Wisconsin Department of Health Services Adds COVID Variant Information to Dashboard

Friday, April 9th, 2021 -- 11:01 AM

(WMTV) As COVID-19 variant cases continue to spread around Wisconsin, the state’s COVID-19 dashboard has added new information to detail where these strains are detected.

The Department of Health Services updated their COVID-19 dashboard Thursday, showing COVID-19 variant proportions by its Health Care Emergency Readiness Coalition (HERC) region.

DHS also added in data on two variant strains that were upgraded from variants of interest to variants of concern on March 17, strains B.1.427 and B.1.429.

Both of these strain were originally discovered in California, and were first identified in Wisconsin in December of 2020.  The agency hopes the improvements to its COVID-19 dashboard will provide a better perspective on how common each variant of concern is regionally.

The updates include the proportion of the sequenced specimen that are attributed to each variant strain, as well as information on the variants.  Studies have shown that the current vaccines available will provide protection against COVID-19 variants, DHS adds, but this is still being investigated.

Health officials urge the public to continue wearing masks in public, social distancing and staying home when you are sick.

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