San Diego County identified its first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the county Health and Human Services Agency announced Thursday.
The infection was found in a San Diego resident who had recently traveled abroad. The patient, who had been vaccinated and received a booster, was not hospitalized and is under isolation.
The patient tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, the county reported. The San Diego Epidemiology and Research for COVID Health Alliance then conducted whole genome sequencing and identified the Omicron variant in the positive sample Thursday morning.
The county HHSA is conducting an investigation to identify people who may have had close contact with the patient.
"We expected that the Omicron variant would make its way to San Diego, and it has," said Dr. Wilma J. Wooten, county public health officer. "We are continuing to monitor for the Omicron variant and will report any other cases to the public when they are identified."
