Whatcom Health Department announces county’s first COVID-19 omicron variant case
Whatcom County has its first confirmed case of the COVID-19 omicron variant, the Whatcom County Health Department announced Friday evening, Dec. 10.
The Washington State Department of Health confirmed the first case of the omicron variant in Whatcom County today, Whatcom Health said in a news release.
“The person who tested positive for the new variant, a vaccinated man in his 30s, is currently in isolation,” the health department stated.
The first cases in the state were confirmed six days ago in Thurston, Pierce and King counties, according to earlier reporting in The Bellingham Herald. The patients — two men and a woman — range from 20 to 39 years old. Samples from the three were collected between Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, and the cases were confirmed at an in-state lab.
“There are many unknowns about this new variant, but according to the CDC this variant likely spreads more easily than other variants, although it isn’t known whether or not this variant spreads more easily than the delta variant,” the county stated in its news release.
“More data is needed to determine whether or not this variant causes more serious illness than other variants, or evades immunity derived from vaccines or prior infection, better than other variants. Current vaccines are expected to protect against this variant, as with others, although breakthrough infections can be expected. The Whatcom County Health Department advises everyone who’s eligible to get a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.”
“The presence of omicron in our county really highlights the importance of getting vaccinated, and getting a booster,” Whatcom County Health Department’s Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Manager Cindy Hollinsworth said in the statement. “Breakthrough infections happen, but vaccines are still the best defense we have against this virus and all its variants. Masks are the next best defense. And if anyone feels sick, if anyone has a fever, a cough, trouble breathing or any other symptoms of COVID-19, they need to get tested right away, even if they’re fully vaccinated. Isolate at home until you get your test result, and call your health care provider.”
Delta remains the dominant variant in Washington State, according to the latest sequencing and variants report from Wednesday, Dec. 1.
This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 6:23 PM.
