New 'double mutant' COVID-19 variant identified in Northern California

The double mutant COVID-19 variant started in India's largest city known as Mumbai.

A double mutant coronavirus variant now in northern northern california..

Action news now reporter dani masten spoke with an infections expert and joins us in the studio.

Debbie - take a look at this map.

The double mutant variant started in india's largest city - here in mumbai.

Doctors recently found the first u.s. case of this variant in a patient in san fransisco.

This double variant has both the california and south africa strains combined.

I spoke with dr. troy cline - a virologist who is a professor at chico state and asked if we could see this variant come here.

Oh yea, sure.

I know butte county is doing genome survey links.

So virus isoletes are being collected from patients.

They are doing full genome surveillance on some isolates that are collected from patients.

They are able to determine and will be able to determine which variants are showing up in chico.

I agree that we will see it here in chico like we have seen the some of the other strains come into our community.

Cline tells action news now this variant is so new they're still working to figure out if its more contagious or causes a more severe case of covid 19.

He says they're working to see if and how the two different mutations will interact when they are put in the same virus.

Dani - do we know if the california variant or the south africa variant has shown to be more infectious or cause a more severe case of the virus?

Good question debbie...the california variant has been believed to be more infectious and might reinfect people already vaccinated - but possibly to a lesser extent.

Thank you dani...