MDH: Minnesota Man ‘Likely’ Picked up Omicron Variant in NYC

(KNSI) – Officials say it will be weeks before they learn how widespread the new COVID-19 omicron variant is in Minnesota and across the country.

On Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed its first case of omicron in a Hennepin County man. MDH officials say the man was at the 2021 Anime Conference at the Javits Center in New York City from November 19th through the 21st. Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said an estimated 53,000 people attended the conference.

“It seems quite possible, perhaps most likely, that the transmission happened at the convention in New York City, but that’s not definitive. It was as a large convention.”

Malcolm says the man was vaccinated more than six months ago and received his booster shot in early November. The man had no international travel. Officials say he started to feel sick on November 22nd and tested positive for COVID-19 on November 24th.

The specaiman become suspcios due to it genetic sequenceing. The MDH laboratory confirmed the man had the new COVID variant Wednesday afternoon and contacted him. Minnesota is working closely with New York City and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to reach people at the convention.

MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann says he’s now in isolation and cooperating with contact tracing efforts.

“Identifying a case means that we found that cases have been occurring. So, the timing is that this person was getting ill even before we were hearing about omicron.”

The man has since fully recovered from his illness. Officials say at least one person who’s been in close contact with the man has tested positive for COVID; however, the sample has finished getting sequenced to see if it’s the new variant. The cases aren’t linked.

Minnesota is waiting on the results of a handful of suspicious positive COVID cases to see if the new variant caused them. MDH says it can take two to five days to get the genetic sequence from a COVID sample.

Health officials are still learning about the new variant and aren’t sure if omicron is more contagious or deadly. Officials encourage the public to get vaccinated and take a booster shot if they can.

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