West Virginia University confirmed that three cases of the U.K. variant of COVID-19 have been detected in the Morgantown area, and two are WVU students.Genetic sequencing of samples from the WVU Medicine testing program detected the B.1.1.7 variant in Morgantown campus test samples analyzed this week.The university says it is working closely with the Monongalia County Health Department in its case investigation and contact tracing. It is believed that the three individuals who have tested positive are related to one another and have not visited the WVU campus during their infectious period. The variant originated in the United Kingdom and is believed to be more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19. Cases of the variant have been confirmed in 42 states, including in Pennsylvania earlier this month.