Waterloo Public Health says the U.K variant of COVID-19 has reached Waterloo Region.
In a release, the agency says it was notified Thursday night by Public Health Ontario that a woman in her 30s, whose case has been resolved, was confirmed to have had the mutated form of the disease.
It says variant testing is done in addition to the initial test that determines whether someone has the coronavirus
Waterloo Public Health says it is completing a detailed investigation into the case and her contacts with regard to the U.K. variant and will share more information in the near future.
The agency says it is not surprising that the variant had arrived in the region as there have already been more than 50 cases identified across the province since it was first discovered on Boxing Day.
“We expect further cases to be identified as more variant testing is completed by Public Health Ontario,” it stated.
Researchers believe the U.K. variant is 70 per cent more contagious than other variants, though it remains uncertain whether the variant is more severe or lethal than others.
A survey by the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) released Wednesday showed that those who tested positive for the new variant were more likely to report coughing, sore throat or fatigue as symptoms of COVID-19.
— with files from Global News’ Rachel Gilmore
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