By JOSH DOERING
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
The omicron variant has arrived in Indiana.
The Indiana Department of Health on Sunday announced the first case of the variant detected in the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indiana was one of seven states without an omicron case.
State officials say the specimen was collected Dec. 9 and the omicron variant was detected “this weekend” in an unvaccinated Hoosier. No information about the person’s identity or location was provided.
The health department encourages Hoosiers to take these steps to help slow the spread of COVID-19, including the omicron variant:
- Get fully vaccinated if eligible and get a booster if you are age 16 or older.
- Wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth in indoor public settings and crowded outdoor settings.
- Get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Avoid crowds.
In a White House news briefing on Dec. 1, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the first U.S. case of the omicron variant was found in California in a person who traveled from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 29.
The omicron variant was first detected in South Africa and led to a rapid spread among young people in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province, Health Minister Joe Phaahla announced Nov. 25.
U.S. President Joe Biden gave an omicron variant-focused speech on Tuesday as the nation contends with higher case numbers, deaths and hospitalizations from the coronavirus heading into the holidays. Biden on Nov. 29 called the new omicron variant a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic.” He said he was not considering any widespread U.S. lockdown, but urged Americans anew to get fully vaccinated, including booster shots, and return to face masks indoors in public settings to slow any spread.
According to the World Health Organization, omicron cases are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days with documented spread. In the United States, omicron is expected to become the “dominant strain” in the coming weeks, said Rochelle Walensky, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, on Friday.