First case of the Omicron variant identified in western New York

Researchers at the University of Buffalo have identified the first case of a highly transmissible Omicron variant of Covid-19 in western New York.

–

Health experts have said that since the variant was first identified in South Africa in November, the question is when, and not if, Omicron will arrive here. In just a few days, Omicron became the dominant strain of the virus in New York City, causing what Governor Cathy Hochhol called a “vertical” increase in cases on Wednesday. With Omicron’s arrival in New York City, the state as a whole has steadily set one-day workload records since testing for the virus became widely available around the onset of the pandemic.

–

Researchers at the University of Buffalo said they were unable to say exactly when the variant arrived in western New York City, but it has likely been circulating in the community for at least two weeks. The variant was first announced to the world on November 25 and is believed to be two to three times more transmissible than the already readily prevalent delta variant which has led to a sharp increase in the case in western New York dating back to mid- October.

–

The genetic sequencing needed to determine what type of virus is in a DNA sample can take up to two weeks, and researchers at the University of Buffalo said they have completed the sequencing of 800 samples as of November, all of them. delta type.

–