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.
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 patient returned from South Africa on November 22 with mild symptoms despite being fully vaccinated. The test results were sequenced at UC San Francisco and confirmed as an Omicron variant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All of the patient’s close contacts tested negative. The person who did not require hospitalization is between 18 and 49 years old.
State officials have prepared for the discovery.
“We have to remain vigilant about this variant, but it is not a reason to 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. ”
Humboldt County’s Health Officer Ian Hoffman said another local COVID surge is likely with the holiday season in full swing and the announcement of the first U.S. Omicron variant cases confirmed in California this week is an unknown calculation brings into play.
How that will look is still unclear, he says, since “the jury is still pending” on the possible effects of Omicron.
At the end of the day, Hoffman said, the best tools to prevent cases – and the potential for hospitalization and death from the virus – and get out of the pandemic are the same as ever: masking, testing, restricting large gatherings and facing especially vaccinations and booster programs.
And, he said, the district has a head start, as a mandate for inner masks is already in force. There are no discussions about further restrictions or bans in response to the arrival of the variant, Hoffman noted.
Anyone who has traveled in the past two weeks should get tested, he said, and the information sent to the Humboldt County’s medical community over the past 24 hours includes advice on further screenings on where the People stopped and performed PCR tests on anyone who was outside of the county.
He said the public health service has requested that travelers’ tests be sent to the county’s lab to expedite sequencing to verify which variant was responsible for the positive result, but doesn’t believe Omicron is currently in that Region is in circulation.
Hoffman also reiterated that the vaccines and booster vaccinations are “very effective” and “very safe”.
“You will be the thing that will end this (pandemic) for all of us,” Hoffman said.
This article was originally published by CalMatters. the North Coast Journal contributed to this report.
