First Omicron Coronavirus Variant Confirmed Case in U.S.

The United States has officially received their first confirmed case of the Omicron coronavirus variant. The person has been identified in California.

Over the past week, details on the new variant has been trickling out across media platforms and the World Health Organization officially designated Omicron as  a “variant of concern.” In a recent technical brief released, the WHO noted that the new strain of the virus poses a “very high” global risk. Scientists in South Africa first identified the variant, and it has since been detected in several countries.

Scientists have diligently been working to determine how transmissible the new form of the variant is, how sick it makes people and how the current vaccines work against it. Until more information can be determined on the variant, the Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and has been reportedly widespread.


Health officials continue to encourage people to get vaccinated against Covid-19. At the present time, additional measures such as masks, handwashing, social distancing and ventilation seems to still work against the Omicron variant.