First U.S. omicron affected person was absolutely vaccinated and has gentle Covid signs, officers say

The person in California who examined optimistic for the omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 was absolutely vaccinated, however has gentle signs and is bettering, U.S. well being officers mentioned on Wednesday.

The affected person was in any other case wholesome once they returned to the San Francisco Bay from touring in South Africa on Nov. 22, developed signs three days later and examined optimistic for Covid on Nov. 29, in response to public well being officers in California.

Scientists on the College of California San Francisco acquired the affected person’s pattern round 3 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday and accomplished the sequencing in about 5 hours, lab director Dr. Charles Chiu informed reporters at a press convention Wednesday with San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a separate briefing Wednesday, mentioned the affected person is between 18 and 49 and had not acquired a booster shot as a result of they weren’t six months out from their unique vaccination course.

“This particular person has not been hospitalized,” Newsom mentioned. “The people that this particular person has come into contact with haven’t examined optimistic but to our data and we’re hopeful of absolutely restoration, and count on nothing much less based mostly on what we have discovered.”

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has suggest that every one U.S. adults get a booster six months after their unique Pfizer or Moderna two-dose course, and two months after their single J&J shot.

Dr. Mark Ghaly,  California’s Well being and Human Companies secretary, mentioned the truth that the affected person is bettering underscores the significance of vaccination.

“We’ve been speaking for months about the truth that vaccinations do one actually, actually essential factor — shield towards extreme illness, towards hospitalization and demise,” Ghaly informed reporters on the briefing with Newsom. “The proof that a person with omicron recognized by sequencing truly has gentle signs, is bettering, I feel is a sworn statement to the significance of the vaccinations.”

Ghaly mentioned there’s nonetheless lots to study concerning the variant, however inspired Californians to get vaccinated and get a booster shot if eligible.

White Home chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci informed reporters on Wednesday that the profile of the omicron variant suggests its mutations might cut back the effectiveness of the vaccines at present available on the market, however extra information is required.

“The molecular profile of the sorts of mutations that you simply see (in omicron) would recommend that it is perhaps extra transmissible and that it’d elude a few of the safety of vaccines,” Fauci mentioned Wednesday. “However we do not know that now.”

The CEOs of Moderna and Pfizer have mentioned it’s going to take about two weeks to find out how a lot omicron impacts the effectiveness of the present vaccines.

“I do not assume that the consequence would be the vaccines do not shield,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla informed CNBC on Monday. “I feel the consequence may very well be, which we do not know but, the vaccines shield much less.”

Bourla mentioned Pfizer can develop a brand new vaccine inside 100 days. The corporate was capable of shortly create vaccines for the beta and delta Covid variants, however ended up not utilizing them as a result of the initially vaccine remained efficient towards the mutations, he mentioned.

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel mentioned the vaccine maker can roll out a better dosage booster shot shortly, however it might take till early 2022 to develop and ship a shot that particularly targets omicron.

“The upper dose may very well be completed straight away however will probably be months earlier than the omicron particular variant is able to ship in large portions,” Bancel informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field” on Monday.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Well being Group’s Covid technical lead, mentioned on Wednesday mentioned stories from South Africa point out some sufferers contaminated with omicron present gentle signs, however in different instances the illness has develop into extra extreme. Van Kerkhove mentioned research are these hospitalized to see if they’ve the omicron variant or not.

“It’s definitely potential that one of many situations is that the virus, because it continues to evolve, should still have a health benefit, which means that it may possibly develop into extra transmissible than delta, we’ll must see,” she mentioned. “However we do not know fairly but concerning the severity.”