Third Georgian has contracted omicron variant, DPH says

ATLANTA — The Department of Public Health says a third case of the omicron variant has been detected in a Georgia resident.

“Previously, two cases of the Omicron variant were confirmed in metro Atlanta residents. One of those individuals was tested in New Jersey and is recovering there,” DPH said in a news release Thursday.

The health department said the person is unvaccinated and is currently experiencing mild symptoms.

“Preliminary data show that Omicron may cause less severe illness but may spread more easily than the Delta variant,” DPH said.

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In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said “the disease is mild” in almost all of the cases seen so far, with reported symptoms mainly of cough, congestion and fatigue. One person was hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported, CDC officials said.

“What we generally know is the more mutations a variant has, the higher level you need your immunity to be. ... We want to make sure we bolster everybody’s immunity. And that’s really what motivated the decision to expand our guidance,” Walensky said, referencing the recent approval of boosters for all adults.

The omicron variant was first identified in South Africa last month and has since been reported in 57 countries, according to the World Health Organization.

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