Fresno County health leaders closely monitoring new COVID-19 strain

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- While immoderate mightiness consciousness the COVID-19 interest has passed, a caller strain of the microorganism is presently circulating successful California, and it's getting people's attention.

"As of June 16, we noticed that the wastewater surveillance peaked precise precocious with COVID-19 strains," said Leticia Berber, a Health Educator with the Fresno County Department of Public Health. "Meaning this could beryllium the caller strain circulating present successful the community."

This latest variant, known arsenic NB 1.8.1, has Fresno County wellness leaders connected alert. The Department of Public Health says it's easy transmissible and symptoms for this peculiar strain are akin to erstwhile variants, but with 1 caller twist: precise uncomfortable pharynx pain.

"People are reporting that they person this razor-sharp symptom successful their throat," said Berber.

Public wellness officials are urging radical to get tested if they commencement feeling sick. Berber explains that COVID-19 cases thin to highest during the summer.

"Exactly why, we don't know," said Berber. "We're going to presume it's due to the fact that radical stitchery for parties. They're celebrating, the Fourth of July is coming up, schoolhouse is getting out."

Beber says astir 2% of radical successful Fresno County received the latest COVID-19 vaccine, which she adds is low. She stresses that people, particularly women who are large oregon older adults, get the latest dose to support themselves from the microorganism and debar imaginable wellness problems.

With this caller variant identified, wellness leaders are acrophobic astir however this volition interaction the flu and RSV season. The section says it volition beryllium monitoring the COVID-19 microorganism heading into the fall, particularly arsenic the upwind gets colder.

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