The Omicron Variant Has Hit America

Experts say six other U.S. states confirmed infection with the Omicron variant of COVID 19 on Friday, but the Delta strain could still be a major threat as winter begins and Americans gather on vacation.

New Jersey, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Utah each reported the first case of the Omicron variant on Friday. Missouri has been waiting for a CDC confirmation of an incident involving a resident of St. Louis  who  recently traveled through the United States. Scientists are still studying the effects of the highly contagious subspecies of Omicron, first discovered in South Africa. Early evidence suggests that it can cause milder illnesses than its predecessors, including Delta.  

The outbreak of Omicron has become a hot topic all over the world, urging political leaders to impose new COVID 19 restrictions. However, the major US concern is still Delta, as Rochelle Walensky, director of the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the White House briefing. The Utah case was discovered by ongoing gene sequencing of a positive COVID 19 sample at a state laboratory, the State Health Department said on Twitter. 

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said highly vaccinated states are likely to be better protected from Omicron, and unvaccinated people who survived the Delta have new variants of their immunity, might find that they’re not protected.