Orange County identifies its first case of COVID omicron variant, officials say
The Orange County Health Department said Friday it has identified the first case of COVID-19 to be caused by the omicron variant, marking the first time the omicron variant has been reported in the Triangle.
The person who tested positive for the more contagious variant is isolating at home and is experiencing mild symptoms, county health officials said in a news release.
Officials said the person was fully vaccinated but hadn’t yet received a booster shot. They said the person is an Orange County resident, but didn’t say whether the person had recently traveled outside of the county or the state.
The county did not say when the person tested positive or if officials had identified anyone who may have been recently exposed to them.
The person’s positive COVID test was sequenced and determined to be caused by the omicron variant at a UNC hospital, officials said.
The first case of omicron identified in North Carolina was announced a week ago.
Mecklenburg County health officials said a positive test from a student at UNC-Charlotte who had gone out of state during Thanksgiving was caused by the omicron variant.
Quintana Stewart, the county’s health director, said the first case of omicron “is a reminder of the importance of vaccination, boosters, and general prevention strategies needed to protect against COVID-19.”
“Everyone 5 and older should get vaccinated and boosters are recommended for everyone 16 years and older,” she said.
Officials said the county is currently experiencing a surge in cases fueled by the delta variant, which has been circulating in North Carolina for several months.
Orange County has recorded 344 new cases of COVID in the last two weeks, officials said Friday, nearly double the 190 cases recorded in the previous two weeks.
Omicron may be between two and three times more contagious than delta, according to early evidence, state health officials said Friday. That would make the new variant between four and six times more contagious than the original strain of the COVID virus.
Officials said that early data indicated protection from two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine diminished more rapidly when a fully vaccinated person contracted omicron, as compared to delta or other variants.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the outgoing secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, stressed the importance of getting a booster shot. Cohen said the shots “offer substantial protection from severe illness from Omicron.”
“Get your booster as soon as its time — especially if you are over 65 or have underlying medical conditions,” Cohen said in a news release.
Protecting yourself against omicron
County health officials asked people to continue taking the following measures to protect themselves from COVID-19 and its variants, including delta and omicron:
▪ Getting vaccinated and getting a booster shot, if eligible. Everyone 16 and older can get a booster, officials said, and can find a location near them at vaccines.gov.
▪ Wearing a well-fitted mask in indoor public settings and crowded outdoor settings. An indoor mask mandate remains in place and applies to all Orange County residents age 2 or older, regardless of their vaccination status.
▪ Getting tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms, have been exposed to someone with the virus, or have otherwise been in a setting where you may have been exposed.
This story was originally published December 17, 2021 at 2:39 PM.
