Massachusetts health officials on Tuesday announced that the first case of a COVID-19 variant that originated in Brazil has been detected in the Bay State.
The variant was detected in woman in her 30s who resides in Barnstable County, the health department said.
There was no further information about whether the woman had recently traveled.
Three COVID-19 variants, including the variant first identified in the United Kingdom and the variant first identified in South Africa, have been detected in Massachusetts.
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Viruses are constantly mutating, and numerous variants have emerged. Health officials are concerned about the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil variants because researchers believe they may spread more easily.
Officials say taking measures such as wearing masks, social distancing and getting tested and vaccinated are the best ways to prevent the spread of the disease.
