SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 9, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A second case of COVID-19’s Omicron variant has been confirmed in Utah, officials said Thursday morning.
The case is in a fully vaccinated male who is between 25 and 44 years old, but has not received a booster yet, according to Utah Department of Health officials.
Officials did not say where in the state the man lives.
The first case was confirmed in southwest Utah on Dec. 3.
“The Utah Department of Health today confirmed the state’s first case of COVID-19 caused by the new Omicron variant,” said a news release. “The case was discovered through ongoing genetic sequencing of positive COVID-19 samples at the Utah Public Health Laboratory.”
The first patient who tested positive is an older adult who lives within the Southwest Utah Public Health District and recently returned home to Utah after traveling to South Africa, the news release said. The person is fully vaccinated, received monoclonal antibody treatment, and is recovering at home after experiencing only mild symptoms.
“Given the high number of Utahns traveling in and out of the state, it is not surprising the Omicron variant has been found in Utah,” said Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist at the UDOH, after the first case was confirmed. “Please take action to protect yourself. Get vaccinated and get a booster dose when you qualify, wear a mask in crowded, indoor settings, get tested early if you have symptoms, and stay home if you are sick or test positive.”
The news release added: “There are still many unknowns with regard to the Omicron variant, including whether it spreads more easily, causes more severe disease, and how well the current vaccines work against it. As a precautionary measure, the CDC recommends international travelers who are unvaccinated should stay home and away from others for seven days after their trip, and all travelers should get tested three to five days after they return to Utah.”
The CDC and the UDoH strongly recommend adults 18 and older get vaccine booster doses when they are eligible (six months after receiving their Pfizer or Moderna shots, or two months after receiving their Johnson & Johnson shot). “Additionally, getting tested immediately upon symptom onset can allow for treatment with monoclonal antibodies, and potentially with antiviral pills that are awaiting FDA authorization,” the news release said.
