First Death Involving New Coronavirus Variant Case In NJ

NEW JERSEY — The more-contagious COVID-19 virus variant is now spreading in New Jersey, and one person has died.

State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli revealed the death Wednesday during a news conference, adding that the victim had "significant underlying conditions."

"It's more important than ever with the variant to continue to mask up, social distance, stay home when you're sick," Persichilli said.

State officials say the variant is faster-spreading and some studies have shown that the disease is possibly more lethal but that data is "soft" at this point.

"It’s certainly worrisome, but I think the jury is out on that," said Eddy Bresnitz, a COVID-19 adviser for New Jersey.

State officials are still monitoring the spread, reporting six new cases. Four of those were reported in Ocean County, with an additional two cases in Essex and Morris counties.

One person who tested positive has traveled internationally, Persichilli said.

Right now, New Jersey has only the one variant that originated in the United Kingdom. Other variants that have been identified from other countries haven't been diagnosed in New Jersey.

Officials are working to update to the COVID-19 dashboard in order to report cases of this strain daily.

Gov. Phil Murphy has cited the new variant as a big reason why New Jersey and the nation need to move more quickly on vaccine distribution. Read more: NJ Gets $216M In Feds' 16 Percent COVID Vaccine Boost: Here's Why

Bresnitz said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has "geared up" on testing for variants. The agency has partnered with colleges and state laboratories — including in New Jersey — to gain samples on a weekly basis.

"It's a pretty complex system that they've launched at this point, and we're part of that," said Bresnitz.

The first case was reported last week and involved an Ocean County resident in his 60s who had no travel history or clear exposure to others who were ill.

The man developed symptoms that were compatible with COVID-19 on Dec. 29, and he was tested with a PCR test on Jan. 6 at a commercial lab, Persichilli said.

The symptoms have since "resolved," and the man was never hospitalized, she said.

The other variant case reported last week involved a young traveler staying in North Jersey who tested in New York City on Jan. 11. The person was asymptomatic.

The variant, first seen in the United Kingdom, is about 50 percent more contagious than the "wild-type" virus being seen, according to David Cennimo, a pediatric infectious disease expert and assistant professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

There are other variants in South Africa, Brazil and possibly in the United States, but that data is still being gathered. None have been reported in New Jersey as of Wednesday, Bresnitz said.

More recently, novel variants are being reported developing within the United States as would also be expected, Cennimo said.

The variant spreads faster but does not present itself as more virulent, and there is no evidence that it makes people sicker. The current vaccines are effective against the variant, officials said.

Murphy has said this was an expected development, but he's said the variant's presence reinforces the need to improve the federal government's vaccine distribution.

"We've been operating under the assumption that it is here, and this is confirmation of that," Murphy said. "And that number is only going to go up."

Murphy has urged residents this week to take precautions and continue to wear masks and social distance since the new variant is "significantly more contagious" than the coronavirus strain that arrived in the United States last year.

In the United Kingdom, lockdowns have recently been imposed to combat the new variant's spread.

This article originally appeared on the Wayne Patch