At Least 19 US States Report Presence Of Omicron Variant - Centers For Disease Control

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th December, 2021) The presence of the new coronavirus variant Omicron has been confirmed in at least 19 US states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said on Tuesday.

"Here in the US there are confirmed (Omicron) cases in nineteen states," Walensky said during a briefing.

The Omicron was first detected on November 24 in South Africa. Initial studies have shown it to be potentially more transmissible than other variants. However, South African Health officials have said Omicron was detected in vaccinated individuals and the cases were mild.

In recent appraisals, health experts, including Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, have said the effects of Omicron appeared to be less severe than initially thought.

On Monday, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus thanked South Africa for promptly alerting the world about Omicron, but expressed disappointment that some countries hastily imposed travel restrictions on countries in southern Africa without a more detailed study of the new variant.