The new omicron variant has made its way into Iowa, and the first case has been reported in a minor.
"@IAPublicHealth and @HygienicLab have confirmed the first case of the COVID-19 #Omicron variant in a BHC resident," Black Hawk County Health Deptartment tweeted. "This is the first case of the Omicron identified in Iowa. The community is urged to get vaccinated and continue other COVID-19 safety measures."
The first case of the variant omicron in Iowa was identified in a Black Hawk County resident. The patient is a minor, unvaccinated, and as of Dec. 9, remained asymptomatic.
The confirmation of a case from the new variant in the state was not a surprise as every state around Iowa has an omicron case, the Des Moines Register reported. It is not yet clear whether the omicron variant is more lethal than the delta variant, according to Dr. Daniel Diekema, a medical professor and epidemiologist at the University of Iowa Hospitals.
The patient's family has cooperated with isolation and quarantine requirements. The arrival of the omicron variant further stresses the importance of vaccination, and anyone who is in the eligible age range should come up for their booster doses.
Alerts Sign-up