Omicron variant infection found in Minnesotan with COVID-19

[question everything]

A coronavirus infection involving the omicron variant has been identified in a Minnesotan who recently traveled to New York.

Genomic sequencing surveillance of samples from infected individuals identified the COVID-19 case, which Minnesota leaders said was inevitable given how quickly the omicron variant spreads.

"This news is concerning, but it is not a surprise," Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. "We know that this virus is highly infectious and moves quickly throughout the world."

The confirmed infection involved a vaccinated man from Hennepin County who developed mild symptoms Nov. 22 and sought testing two days later. The man, who has recovered, spoke with state case investigators and confirmed he had traveled to New York City and attended the Anime NYC convention Nov. 19-21. State investigators urged him to isolate from others to prevent the spread of the infection.

Minnesota's current COVID-19 wave has been dominated by the fast-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus. The omicron variant was labeled a "variant of concern" last week after it was identified in South Africa, where it spread quickly and showed some potential to evade immunity from vaccination or previous infection.

https://www.startribune.com/omicron-variant-infection-found-in-minnesotan/600123059/

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I don't know why I am thinking of how Sondheim song "Send in the clown" ends: Don't bother They're here

[GopherGal]

1. The part that scares me

... is that it was apparently acquired in the US. I wasn't that alarmed by the California case in someone with recent South Africa travel, but this one seems to map to recent NYC travel (and convention attendance). If he caught it there, who's to say how many other people might have caught it there and took it home with them.

[question everything]

2. This is why some of us here questioned the recent ban on certain flights

It is obvious that many mutated forms are floating around and why it is useless to determine that "we are free" and to throw cautions to the wind.

[geardaddy]

3. And for a stupid anime conference

[progree]

4. Two bad MN covid reports in a row,

5,313 new cases on Thursday and 5,685 on Friday

Compare to the pre-Thanksgiving 7-day average of 4,266 cases/day. (The 7-day dipped during and after Thanksgiving 4 day weekend, as expected, but now seems on course to set a new high for 2021)

[progree]

5. Well we did it, beat the pre-Thanksgiving peak and now 7day average highest since December 11

with the addition of the Dec 3rd 5,682 new cases
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/minnesota-covid-cases.html

So pretty much an entire year of progress has been reversed.

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https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

We also beat Michigan, which is now #3 in highest daily new cases per capita, 7 day moving average

Minnesota is #2

New Hampshire is #1

Wisconsin is #4, NoDak is #6

The U.S. as a whole -- 7 day moving average of daily new cases has surpassed the pre-Thanksgiving peak and is now the highest since Oct 3, reversing exactly 2 months of progress.