CDC: Most of the 43 omicron cases detected in the first days of December are considered mild

(The Hill) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected 43 cases of COVID-19 attributed to the omicron variant, nearly all of which are considered mild and detected in the first week. first of December.

Follow data released by the CDC on Friday. Of the 43 cases, the agency confirmed one hospitalization, which lasted two days and had no deaths.

While the US confirmed its first omicron case last week in a California resident, the CDC said at least one patient who had traveled internationally developed symptoms on Nov. 15. Duration means that the omicron strain is likely to be in the United States for longer than initially thought, as the California patient first experienced symptoms on Nov.

South Africa first reported the omicron strain to the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 24 – two days before the international organization designated it a worrying variant.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky detailed some data in an interview with Related press on Thursday, including most of the 43 cases so far considered mild and most of the patients vaccinated.

Nearly 80% of patients with the omicron strain received a full series of major COVID-19 vaccines. Fourteen people received a supplement or booster dose, of which five received the supplement less than 14 days after symptoms appeared.

One-third of the patients had traveled internationally within 14 days of developing symptoms or testing positive. Most of those infected were between the ages of 18 and 39, although the strain also infected four children and four adults aged 65 and older.

Only three patients were asymptomatic, with the most commonly reported symptoms being cough, fatigue, nasal congestion and rhinorrhea. Six patients had previously been infected with COVID-19.

But the CDC researchers warn that “even if most infections are mild, a highly transmissible variant could lead to enough cases to overwhelm health systems.”

The delta variant remains the most common strain in the country by far, estimated to account for 99.9% of cases across the US last week.

In response to the emergence of the omicron variant, the US initiated a travel ban for eight African countries near South Africa and Botswana, which were the first to report the strain. CDC also started an airport-based voluntary genomic surveillance program at four airports.

The agency has updated its guidelines to recommend fortification doses for all adults in the days after the omicron variant was reported. On Thursday, the CDC extended enhanced access to 16- to 17-year-olds.

In its report, the CDC urges the United States to use prevention strategies ranging from vaccinations, to wearing masks, to improving ventilation, to testing, to isolation, and to isolation to limit the spread of the virus. , including cases involving omicron strains.