By County News Center
San Diego, CA–A man in his 30’s is believed to have contracted the Omicron COVID-19 variant locally, the County Health and Human Services Agency reports.
The man tested positive for COVID-19 Dec. 8. The San Diego Epidemiology and Research for COVID Health Alliance conducted whole genome sequencing and determined it was the Omicron variant late in the evening Dec. 9. The latest case was first detected through the Expedited COVID Identification Environment lab at UC San Diego.
The San Diego county resident did not have a travel history, had mild symptoms which have resolved, and he did not need to be hospitalized. The man, who was fully vaccinated and had received his booster shot more than two weeks earlier, is currently at home in isolation.
Contact tracing is underway to identify people who may have had close contact with the man.
“This case confirms our expectation that the Omicron variant is now spreading in the community. While the Delta variant remains the main strain circulating in San Diego, we expect to see more Omicron cases in the region,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “San Diegans should continue taking the recommended precautions, especially getting all the recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses.”
To date, there have been two Omicron variant cases confirmed in San Diego County. The first local Omicron case was reported by the County Dec. 9 in a patient who traveled abroad.
Future Omicron cases will be tallied in the Summary of Variant Cases which is published by the County every Wednesday.
The County continues to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health to review existing recommendations and determine if changes should be made in the region.