Jesse Paul
The Colorado Sun
The omicron COVID-19 variant has been detected in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis announced Thursday.
“The case was identified in an adult female resident of Arapahoe County who had recently traveled to southern Africa for tourism,” the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a news release. “She is experiencing minor symptoms and is isolated and recuperating at home. She had been fully vaccinated and was eligible for the booster vaccine but had not received it yet.”
The omicron variant was first identifeid overseas last week and there’s still a lot experts don’t know about the new variant, including how easily it spreads between people or the severity of symptoms, Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state’s epidemiologist, said during a news conference Tuesday.
It’s possible, she said, that the variant could be more transmissible or may mutate in a way that makes it more adept at evading the body’s immune system, potentially causing reinfection.
It may be several weeks before epidemiologists get a better understanding of the risks of the variant.
Polis said in a Facebook post that omicron’s discovery in Colorado does not mean it’s time to panic, but that it’s a “time for caution.”
This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.
