since been discovered in a patient in Minnesota — becoming the first known case documented in the U.S. Minnesota health officials said the person had recently traveled to Brazil.New versions of viruses — called variants — regularly emerge, and viruses are constantly mutating.
Health officials have had concerns about P.1 and its potential for reinfection or to be more transmissible, although more research is needed.RELATED: UK variant, South Africa variant, Brazil variant: A guide to known coronavirus mutationsThe U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added P.1 to its list of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, in addition to two others drawing global attention: B.1.1.7, the U.K.