The Omicron variant of Covid-19 was discovered in wastewater in Houston, the largest city in the south central US state of Texas, confirming the new strain’s local spread, according to city officials on Tuesday.
According to multiple local media outlets, the city has discovered the Omicron variant in eight of its 39 wastewater treatment plants.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, a woman in her 40s living in Harris County, which encompasses much of Houston, was identified as Texas’ first case of the Omicron Covid variant on Monday.
According to local media, the woman was fully vaccinated and had no recent travel history.
The first Covid Omicron variant case in Chicago was identified in someone who had contact with someone who had travelled to the city and tested positive for Omicron in another state, according to the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday. The person was fully vaccinated with a booster dose and is not hospitalised.
The World Health Organization has classified Omicron as a “variant of concern” after it was first reported in South Africa on November 24.
