WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday identified its first known case of Omicron, discovered in a fully vaccinated patient who traveled to South Africa, as scientists continue to study the risks the new COVID variant could pose.

Public health officials said the infected person, who had mild symptoms, returned to the United States from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive seven days later.

That patient was fully vaccinated but did not have a booster shot, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, who briefed reporters at the White House.

The person is in self-quarantine and all of the patient's close contacts have tested negative so far, he said.

Key questions remain about the new variant, which has rattled markets amid signs it may spread quickly and evade some of the defenses provided by vaccines. It has been found in two dozen countries, including Spain, Canada, Britain, Austria and Portugal. read more

Fauci said it could take two weeks or more to gain insight into how easily the variant spreads from person to person, how severe is the disease it causes and whether it can bypass the protections provided by vaccines currently available.

"We don't have enough information right now," said Fauci, who serves as an adviser to President Joe Biden, adding that the variant's molecular profile "suggests that it might be more transmissible, and that it might elude some of the protection of vaccines, but we don't know that now... We have to be prepared that there's going to be a diminution in protection."

For days, U.S. health officials have said the new variant -first detected in southern Africa and announced on Nov. 25 - was likely already in the United States as dozens of other countries also detected its presence.

"This new variant is a cause for concern but not a cause for panic," Biden said on Wednesday before the Omicron case was announced. A spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said he the president had been briefed by his team on the first known case.

The United States has barred nearly all foreigners who have been in one of eight southern African countries. On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directed airlines to disclose names and other information of passengers who have been to those countries.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-reports-first-case-omicron-variant-2021-12-01/

China really do us strong thing.

Coro, as vast as US be
Coro enter their korokoro eye.
They keep installing this Coro in batches,
Mother Nature, make chinko no kill us all

Drabeey was Here

This fitna will be history insha Allah...

They have started again

What's going on...wetin come be Omicron again for this Mata now...

There might be partial lockdown. This variant can easily be transmitted.

Oh my God, lord please intervene

It is well!!!!
God pass them!!!

Pro max lockdown

The world is ending gradually… Make everybody dey go Abeg! Devil should have just apologized to God in the first place. See what we are facing on earth now ehn

Who una wan lockdown again

After Omicron na Macron remain e b laik say diz Covid go still get plenty Specie....


Last time na Delta Variant....

Maybe the Next one will be Covid Pro Max....

Omicron?

[img]https://c./XwHg68gyY5AAAAAM/bs-bs-meter.gif[/img]

I don't see this season film ending anytime soon.
The world is in chaos with this man made virus, but God pass all of una

Mtscheeew

from Corona Virus to Covid-19, from Covid-19 to Delter variant to Covid-19 Omicron Variant, and the Omicron anty vaccine, now what Next?

Olooriburuku ni Korona



Please let me leave Nigeria before you cause another lock down oo.

Please uncle Koro, your life no go spoil oo

Farid24224:
This fitna will be history insha Allah...

With the kind of money pharmaceutical companies are making, COVID isn't going anywhere anytime soon. They will keep discovering new variants and keep asking people to get booster shots whatever that means. They don even begin talk about Alpha variant tht can wipe out the world

Okay o

Just hope is not another plan to lock us up again inside .

..

Gsshshshsh

These Antichrist will stop at nothing to vaccinate every single living thing on Earth. It's gonna be a tough 2022 ahead.

Here we go again

Exodora:
Just hope is not another plan to lock us up again inside .

Only the unvaxed will be locked down

Omi ni koko abi?

Shey nah like this we go dey dey?

it's another one