spread to other folks when you come back who are still susceptible,” Willems Van Dijk said. “We need to get these vaccine levels up a little higher before we risk bringing further disease into our state that will increase risk for those not yet vaccinated.”
Though it’s unknown how effective vaccines are against variants, Grogan said it’s likely they still provide good protection.
“We have almost 90% of our population over 65 with at least one vaccine dose, so even if we do get a higher proportion of B.1.1.7 circulating in our community, that hopefully will not translate to increased hospitalizations and deaths,” Grogan said.
DHS is working with the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and other partners to expand sequencing to identify variants.
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