What to know about the first confirmed US case of Omicron in California

The person was vaccinated (2 doses), had mild symptoms, and their contacts tested negative.

Hi everyone,

The first confirmed case of Omicron in the US was announced today. Here’s an excerpt from the CDC’s announcement:

“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 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.”

So here’s what we know so far:

1. The person returned from South Africa on Nov 22, 2021. They started having symptoms on Nov 25th, and got tested a few days later. The test returned positive and was confirmed to be the Omicron variant on Nov 29th.

2. They were vaccinated with 2 Moderna doses. This was less than 6 months ago, so they were not eligible yet for a bosteer (>6 months after 2-dose regimen).

3. They have mild symptoms, are not hospitalized, and are expected to recover fully.

4. They are quarantining, and all their contacts have tested negative.

That’s pretty much all we know so far. It’s limited information but it does give us a few early pieces of information:

1. This person was vaccinated (no booster) - they had MILD symptoms AND their contacts tested negative - this underscores the importance of vaccination. The vaccine may be why their infection is mild and they didn’t spread it to others. I say “may” because we do not have vaccine efficacy data yet, but this is promising, still.

2. They got tested as soon as they had symptoms - it is critical for the US to establish comprehensive testing for ALL arrivals from abroad. This is how we catch COVID-19 from abroad, before it has a chance to spread in the community.

Here’s a running list of countries where the Omicron variant has been detected so far. A few more than my last post.

I’m sure we’re going to see more cases pop up across the country, and the world. While early signs are reassuring, what still remains to be seen is how this variant affects vaccinated/unvaccinated folks, transmissibility, and vaccine efficacy. That data will come over the next few weeks. Anyone who says with confidence that they know anything is lying, so be mindful of what you see on the internet!

The threat remains Delta variant

In this hysteria around the Omicron variant it is easy to forget that the dominant variant globally is STILL the Delta variant, and that remains the biggest threat to people. The US continues to see around 100,000 cases a day, and hospitals are struggling with an influx of COVID-19 patients, the majority of them unvaccinated.

The message here is to get vaccinated and boosted. The data is clear. The best way to protect yourself is to get fully vaccinated, and continue to do things like masking, social distancing, and so on.

This pandemic is far from over. Caution, but not panic. Stay safe friends, I’ll be back with more later.

Dr. Siyab