First omicron COVID case detected in Fresno, public health department confirms
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The Fresno County Public Health Department confirmed the first known case of the omicron COVID-19 variant in Fresno on Monday.
The variant was detected in a traveler returning to Fresno County who tested positive on Dec. 10. The patient was vaccinated against the coronavirus and received a booster shot. The patient so far has not been hospitalized and remains at home in isolation.
The health department is investigating who the patient may have had close contact with, which has become standard procedure during the pandemic.
“Health Officials expected this aggressive new variant to arrive in Fresno County, and now it has,” David Luchini, the public health department’s director, said in a statement. “Now is a critical time to protect our communities and prevent this highly contagious strain of COVID from spreading to our vulnerable populations.”
Omicron cases in Fresno County are expected to grow in the coming days and weeks based on the rate of cases reported in other parts of the country and the rate of COVID-19 cases in the San Joaquin Valley, health officials said.
“Evidence suggests that Omicron spreads more rapidly than other variants, and more is being learned every day,” a statement from the public health department said. “Although some evidence suggests that a lower percentage of people infected with Omicron may be hospitalized and die, if a surge causes many thousands of new cases per day, even a small percentage of that total entering our hospitals will overwhelm healthcare delivery systems. As with the Delta variant of COVID-19, vaccinations and boosters do help prevent Omicron infections and also hospitalizations.”
Public Health officials said the best prevention and protection against COVID-19 remains vaccination. Getting the booster shot when eligible is particularly important for preventing the Omicron variant, officials said. Boosters are available for all residents 16 and older.
Public Health officials recommended testing for COVID-19 before gathering for the holidays and staying home if you’re feeling sick. Health officials recommended residents keep gatherings small and said outdoor events are safer than indoor ones.
“Everyone eligible for a vaccine needs to have one as soon as possible, and those due for a booster dose should get one as soon as they can,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s Interim Health Officer. “The added protection of a booster will be needed to reduce infections and prevent severe illness this winter.”
In addition to vaccines and boosters, masking, testing, ventilation, and social distancing remain effective defenses against COVID-19.
Vaccinations are available at no cost to the public, regardless of immigration status, and insurance is not required. Residents can make an appointment at the hundreds of sites across the county. For more information, visit https://myturn.ca.gov/ or call 833-422-4255.
This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 4:45 PM.