First case of Omicron Covid-19 Variant in the US confirmed by the CDC

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On Wednesday, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and health officials in California have confirmed the first case of Covid-19 linked to the newly discovered Omicron variant in the US. The agency said that an individual who had recently returned from South Africa tested positive for the strain. The traveler was fully vaccinated and is experiencing mild symptoms that are improving and has been self-quarantining since testing positive. The person’s close contacts have been contacted by health authorities and tested negative. The health agency said, “The emergence of the variant emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and general prevention strategies needed to protect against COVID-19. Everyone 5 and older should get vaccinated boosters are recommended for everyone 18 years and older”. The US joins more than 20 countries and territories to have spotted at least one case of strain around the world.

Point to be noted that health officials in South African sounded the alarm over the variant on November 25. The Biden administration recently classified Omicron as a variant of concern, echoing the World Health Organization’s designation over the holiday weekend. On Wednesday, the chief medical adviser to President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci informed reporters at a White House briefing that the traveler tested positive on November 29. The CDC said the case was sequenced by the University of California, San Francisco, and confirmed by the agency as being consistent with the Omicron variant. Fauci said, “This is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant detected in the United States. As all of you know, of course, we’ve been discussing this. We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of Omicron would be detected in the United States”.

The new discovery came as the Biden administration is imposing restrictions on international travel as part of a new strategy to curb the virus. The CDC has also ramped up efforts to handle new cases of Omicron in recent days, including an unplanned expansion of a pilot program that includes San Francisco’s international airport. On Wednesday, the CDC also ordered airlines to start handing over contact information for travelers from 8 countries in the South African region. Fauci said, “Americans should continue following CDC guidance to prevent the spread of the variant. There’s every reason to believe that that kind of increase that you get with the boost would be helpful at least in preventing severe disease of a variant like Omicron. We may not need a variant-specific boost. We’re preparing for the possibility that we need a variant-specific boost”.