(CMR) A Texas man who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 and was unvaccinated is the first Omicron-related death reported in the United States.
The Harris County health department said that the victim, aged between 50-60 years old, was at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 as he was unvaccinated.
Earlier in December, Britain reported the first publicly confirmed death globally from Omicron. Twelve people in Britain have now died with the variant, and 104 are currently in hospital with it, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Monday.
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus accounts for 73% of US coronavirus infections based on sequencing data for the week ended 18 December, the CDC said.
Globally, Omicron cases are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days, the World Health Organization said.
While the Omicron variant presents with milder symptoms, the rapid rate at which it spreads could see an increase in hospitalization as more people with underlying illnesses are likely to catch it.
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