Additional Variants Identified in L.A. County; Vaccines Effective in Reducing Infection Against Variants

Variant cases of COVID-19 continue to be identified in Los Angeles County. The most common circulating variant of concern in L.A. County is now the UK variant (B.1.1.7); in the past, the California (B.1.427/429) variants have been dominant. Of the 40 specimens analyzed by the L.A. County Public Health Laboratory in the past week, 53% were the UK variant and none were the California variant. The lab also detected 6 Brazil (P.1) variants last week and one South African variant (B.1.351). 

The identification of these variants and the news of spreading variants from across the globe highlights the need for L.A. County residents to continue to take measures to protect themselves and others: this is particularly true for those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 who can end up unknowingly being incubators of variants of concern. If you are not yet vaccinated or unable to get vaccinated, it is very important that you continue to wear a mask and maintain 6 feet of distance when around others not in your household and consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can. 

Recent research findings provide added evidence that the currently available vaccines appear to be highly effective against the variants of concern that are circulating here now. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control or CDC showed that over the last few months, during a period when the current viral variants have been circulating widely, vaccines reduced the risk of getting sick with COVID-19 by 94% among fully vaccinated healthcare workers.