By Lindsay Walker
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

The Arizona Department of Health Services announced the discovery in a news release Friday, March 12, along with the Yuma County Public Health Services and the Translational Genomics Research Institute.

The contagious strain spreads at a faster rate than the common coronavirus, although ADHS said studies have shown that authorized vaccines are effective at preventing severe cases of the virus and deaths.

Currently, vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have been authorized for use in the U.S. and currently are being distributed in Arizona.

Holly Poynter, a spokeswoman for ADHS, said the department will update its recommendations as new information emerges regarding vaccine effectiveness against coronavirus variants.

“Vaccine companies are continuing to explore this data, and we will update our recommendations if new information emerges,” she said. “ADHS still encourages individuals to get vaccinated when eligible.”

It is not yet known how widely the new variant has spread across Arizona or how it traveled to the state. ADHS is monitoring the situation alongside several public health partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, the Brazil variant, also known as P.1, was discovered during a routine screening of four Brazilian travelers at an airport outside Tokyo. It made its way to the U.S. in late January. Approximately 25 cases of the variant, not including Arizona’s, have since been found in Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington.

Another more transmissible variant from the United Kingdom — called B.1.1.7 — was first found in Arizona on Jan. 29. According to March 11 data from the CDC, at least 39 cases of the variant have been identified in Arizona. A third mutation, which originated in South Africa, has not yet been detected in the state.

The contagious variants could lead to more coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths, the CDC says.

“It is typical for viruses to change through mutation as they continue spreading, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time,” the health department said in a statement. “Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants appear and linger.”

To help stop the spread, Arizonans have been encouraged to stay the course with mitigation efforts like social distancing and the use of face coverings.

While Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has not backed off allowing local cities and counties to require masks be worn in public, he did issue new protocols for businesses on March 5, allowing restaurants and retail establishments to move toward 100% occupancy.

“We’ve learned a lot over the past year,” he said in a statement announcing the changes. “Our businesses have done an excellent job at responding to this pandemic in a safe and responsible way. We will always admire the sacrifice they and their employees have made and their vigilance to protect against the virus.”

The challenge for those businesses is that social distancing requirements of 6 feet remain in place, rendering Gov. Ducey’s changes ineffective for many businesses.

The announcement comes as the Arizona Legislature is set to vote on House Bill 2770, which would allow businesses to ignore mask mandates issued by cities, towns or counties. The bill has already passed in the Arizona House of Representatives. The legislation has been opposed by physicians across the state, including members of the Committee to Protect Medicare.

“Allowing businesses to ignore mask mandates that continue to protect citizens of our community from COVID-19 would be reckless and quite possibly deadly,” said Dr. Cadey Harrel, CEO of Agave Community Health & Wellness in Tucson. “We have the power to end this pandemic if enough people get the vaccine as soon as they can. But with the virus mutating and becoming more contagious, rolling back the tools we know work to prevent spread would jeopardize everything we’ve worked and sacrificed for.”