DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A fourth COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in Macon County.
Health officials said the latest variant discovered through laboratory testing in the county is B.1.427. Click here to learn more about the variants seen in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described variants of concern as those in “which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.”
Anyone who tests positive for any COVID-19 variant of concern is directed to complete a 10-day isolation period, the Macon County Health Department said. Close contacts will need to quarantine for a full 14-day period, as the CDC recommends.
