Two Pender County residents test positive for UK COVID-19 variant

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The UK variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Pender County. This strain isn’t believed to cause more serious complications from COVID-19, but it is more contagious.

The B117 variant was first identified in the United Kingdom in December.

Pender County Health Director Carolyn Moser said the state lab notified them Wednesday that two residents had tested positive for the new strain.

Both have already recovered.

Moser said they had not traveled to any foreign countries and do not know where they could have come in contact with it.

Their only symptoms were severe fatigue.

“The US has known for a long time that we’ve had different variants in the county,” Moser said. “NC knew it was only going to be a matter of time before they started seeing them.”

Health officials remind you the 3Ws – wear a mask, wash your hands, and wait 6 feet apart.