A man in Texas who died after infection with the Ômicron variant of the coronavirus was unvaccinated and had already tested positive for Covid-19, according to a statement from the Harris County Public Health Service, where he lived.
“The individual was at increased risk for serious complications from Covid-19 because of not being vaccinated and for underlying health problems,” he wrote.
The case is the first confirmed Ômicron-related death in the United States.
County judge Lina Hidalgo announced the death on Monday (20), saying the man was in his 50s.
Ômicron caused more than 73 percent of new coronavirus cases in the US last week, making it the dominant strain — before it, the biggest problem was Delta — according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ).
Some research has shown that this new variant may cause milder forms of Covid-19 compared to other strains, but further investigations are still ongoing.
Experts say vaccination and booster shots remain the best way to lower Covid’s risk of serious illness or death.
“Of course, we’re going to have hospitalizations, deaths, tragically, like what we’ve seen now, but the evidence shows that for those vaccinated, with boosters, they’re much less likely to end up in a hospital,” Hidalgo said.
*With information from Katherine Dillinger of CNN
This content was originally created in English.
original version
Reference: CNN Brasil
