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Could newly discovered strain of COVID-19 already be in the Pittsburgh area?

PITTSBURGH — Now that a new variant of COVID-19 first discovered in the UK is now confirmed in the United States, could it be in the Pittsburgh area? One infectious disease doctor said there’s no reason to think it’s not already here.

“I suspect that no matter what city you ask me, there is a non-zero chance it’s there,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja. “We know there likely is some level of circulation because the people who got it in Colorado and California didn’t travel, which tells you they got it from someone else, which tells you there is community transmission.”

While the new variant hasn’t been found in Pennsylvania yet, UPMC officials said they are testing samples of COVID-19 to see if the strain has made its way here. But Adalja said to research a strain of virus is incredibly complex.

“It requires sophisticated laboratory analysis and people are looking through those sequences to see if there are more cases,” he said. “It wouldn’t be surprising to pop up anywhere you actually systematically look for it.”

Adalja said he believes the vaccines already being distributed will work against this strain of the virus, but people still need to be careful.

“I don’t think the general public needs to be super concerned about this variant. They need to continue what they are doing. We know social distancing and wearing a mask and washing hands, that will take care of this and any other variant,” he said.