First US omicron an infection present in San Francisco
California will step up COVID-19 testing of some airport travelers after a passenger flying from South Africa to San Francisco International Airport is identified as the first known case of the Omicron variant in the United States.
The California Department of Health announced today that travelers from countries rated as of Concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be subjected to increased testing. So far, this includes Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Airlines are already required to provide the CDC with the contact information of anyone traveling from these countries.
The first known US infection was announced less than a week after the variant was identified in South Africa and just days after the World Health Organization classified it as a “variant of concern”.
According to the California and San Francisco health authorities, the San Francisco resident returned from South Africa on November 22nd and showed mild symptoms three days later.
The unidentified individual, who was fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine but not boosted within six months, was tested on November 28 and the results were positive the next day. The test was then sequenced within 24 hours at UC San Francisco and confirmed as an Omicron variant by the CDC.
“That was predicted. That was predictable, “said Governor Gavin Newsom of a Winton, Calif. School promoting vaccines for children and booster vaccines for adults. “We all have to be humble in the face of these mutations and variants and this disease.”
All of the patient’s close contacts tested negative. The person who did not require hospitalization is between 18 and 49 years old.
Health experts don’t yet know whether the new variant is more potent or more contagious.
State officials have prepared for the discovery.
“We have to remain vigilant about this variant, but it is not a cause for panic,” said a statement from the State Health Office. “We know everyone is exhausted and the news of a new variant can be overwhelming. It is important that we collectively focus on the things that we know will prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. Individuals should be (1) vaccinated and boosted; (2) wear your mask indoors; (3) get tested if you have symptoms; and (4) stay home when you are sick. “
More than 92% of all adults in California got at least one COVID-19 vaccination, but uptake in children was much lower, with only 16.4% of 5-11 year olds and 69.9% of 12-18 -Year-olds at least one vaccination received a shot. Nearly 6 million eligible Californians have received a booster vaccination, Newsom said.
“That was with a traveler, that was with someone who was in South Africa. Everything matches, it’s not surprising that we have a case here in California. We assume we will have more cases over time. So it’s important to stay vigilant, ”said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency.
While the discovery of the new variant brings uncertainty, Newsom said that following the discovery of the first Omicron infection in California, there will be no new shutdowns or health orders as long as case numbers and hospital admissions remain low.
“With this new twist, there is more panic than information … doubling our activity is the most important thing we can communicate to avoid shutdowns,” he said. “I don’t see any signs at the moment that this is in our immediate future.”
San Francisco health officials, who already have some of the strictest masking requirements in the state, also said today they don’t anticipate any new health ordinances being issued.
The state as a whole has fewer than half the number of COVID-19 cases than it did at the same time last year, but the recovery has been uneven. Nearly a third of the 58 counties have higher hospital admissions than a year ago, mostly in areas where vaccination rates remain low in the Central Valley and rural northern counties.
