South Carolina was the first state in the U.S. to have a confirmed case of a new strain of the coronavirus first found in South Africa. This week, we break down what we do and don't know about this COVID variant and what the state is doing to detect these new, faster-spreading strains.
South Carolina was the first state in the U.S. to have a confirmed case of a new strain of the coronavirus first found in South Africa.
And it wasn't just one case but two, found in different regions in the state, and health officials said the cases aren't connected.
So, what does that tell us about the prevalence of this variant in the state, and what does the presence of this strain mean for the effort to vaccinate South Carolinians against the coronavirus?
We spoke with health reporter MK Wildeman about what we do and do not yet know about this strain, which has been found to be more easily spread than earlier versions of the virus.
Projects reporter Thad Moore explained what the state is doing to identify cases of these variants and how South Carolina and the rest of the nation compare when it comes to sequencing the virus's genetic material.
And entertainment and food and beverage reporter Kalyn Oyer breaks down how a local Chick-fil-A manager helped a vaccine distribution location run as smoothly as one of one of his fast food stores during a lunch rush.
Listen now for more.
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