AUGUSTA — The B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus better known to the world as COVID-19, has been detected in Maine, according to a Wednesday afternoon announcement from the Maine CDC. 

The individual is a full-time resident of Franklin County, according to the Maine CDC, and has a history of traveling internationally. Maine CDC’s case investigation is ongoing, and close contacts are being identified and will be required to quarantine.

The individual developed symptoms in early February and tested positive for COVID-19. A sample was sent to an independent laboratory as part of Maine CDC's process to identify potential COVID-19 variants. The Maine CDC was notified of the results Wednesday morning.

In the United Kingdom the B.1.1.7 variant emerged with a large number of mutations, and has since been detected in numerous countries around the world, including the United States, according to the U.S. CDC. 

In January 2021, scientists from UK reported evidence, the U.S. CDC reported, suggesting the B.1.1.7 variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared with other variants, though the U.S. CDC cautioned more studies are needed to confirm this finding. 

The variant, more commonly referred to as the U.K. variant, is now present in 35 states. As of Tuesday, there have been 932 reported cases in the United States of the B.1.1.7 variant. 

Many of the cases, according to the U.S. CDC, are in Florida where there are 343 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant. California has the second most amount of cases with 156, while New York has the third most with 59. 

The variant is more transmissible, and may lead to more severe illness, according to Dr. Nirav Shah, the Director of the Maine CDC. 

“We have been on the lookout for this and other variants by conducting genomic sequencing on positive samples,” Dr. Shah said. “It does not change our bedrock prevention principles: wear a mask, physically distance, and avoid crowds.” 

Earlier this week, the New York Times reported Feb. 7 the B.1.1.7 variant has been doubling roughly every 10 days, according to a study that has yet to be peer-reviewed. 

The researchers predicted “that in a month this variant could become predominant in the United States, potentially bringing a surge of new cases and increased risk of death,” according to the Times report. 

Other variants are the B.1.351 variant, better known as the South African variant, and the P.1 variant, better known as the Brazilian variant. The B.1.351 variant has been identified six times in Maryland, twice in South Carolina and once in Virginia. The P.1 variant has been identified twice in Minnesota and once in Oklahoma. 

Testing for the B.1.1.7 variant and other variants has been ongoing in Maine in collaboration with clinical diagnostic laboratories, including The Jackson Laboratory and the U.S. CDC. Testing consists of conducting genomic sequencing on a portion of COVID-19 positive test samples in Maine.

Public health experts expect that existing COVID-19 diagnostic tests will continue to detect variants of the virus. Scientific evidence suggests that currently available vaccines are effective against the B.1.1.7 variant. Given the increased transmissibility of this variant and the number of states and other countries that have found cases, more cases may be identified in Maine

At this time, the measures to protect public health remain the same. Maine people must continue to: wear masks when out in public; stay at least six feet away from others; avoid gatherings; stay home when sick; wash hands frequently; and get tested if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or are identified as a close contact.