BOISE, Idaho — Idaho health officials have confirmed the first person in Idaho with the UK variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is an adult female who lives in Ada County.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Central District Health made the announcement just after noon Wednesday.
They say the woman traveled out of Idaho earlier this month and is believed to have been exposed during her travels. No other information about the woman or her condition are being released.
CDH says epidemiologists will identify any close contacts of the woman who were possibly exposed. Health officials will provide guidance to them and will monitor them closely for symptoms.
The UK variant is known to spread more easily and quickly than other variants. This variant was first detected in the U.S. at the end of Dec. 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 1,881 cases of the UK variant among 45 states to-date.
Idahoans are encouraged to receive the COVID-19 vaccine because there is evidence the vaccines will protect individuals from virus variants. This is being closely investigated and more studies are underway.
“As we work to offer vaccine to more Idahoans and learn more about how these variants behave, our best defense is to stay consistent with our health and safety measures. We know that the choices we’ve made in the last year to wear a face covering, keep our distance from others, wash our hands frequently, and stay home when we’re sick will serve us well in helping to protect us from these potentially more severe variants,” said Kimberly Link, Communicable Disease Control Manger with Central District Health.
Earlier this month, CDH reported the presence of the UK and California variants in wastewater samples submitted from the Boise area in late January.
And just last week, laboratory tests identified the South African variant in a southwestern Idaho man. It was the first official discovery of a variant of concern in Idaho.
A second case with the South African variant has just been identified in the state, and an investigation is ongoing. With variants of public health concern emerging in Idaho, DHW will begin reporting variant counts on its data dashboard later this week.
Idaho public health officials are actively investigating infections suspected to be caused by variants. The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories continues to expand the number of Idaho samples being sequenced to identify emerging strains and better understand how the virus is spreading in the state.
Idaho has had 313 samples sequenced as of Feb. 23.
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