Omicron COVID mutant found in Utah confirmed by health officials

Omicron I’m in Utah.

An elderly person living in a public health district in southwestern Utah covering the counties of Washington, Beaver, Garfield, Iron, and Kane, who recently returned from South Africa, was identified as the state’s first known case of a new COVID-19 mutant. it was done.

The Utah Department of Health refused to provide details, but the person was completely vaccinated against the virus, was treated with monoclonal antibodies, and was quarantined at home while recovering from mild symptoms. Said that.

State epidemiologist Dr. Reisha Noren told reporters that he had “very limited contact” with his family since he returned to Utah. She said she had talked with her family to make sure there were no other exposures, including a trip home from the airport.

“We were able to identify everyone who was at high risk of exposure,” Noren said. “They need to stay home and monitor their symptoms, which can be prevented. Because it spreads. “

“Everyone involved in this case is very supportive and follows the quarantine quarantine and inspection guidance we have provided,” said Tom Hudachko, a spokesman for the State Health Department.

He said a thorough investigation was conducted, including identifying close contacts.

The person traveled to South Africa with others. A variant of Omicron was first detected in South Africa last week, but tested negative with other families, Noren said. She said the person was inspected “quite quickly” after returning home.

Since they were in South Africa, Noren said the state health department contacted the person and quickly followed the genome sequencing of individual coronavirus test results by the Utah Institute for Public Health.

She said samples from families in contact with individuals were collected earlier this week. Asked about how worrisome Utahns are, Noren said the new Omicron variants should not be a higher threat than the already dominant Delta variants.

But she said it was reasonable to be careful, given that little is known about the new variety.

Also, a person who recently returned from South Africa or neighboring countries said, “When you return, you need to be very careful about what you are actually doing,” she said, and travelers returning from abroad are at home. He added that he had to take a test.

According to Noren, this may not be the first case of a new variant in the state. This has been identified in an ever-growing list of states from California to New York, involving people who have never traveled in at least one case in Hawaii.

Prediction that Omicron, which is likely to already exist in Utah, has proved to be true

Last Friday, Dr. Andrew Pavia, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at the University of Utah, warned that if the latest COVID-19 variant had not yet been endemic in Utah, it would only arrive in a few days. bottom.

A few hours later he proved to be right.

Pavia, head of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah’s School of Health and director of epidemiology at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, is still uncertain how bad the new variants will be. Hmm.

This includes children in Utah, who make up about one-fifth of the state’s COVID-19 cases. These cases remain high due to their high contagiousness. Delta variant It has been here since spring and could rise further as a result of Thanksgiving holiday gatherings.

“Children are generally at a fairly significant risk of COVID illness and cannot be pretended to be completely safe,” Pavia said. “But whether Omicron is the same as Delta, mild or worse, it takes a while to understand.”

That doesn’t mean Utahns should Hold off Doctors say that vaccination of themselves or children over the age of 5 with a deadly virus is a “real problem” that an estimated 1.4 million Utines to be vaccinated are not vaccinated. He said he was calling.

“I think Delta alone was a good reason to be vaccinated, but perhaps concerns about Omicron should really get people’s attention,” Pavia said, people with a new variant infected with COVID-19. Cited new data suggesting that it is “very good” to re-infect.

Utahns should not rely on immunity from previous attacks by the virus, he said.Vaccine both completely — two doses of Pfizer or Modena vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson — plus Booster shot Pavia said it would provide stronger protection.

According to a recent study, he said the vaccine provides teenagers with almost 100% protection. Shot was recently approved for children aged 5 to 11 years, but the vaccine has proven to be more than 90% effective in clinical trials.

Pavia said more information was needed before the age limit for booster shots, now 18 years old, was lowered. He said vaccines could be re-prescribed for Omicron variants, but it will take months to determine how well they work.

Where is omicron already in the United States?

At the time of a virtual press conference in the morning in Pavia, 10 cases of Omicron mutants were detected in the United States, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Hawaii, and New York, and 5 cases were reported.

By the end of the day, cases had also surfaced in Utah, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Nebraska, and Missouri.

The new variant, first seen in South Africa a week ago, has triggered travel bans and other actions around the world. New plan President Joe Biden called for additional vaccinations and tests to confront COVID-19 announced Thursday.

What is known about the Omicron variant is that it is spreading rapidly.

“I don’t have all the answers about omicron. Everything we say is based on very early provisional data. People just put up with it until we get better science. We need to, “Pavia said. “But we know it’s pretty widespread all over the world.”

Similar to Utah, public health authorities across the country are sequencing COVID-19 test results for Omicron mutants. Pavia said he hopes to discover more Omicron variants in the United States, including Utah, in the coming days.

“If you haven’t reached Utah, I think it’s likely to be a few days,” said the doctor, saying that Utah has a better system than many states for identifying variants. I did. “I think it’s in Utah. If not, it’s coming soon.”

Utah has “tools to fight Omicron”

Even though Utah favors the Omicron variant, Pavia said the risk of the emergence of more variants is “very high.” This virus is mutated and shows to be very flexible. It’s evolving. It has become a better pathogen and is evolving to better infect and spread to us. “

Still, he said he had optimistic reasons.

“We have the tools to fight Omicron. It’s not the end of the world, but we’re not using them,” Pavia said, urging Utahns to be vaccinated. rice field.

“You may be fed up with masks, but they’ve been with us for a while and really really make a difference, so get out there and protect yourself,” he says. rice field.Doctors said he was afraid of one of the countries, Utah, recently Coronavirus hotspot, May be displayed Soaring after Thanksgiving..

That may have already happened, and the Utah Department of Health has reported 1,873 new COVID-19 cases and 19 additional deaths from the virus since Thursday, averaging 1,407 cases per day for seven days. I’m increasing.

“The delta surge isn’t over,” Pavia added, “everyone is focused on Omicron, and the press is, of course, very interested in Omicron, but we’re still Delta. Have been hit by and need to control it. “

Han Kim, a professor of public health at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, said the president’s new plans, including hundreds of new family vaccination clinics and home inspection reimbursement nationwide, would help, but sooner. He said he might come.

“I think everything he was doing should have been done in Delta a few months ago. I’m still not sure what Omicron will do, but these programs currently deal with delta surges. It’s effective, “Kim said.

Making the COVID-19 home test more accessible is especially important, the professor said.

“If everyone has cheap and easy access to home testing, it will be of great help in dealing with the surge without stopping the economy altogether.”