An unvaccinated man with underlying health conditions died in Texas on Monday after testing positive for the COVID-19 omicron variant, officials in Houston said, marking what is believed to be the first death linked to the strain in the U.S.
Harris County Public Health revealed in a statement that the man, who was in his 50s and had previously been infected with COVID-19, died after contracting the omicron variant.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and other officials said the death was the first local fatality from the omicron strain. According to ABC News, the death is believed to be the first known recorded omicron-related fatality in the U.S.
The announcement comes on the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the omicron variant now accounts for 73 percent of U.S. coronavirus infections based on sequencing data for the week ended Dec. 18.
Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated, and if they have already received their two shots, to get a booster injection, as the shots provide the best protection from the virus causing complications or death.
