Colorado's first case of omicron variant detected, Polis announces during COVID-19 update

Colorado reported its first confirmed case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus Thursday afternoon, Gov. Jared Polis announced during a news conference moments after the case was confirmed.

The case was detected in an Arapahoe County woman who returned late last week after traveling in various countries in southern Africa, according to Polis and the state health department. She started developing symptoms and got tested for COVID-19 one day after she returned to Colorado via Denver International Airport, state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy confirmed Thursday.

The woman was fully vaccinated but had not yet received a booster dose. As of Thursday, she was experiencing mild symptoms, Polis said.

Colorado is the third U.S. state to report a case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, following California and Minnesota. As the latest variant to be deemed a variant of concern by the World Health Organization, omicron's mutations on the spike protein of the coronavirus show it could be more transmissible than other variants before it, according to the state health department.

From USA TODAY: What are omicron variant symptoms? Everything to know about the latest coronavirus strain.

While Colorado is only the third state to confirm a case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, Polis said that doesn't mean the variant isn't already in more parts of the U.S. Thursday's discovery, Polis contended, speaks to the strength of Colorado's COVID-19 screening process.

Last December, Colorado's health department was the first in the U.S. to identify the alpha variant of the coronavirus.

“We knew it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when (the omicron variant) was identified in Colorado," Polis said Thursday.

While the extent of the variant's community transmission is still unknown in the U.S., wastewater analysis in Colorado had not shown any community transmission statewide as of Thursday, he added.

Strategies to combat the omicron variant of the coronavirus are identical to those the state has implemented to combat previous recent variants — encouraging COVID-19 vaccination, regular testing, mask wearing, social distancing and good hand-washing, Herlihy said.

Be COVID-safe: Tips for celebrating the holidays during another COVID-19 surge

People who have recently traveled internationally should also get a PCR COVID-19 test within three to five days of returning to the U.S., regardless of symptoms or vaccination history, according to the state health department.

COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide saw a small dip over the past week — decreasing from 1,576 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations Nov. 23 to 1,432 Monday — but Polis said he and state health officials are not sure what the next two weeks will bring following recent in-person holiday gatherings. Statewide, roughly 82% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, he said.

Polis once again used the Thursday news conference to push for increased vaccinations in the state, noting the need to protect yourself amid the recent variant news.

"If we have a few weeks or longer until this variant is widespread here, let's use it wisely to protect ourselves," Polis said.

Mobile COVID vaccine clinics: Larimer County school districts host year-end clinics for students, community

Erin Udell reports on news, culture, history and more for the Coloradoan. Contact her at ErinUdell@coloradoan.com. The only way she can keep doing what she does is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, sign up for a digital subscription to the Coloradoan today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Omicron in Colorado: COVID variant detected in Arapahoe County