PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The City of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania have seen the first case of a resident testing positive for the omicron variant of COVID-19.
The variant was detected in sequencing by Mako Medical Labs. State health officials reported the case to the city.
Philadelphia Department of Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said the patient is a man in his 30’s who lives in the northwest part of the city, but it’s likely he’s not the only one.
"We suspected that omicron would be in Philadelphia shortly and had hoped to have a little bit more lead time than this, but it probably means we have at least a few cases in the city," said Dr. Bettigole.
"Given the amount of sequencing, that’s what I would expect, and we’re seeing that from around the country, cases popping up fairly quickly."
Omicron cases have also been identified in five other states including New York.
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The patient’s symptoms are described as mild, but omicron is believed to be highly contagious. Vaccine effectiveness against it is still unknown, and the Department of Public Health is aiming to avoid community spread.
"The hope is that he is taking precautions and that others around him are taking precautions, but I think we have to assume there could be other cases in Philadelphia," said Dr. Bettigole.
Still, Dr. Bettigole said vaccines and boosters are likely to be the best prevention, and she urges residents to double down on other precautions like masking and avoiding indoor gatherings.
"There’s a real concern that as people go inside, and especially if they’re not taking precautions inside, they’re gathering with other people. We could see a huge spike in cases, so hoping people take this as a warning sign," said Dr. Bettigole, who also recommended double-masking.
"I want people to pay very close attention to the risks they’re taking individually. If you’re planning on getting together, especially inside, eating and drinking with other people, that’s a risky activity. That’s something right now, at least until we have a little bit more information about omicron, you may want to rethink."
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“Since the discovery of this new variant, we have been preparing for the likelihood of an omicron case in Philadelphia,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement.
“A new variant, especially one that may be more transmissible, means that we have to stay vigilant about taking steps to protect ourselves and everyone around us. I know that this news is especially discouraging as we enter the holiday season, but we can get through this together. Now is the time to get your vaccine or booster, mask up, and take extra precautions when you are going out in public or getting together with other households.”
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the CDC on the man's case of the omicron variant of COVID-19.
The Health Department's announcement of the first omicron variant case in Philadelphia happened on the same day that First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
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