PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) –The South Dakota Department of Health (SD-DOH) can confirm that the P.1 variant (the ‘Brazil variant”) of COVID-19 has been detected in South Dakota.
The findings were verified by an out-of-state commercial laboratory, and while only one case of the variant has been identified in Pennington County, it is safe to assume other cases may exist.
“We are closely monitoring this development and would like to use this opportunity to encourage state residents to get vaccinated as it’s the best way to be protected—and have proven nearly 100% effective against hospitalization and death,” said Daniel Bucheli, SD-DOH Communications Director. “With more access points than ever, it’s critical to protect yourself, your family, and our communities.”
Existing concerns of the variant appearing in the Great Plains region is that the P.1 variant may impact the effectiveness of currently available COVID-19 vaccines, and negatively impact the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody therapy, which are used in treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals. South Dakota joins Minnesota which has identified 5 cases and Nebraska with 2 cases.
The P.1 variant was first detected in the U.S. in January 2021 and was identified in travelers from Brazil. For additional information on all the variants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here.
For latest news and COVID-19 available resources in South Dakota, visit DOH.SD.GOV.
(The S.D. Dept. of Health contributed this report/news release.)
