SEATTLE (AP) — The first cases of the omicron coronavirus variant have been confirmed in Washington state, health officials say.
The State Department of Health announced the news Saturday but didn’t immediately provide details. Agency officials plan to hold an evening media briefing, spokesperson Julie Grauert said in a release.
Much remains unknown about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it can thwart vaccines and whether it makes people as sick as the original strain.
Given the realities of international travel, scientists said it was inevitable that the omicron variant would be discovered in the U.S., and they believe it may have been spreading in the country before it was detected.
The coronavirus is continually evolving, but most mutations are inconsequential. At this point, scientists are trying to figure out whether omicron spreads more easily or causes more severe disease than the delta variant. They are also studying how well the current vaccines work against it.
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