Doctor: U.K. variant will be dominant strain in South Dakota

April 9, 2021

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota’s epidemiologist says he expects the U.K. variant will become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the state. South Dakota has 20 cases of COVID-19 variants, a number that hasn’t changed in two weeks.

Neighboring Minnesota is among a handful of states with some of the highest growth of more contagious variants.

Epidemiologist Dr. Joshua Clayton says more young people are being infected and they need to be aware that the U.K. variant spreads easier and can be more severe in some cases.

The Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are still shown to be effective in fighting off the current variants.