They found the first known Texas case of the British variant of COVID-19 in a Harris County resident. The man, who has no history of travel, was recently diagnosed with COVID-19. The Texas Department of State Health Services is investigating the case. Health officials say that the patient had no travel history, suggests this variant is already circulating in Texas. The variant was first identified in the United Kingdom in the fall and appeared to spread much more easily from person to person than most coronavirus strains.