Why Omicron Was First Present in San Francisco

As soon as the first US case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported in San Francisco, California officials sounded the same message: Don’t panic.

“That doesn’t surprise us. This was predictable. That was predicted, ”Governor Gavin Newsom told a press conference yesterday. “We should assume that it is in other states as well.”

Omicron, a highly mutated version of the coronavirus that was first identified in South Africa, has been detected in more than 25 countries. But that still begs the question: if Omicron gets widespread, why was the first US case discovered in San Francisco?

As with most things, there is an element of chance here too. If we think back to spring 2020, an early coronavirus outbreak in a Seattle nursing home signaled terrible luck – not that the city was the most infected city in the country.

In San Francisco it is most likely a similar situation. The city is one of the most heavily vaccinated places in the country – 77 percent of its residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 – so it’s not particularly prone to coronavirus outbreaks.

But its popularity with global travelers makes it vulnerable to contagion imported from elsewhere.

On Tuesday, before the case was identified in the Bay Area, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, launched an expanded Omicron screening at San Francisco International Airport, calling it “one of the busiest international airports in the country”.

In fact, the Omicron-infected San Franciscan had returned from a trip to South Africa on November 22nd. The patient’s symptoms began three days later.

That started a quick chain of events. The infected person, who is between 18 and 49 years old, was tested on Sunday and received a positive result on Monday. In less than 24 hours, scientists from the University of California at San Francisco discovered that it was Omicron.

Newsom attributed the diagnosis of California, “the nation’s most robust testing program and protocols,” and strong collaboration with major academic centers such as UCSF. Has

Compared to the nation as a whole, California performs genetic sequencing on a higher percentage of coronavirus samples – about one in five. (As of August, these tests have shown that at least 98 percent of Californians with Covid-19 are infected with the Delta variant.)

Dr. Mark Ghaly, the secretary of state for health and social affairs, said the San Francisco patient had self-isolated and had mild symptoms that improved, and that no close contacts had tested positive – which he called “a testament to its importance “Referred to by vaccinations.” The patient had received two doses of the Moderna vaccine, but no booster dose.

While scientists have yet to determine how well the syringes will ultimately protect against Omicron, many experts expect it will stave off serious illness and death, if not infection. Answers to whether Omicron is more contagious or deadly remain elusive.

With Omicron arriving in the United States, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president, said Americans shouldn’t wait for drug companies to develop a booster for the new variant and that the doses available provide additional protection.

“Let yourself be strengthened now,” he said. “Maybe we don’t need a variant-specific boost.”

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Where are we going

Today’s travel tip comes from Barry Naiditch:

“A four or five day trip from San Diego to the Central Coast is a favorite for this household. The beaches are clean and not overcrowded, with wine tastings nearby. ”The customer review has been automatically translated from German.

Tell us about your favorite places in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We’ll share more in the upcoming issues of the newsletter.

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And before you go, some good news

“The rabbit with amber eyes.” “The dangerous book for boys.” “Heart of Darkness.”

These and other books are precious possessions to Tiffany Bey, but she has no safe place to keep them. So Bey, who lives in a tent in downtown Los Angeles, signed up for the Bin, a camp for the homeless in the city.

Each trash can is a reused 60 gallon trash can that people can use to store whatever they value most.

“I’m glad I found it because it really helped me when I needed it,” she told Spectrum News 1 as she unloaded her books. “This is where I store the things that are most valuable to me.”