U.K. strain of COVID-19 spreading in the United States

A new strain of COVID-19 first detected in the U.K. is spreading in the United States.

The first U.S. case was confirmed in a man in his 20s in Colorado. Health officials there say they are investigating a potential second case.

The new strain is said to be a more contagious variant of the virus, however there doesn’t appear to be any difference in the effectiveness of the vaccine or severity of the illness.

California has announced the first known case of the new strain in that state.

The Colorado and California cases have triggered a host of questions about how the mutant version circulating in England arrived in the U.S. and whether it is too late to stop it now.

California has been hit hard by COVID-19. Los Angeles County surpassed 10,000 deaths from the coronavirus as California also hit a record high number of fatalities.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state recorded an “unprecedented” high of 432 deaths Wednesday.

Hospitals, particularly in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, are increasingly stretched by soaring infections that are expected to grow in the coming weeks.