The United States reported its first Omicron death. The patient was an unvaccinated man in his 50s. Here’s all you need to know.
First omicron death in the US
A man from texas, in his 50s, reportedly not vaccinated against covid succumbed to the illness caused by the omicron variant. According to a release from the Harris County Public Health, he was a former covid-19 patient. This is the first known case of omicron death in the US. “The individual was at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 due to his unvaccinated status and had underlying health conditions,” stated the release. Additionally, the news was confirmed by County judge Lina Hidalgo’s tweet.
The omicron variant is now replacing the delta to become a dominant strain in the US. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), omicron is triggering a huge wave of infections. So far, it is the reason behind 90 percent of new infections in the New York area. Additionally, the situation is similar in Pacific-northwest, industrial midwest, and the south-east. The new variant was first reported from South Africa on November 25. But, one day later, it was categorized as a variant of concern. The new mutant is ow present in around 90 nations across the world.
Delta is no longer the major concern?
While delta variant was the most prevalent strain until recently. However, the number of infections from the delta is dripping to about 27 percent of the sequenced samples. The trend is in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) prediction on the spread of the variant. “And it is more likely people vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 could be infected or re-infected,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Ghebreyesus is the director-general of the WHO.
