The more contagious strain of Covid-19 is in Wisconsin now

The more contagious strain of Covid-19 first discovered in England last year has made its way to Wisconsin. Yesterday health officials documented the first case of the Covid variant in Eau Claire County.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that so far there's just one confirmed case of the new strain in the state, reported in a person who had recently traveled internationally.

The new Covid-19 variant is not believed to cause more severe symptoms or a higher risk of death than the previous strain. But because it's so much more contagious, health officials warn, it could result in exponentially more deaths than even a strain of the virus that was deadlier but less contagious, since it could infect many more people.

The mathematical models that explain why are illustrated in the tweets below.

The good news is experts believe current vaccines will be effective against the new strain. And transmission of the new strain can be limited by the same best practices that health experts have been sharing since last spring: stay home when you can, limit exposure to people outside your household, wear a mask, wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face.

Wisconsin's Covid-19 death toll continues to climb. Yesterday the state reported another 37 deaths from the virus, bringing the total up to 5,248.