April 15, 2021 – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Macon County Health Department (MCHD) have identified one additional COVID-19 variant strain of concern, B.1.427, in Macon County through laboratory testing. This variant was first identified in California and has a 20% increased transmissibility.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), variants of concern are those in “which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (increased hospitalizations or deaths), a significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.”
Persons who test positive for any of the COVID-19 variants of concern will be directed to complete an isolation period of ten days, while their close contacts should quarantine for the full fourteen-day period, as recommended by the CDC.
