Headline Roundup • December 1st, 2021
First Case of Omicron Variant Detected in US
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was detected in the U.S. Wednesday.
The infected person is a fully vaccinated individual who recently returned to California from a trip to South Africa and tested positive for the virus on Monday. Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci announced the finding at the White House Wednesday and said the person has "mild symptoms, which are improving at this point." He added that it was "just a matter of time" before the first U.S. case of the Omicron variant was found. Scientists say the newest COVID-19 variant is more mutated and might spread faster than other versions of COVID-19. So far, people infected with the Omicron variant have been either asymptomatic or suffering from mild symptoms, according to health professionals worldwide.
Outlets across the spectrum covered the news prominently. Some coverage from left- and center-rated sources highlighted reports that the infected person hadn't received a booster shot.
Featured Coverage of this Story
VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
A person in California has the nation’s first confirmed case of the new omicron coronavirus variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.
The unidentified individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa to the U.S. on Nov. 22. The case was confirmed by the California and San Francisco departments of public health, according to the CDC.
“The individual, who was fully vaccinated and had mild symptoms that are improving, is self-quarantining and has been since testing positive. All close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative,” the...
(AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)
The U.S. recorded its first confirmed case of the omicron variant Wednesday — in a vaccinated traveler who returned to California after a trip to South Africa — as scientists around the world race to establish whether the new, mutant version of the coronavirus is more dangerous than previous ones.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious-disease expert, announced the finding at the White House.
“We knew it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” he said.
...
(Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)
The first case of the Omicron COVID variant in the U.S. has emerged in California, the CDC announced Wednesday.
“The California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health have confirmed that a recent case of COVID-19 among an individual in California was caused by the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529),” the CDC wrote in a statement.
During a White House press briefing Wednesday, Dr. Fauci said the case was detected in an individual who traveled from South Africa on November 22 and tested positive for the virus on November 29.
Fauci added that the...
AllSides Picks
Blog
Mass Kidnappings, Covid Contingencies, ICE Controversies: Stories You May Have Missed
Malayna J. Bizier
June 18th, 2026
Red Blue Translator
Anti-vaxxer
