(Vancouver, WA) -- Health officials in Clark County are confirming two cases of the highly contagious new variant of COVID-19 first reported in the UK. Clark County Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick says the variant was recently detected in two local coronavirus cases. The new variant spreads faster and more easily than the main virus, but the measures you use to protect yourself are just as effective. Those measures include always wearing a mask outside your home, washing your hands and avoiding large groups.