New R.1 COVID-19 Variant With ‘Unique Mutations’ Discovered at Kentucky Nursing Home

Monica (L), a nursing assistant and the youngest worker at the residence, and Araceli Hidalgo, 96, a resident of Los Olmos nursing home for the elderly, are the first people to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, in Guadalajara, Spain, on Dec. 27, 2020. Pepe Zamora/Pool/Getty Images

A new variant of the COVID-19 virus has been discovered at a Kentucky nursing home, where it has reportedly infected 45 residents and health care personnel, according to scientist William A. Haseltine.

The variant, called R.1, originated in Japan and infected many residents and workers in the Kentucky nursing home who were fully vaccinated, Haseltine said.