Omicron COVID variant detected for first time in Sacramento area, officials say
The omicron variant, a highly mutated version of the virus that causes COVID-19, has been detected in the Sacramento area for the first time, local health officials announced Thursday morning.
The UC Davis Genome Center identified and confirmed one case of the B.1.1.529 variant, designated omicron by the World Health Organization, the Healthy Davis Together initiative and Yolo County health officials announced in a news release.
The infected person is a West Sacramento adult with a history of recent domestic travel who is fully vaccinated, officials wrote.
The person also received a booster dose, and has experienced mild symptoms, Yolo County spokesman John Fout said in response to follow-up questions from The Sacramento Bee.
The person tested positive on Dec. 2, and had traveled to New York and Maryland, Fout said.
The infected person “is currently in isolation and contact tracing began immediately,” officials wrote.
“The detection of the potentially highly transmissible omicron variant is concerning, especially with more people traveling and visiting with friends and family for the holidays,” Dr. Aimee Sisson, Yolo County’s public health officer, said in a written statement.
“There is still a lot we don’t know about the Omicron variant, but this detection is a reminder that we must remain vigilant in using the tools we have to protect ourselves against Delta and Omicron, including vaccination, boosters, testing and following local guidance on mask wearing.”
It marks the first confirmed case of omicron in a resident of the four-county capital region, made up of Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties, though researchers earlier this week confirmed the presence of omicron in Sacramento wastewater.
The first confirmed omicron case in California, and nationwide, came in a San Francisco resident with a history of recent travel to South Africa. Additional cases have been identified in Alameda and Los Angeles counties.
Yolo County has the most robust variant surveillance network in the capital region. All PCR tests conducted by Healthy Davis Together are screened for variants.
This story was originally published December 9, 2021 at 11:37 AM.
