TAMPA (WFLA) – The Centers for Disease Control says Florida now leads the United States in known cases of a mutated and likely more contagious strain of the coronavirus.
The variant that emerged in Britain was detected in a Martin County man in his 20s on New Year’s Eve.
The CDC says Florida now has 46 cases of the mutated virus with California having 40 cases. Across the nation, there are 122 cases.
As this virus is replicating, mutations are happening. This is normal, scientists expect thousands and thousands of mutations but only a very small number of them are likely to change the virus in a substantial way.
The new strain has approximately 20 mutations.
