Colorado identifies first known case of UK coronavirus variant in US

A Colorado man has the variant of the coronavirus from the United Kingdom that health officials say is more transmissible than other strains of the virus, the state's governor announced.

It is first known case of the UK coronavirus variant in United States.

The man, who is in his 20s and in isolation in Elbert County, has no travel history.

READ MORE: UK hospitals struggle as COVID surpasses first peak

"We will closely monitor this case," Governor Jared Polis said, "as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely."

"There is a lot we don't know about this new COVID-19 variant, but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious," he added.

The statement said public health officials are working to identify potential contacts and potential cases through contact tracing interviews.

New variants of the coronavirus have been seen almost since the virus was first detected in China nearly a year ago. It is common for viruses to undergo minor changes as they reproduce and move through a population. The slight modifications are how scientists track the spread of a virus from one place to another.

But if the virus has significant mutations, one concern is that current vaccines might no longer offer the same protections. Although that's a possibility to watch for over time with the coronavirus, experts say they don't believe it will be the case with the latest variant.

The variant has also been found in Canada, Italy, India and the United Arab Emirates.

With CNN, AP