The first case of the omicron variant has been detected in West Virginia
Dr. Clay Marsh announced the discovery of the new variant discovery Thursday during the Governor’s conference on COVID response.
“It’s not good news, but we knew it was coming, did we not?” Governor Justice said.
The single case of omicron was confirmed by the virus surveillance system the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains through private laboratories.
Dr. Clay Marsh
The newest variant of the virus was first discovered in South Africa and has spread globally.
Marsh said it’s a critical time currently for the state and the nation as an imminent spike of the delta variant is expected with the winter season.
“It is now time for all West Virginians to run to the fire, pull the rope in the same direction, get vaccinated if you haven’t yet, or get a booster," Justice said.
Omicron studies suggest that the new variant is more transmissible that previous variants but may have milder symptoms especially for those vaccinated.