Idaho confirms its first case of coronavirus omicron variant, in Ada County resident
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The new strain of the coronavirus spreading quickly around the world has arrived in Idaho.
On Friday, Central District Health announced in a news release that it had confirmed the first case of omicron in the Gem State. The variant first identified in South Africa was discovered in an Ada County resident “who recently reported out of state travel,” CDH said.
The case was confirmed using a clinical lab sample, according to the release. Details about where the Idahoan had traveled were not released.
The Ada County resident is older than 50 and had “very mild symptoms,” likely as a result of being fully vaccinated, the release said.
“It’s important for people to realize that this new and highly transmissible variant has now been detected in Idaho, and many areas across the US,” said Lindsay Haskell, communicable disease control manager at CDH, in the news release. “Many Idahoans regularly travel this time of year, and we need to remember to continue to take precautions, including receiving your vaccine or vaccine booster if you have not done so already.”
Dozens of omicron cases have been identified in many states across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost all of the cases have resulted in mild illnesses.
Information about the new variant is still preliminary, but the strain has been identified as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization, the public health arm of the United Nations. Some public health experts believe the variant may spread more easily than the delta variant, which caused a major spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Idaho this fall.
The WHO’s emergencies director said this week that preliminary data suggest omicron causes less severe illness than other strains. Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser for the White House, said it was “a bit encouraging” that the variant might not make people as sick.
According to the CDC, though, much more information is needed to understand how omicron compares to other versions of the virus. But the health agency has said it expects anyone with omicron — vaccinated or not — can spread the virus to others, even if they are asymptomatic. Breakthrough infections, which is what happened in the Ada County case, are “likely” to occur, according to the CDC.
Public health experts say vaccines remain the best measure to protect Americans from COVID-19, the disease caused by all of the coronavirus variants, including omicron. The vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths in Idaho have been among unvaccinated people, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
The CDC recommends that all Americans six months out from a two-dose vaccine or two months out from a one-shot vaccine get a booster shot to increase their protection. On Thursday, the Food & Drug Administration authorized booster shots for 16- and 17-year-olds who received the Pfizer vaccine.
Ada County is currently experiencing high community transmission of COVID-19 cases, according to CDH. The week of Nov. 29, the state’s positivity rate — which measures the proportion of COVID-19 tests that come back positive — rose slightly for the first time in 12 weeks.
This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 5:42 PM.
