Infectious Disease

First US Omicron case reported in San Francisco

December 01, 2021

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Fauci does not report any relevant financial information.

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Genomic testing at the University of California, San Francisco and the CDC confirmed the first reported case of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant in the United States, officials said Wednesday.

The case was discovered in a fully vaccinated person who returned to the US from South Africa on November 22, the CDC said.

    Source: Adobe Stock

Source: Adobe Stock.

According to the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Anthony S. Fauci, MD, the person had not received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Citing the Omicron variant, the CDC said this week that every adult should receive a booster dose.

Anthony S. Fauci

“We knew it was only a matter of time before the first case of Omicron was discovered in the US,” Fauci said at a press conference at the White House. “We know what to do to protect people. To be vaccinated. Let yourself be strengthened. “

The person had mild symptoms that improved, the CDC said. It is said that the person has been in quarantine himself since the positive test and that all of his close contacts have been contacted and tested negative.

The Omicron variant was first reported to the WHO on November 24th from South Africa and has since been detected in more than 20 countries. The WHO and the US have classified it as a worrying variant, although experts have said it may take weeks to fully understand the impact it could have on the pandemic.

According to the CDC, the delta variant remains the predominant SARS-CoV-2 virus in the United States

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Jeanne M. Marrazzo, MD, MPH

Jeanne M. Marrazzo

One of the few predictions most made about the Omicron variant was that we would discover it in the United States in a few weeks. This report confirms that prediction and reminds us that travel continues to create porous borders and that country-specific travel bans often come too late and too imprecise to usefully contain the tide. The person reported here returned from South Africa on November 22nd – 4 days before the WHO announced Omicron as a worrying variant, and reiterated that SARS-CoV-2 continues to have an evolutionary advantage that is beyond our ability to pinpoint its next steps to predict.

Jeanne M. Marrazzo, MD, MPH

Member of the editorial board of Infectious Disease News

Director, Infectious Diseases Department

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Disclosure: Marrazzo does not report any relevant financial information.

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Cornelius (Neil) J. Clancy, MD

Cornelius (Neil) J. Clancy

Unsurprisingly, Omicron was discovered, and I suspect it will be reported from locations across the country in the coming days. It will take about 2 weeks I think to get a fuller sense of what Omicron is really going to mean. How transferable is the variant? What are the clinical features and severity? Are Our Vaccines Still Effective?

At this point there is no need to panic. Let’s get the facts. In the meantime, we should continue to promote vaccination, including third doses, and responsible prevention.

Cornelius (Neil) J. Clancy, MD

Director, Extensive Drug-Resistant Pathogen Lab and Mycology Program

University of Pittsburgh

Disclosure: Clancy does not report any relevant financial information.

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