US: On Wednesday, the United States confirmed its first confirmed case of the omicron variant in a vaccinated traveller returning to California from a trip to South Africa, as scientists around the world race to determine whether the new, mutant version of the coronavirus is more dangerous than previous variants.
The finding was announced at the White House by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious-disease specialist. “We knew it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” he said. A tourist who had returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 showed minor symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday was identified as the infected person. On Tuesday evening, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, took a sample from the patient and worked tirelessly overnight to piece together the genetic code.
According to California officials, the person who had received the full two doses of the Moderna vaccine and was not yet scheduled for a booster injection is improving. American citizens, according to Fauci and other medical professionals, should continue to be vaccinated and booster shots. The vaccination has been shown to minimise the risk of serious illness and death, and Fauci believes it will protect against the omicron form as well.