A San Bernardino County resident is the first in California to test positive for a coronavirus variant from Brazil, known as P.1, that is believed to be more contagious than the most common strain of the virus, officials said. San Bernardino County officials were alerted to the case Saturday by state public health officials. The P.1 variant first arrived in the U.S. in January, when a Minnesota resident fell ill after traveling to Brazil and subsequently tested positive for the strain. P.1 is distinct from another variant detected in Brazil, P.2, of which several cases have been found in California, including in late November in San Diego. San Bernardino County officials said in a news release that it’s not clear whether the P.1 variant is more resistant to COVID-19 vaccines.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 15, 2021 23:16 UTC