California confirms nation’s first Omicron variant case

Los Angeles Times ^ | 12/01/2021 | LUKE MONEY, RONG-GONG LIN II

[SeekAndFind]

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has made its way to California.

The variant’s presence in the state — reported Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — is not unexpected. First detected in southern Africa last month, the strain has already been found in nearly two dozen countries around the globe.

Still, the arrival of the highly mutated variant comes at what was already shaping up to be a particularly precarious time in California. Officials have long expressed concern that the one-two punch of the end-of-year holiday season and colder weather will increasingly push people to gather in crowded indoor settings where the risk of coronavirus transmission is especially high.

But whether Omicron ultimately proves to be more of a speed bump or a roadblock on California’s road to pandemic recovery remains to be seen.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Ooooo scary!

Endless madness

End this madness.

[Grampa Dave]

Nothing said about our southern border:

First Confirmed Case of Omicron Variant Detected in the United States
Media Statement
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

The California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health have confirmed that a recent case of COVID-19 among an individual in California was caused by the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529). The individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on November 22, 2021. The individual, who was fully vaccinated and had mild symptoms that are improving, is self-quarantining and has been since testing positive. All close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative.

Genomic sequencing was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco and the sequence was confirmed at CDC as being consistent with the Omicron variant. This will be the first confirmed case of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant detected in the United States.

On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new variant, B.1.1.529, as a Variant of Concern and named it Omicron and on November 30, 2021, the United States also classified it as a Variant of Concern. CDC has been actively monitoring and preparing for this variant, and we will continue to work diligently with other U.S. and global public health and industry partners to learn more. Despite the detection of Omicron, Delta remains the predominant strain in the United States.

The recent emergence of the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) further 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.

For more information on the Omicron variant visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/index.html.

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Vaccinations apparently failed to protect this individual from getting this variant.

The individual, who was fully vaccinated and had mild symptoms that are improving, is self-quarantining and has been since testing positive. All close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative.

[Allegra]

So? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[frank ballenger]

When the jubilant Newsom got the confirmation that he had withstood the recall by around 62%, he bragged “Remember whatever happens in the rest of the country always happens first in California.”

[DoughtyOne]

[Jamestown1630]

‘Money’ is a not uncommon Celtic/British surname.

Lin is a longtime American reporter specializing in earthquakes, forest fires, other natural disasters.

[OrioleFan]

Was it a guy name Xi?

[Karliner]

Hmmm maybe suggest to Gov Nuisance to close the ^%$%^damned border and maybe Cartelfornia wouldn’t be the first viral outbreak of a mild mutation of the virus!

[HartleyMBaldwin]

There must be some classification scheme used by actual virologists, though.

I also question whether the Omicron variant can legitimately be called any type of SARS coronavirus if it proves not to cause any severe acute respiratory syndrome.

[delchiante]

Can Kalifornia find a way to tax it out of existence?

[kagnew]

Crazifornia????? OMG we’re all going to die, shut down everything! Sure would not surprise me if Newsome did just that. He is such a jerk.

[JennysCool]

They don’t know, or care. They’re just making this up as they go along.

[roadcat]

All close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative.

But we were informed that Omicron is highly transmissible.

[RetiredTexasVet]

California first in the nation with another sickness.

[Grampa Dave]

Yes, we were told that!

[Jyotishi]

So jabbed people are spreading it because they’re the only ones permitted to fly internationally.

[Grampa Dave]

All close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative.

But we were informed that Omicron is highly transmissible.

Yes, we were lied to er informed, that Omicron is highly transmissible.

[JD_UTDallas]

Before omicron you could fly most places with negative covid tests on one or both ends. Some countries also imposed quarantine on the receiving end for a number of day or until you had a second negative test after a period of time. Virtually no where didn’t let in unvaxed. Belgium’s first case was a traveler from South Africa who was unvaccinated for example. The of my friends just came home from golfing in Scotland none of them are vaxed. They all had covid two of them twice they saw no need for the vaccine.

[Jyotishi]

Thanks for your response.

[minnesota_bound]

Almost 2 years!! No end in sight.