>> Announcer: YOU’RE WATCHING WCVB NEWSCENTER 5 AT 50.:3 JESSICA: THE FIRST CASE OF THE OMICRON VARIANT HAS NOW BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE U.S.HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. DANIEL KURITZKES, CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPIT.AL BEN: LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW. THIS PATIENT FLEW OMFR SOUTH AFRICA TO SAN FRANCISCO ON NOVEMBER 22, AND TESTED POSIVETI FOR COVID ON NOVEMBER 29. HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE IDENTIFIED ALL CLOSE CONTACTS. AND SO FAREV, ERYONE HAS TESTED NEGATIVE. THE PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT SEEMS CONTAINED, BUT WHAT DO YOU THK?IN >> I THINK THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT. THISS I ONE PARTICULAR CASE. IT’S GREAT THAT TSHI PERSON REPORTED TRAVEL HISTORY AND IDENTIFYHE T CONTACTS AND NOBODY ELSE BECEAM INFECTED. WE WILL BE FOOLING OURSELF THAT THIS ISHE T ONLY INTRODUCTION OF OMICRON IN THE UNITED STATES. JESSICA: THE PATIENT WAS FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID, BUT HADN’T RECEIVED A BOOSTER SHOT. IS THAT SIGNIFICANT? DOES IT SUGGEST TO YOU THAT OMICRON CAN EVADE THE VACCIS?NE >> WELL, IT’S HARD TO KNOW. WE’VE CERTAINLY SEEN PLENTY OF BREAKTHROUGH CASES WITH DELTA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE VACCINES ARE NOT GOING TOE B PERFECTLY PROTECTIVE. WHETHER THERE’S MORE OR LESS PROTECTION AGAINST OMICRON OR THE OTHER VARIANTS IS TOO EARLY TO SAY. THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A BREAKTHROUGH CASE DOESOT N TELL US MUCH. BEN: PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SAID, THE OMICRON VARIANT IS A CSEAU FOR CONCERN, NOT A REASON TO PANIC. I SEEN COUPLE OF ARTICLES IN THE TELEGRAPH OF LONDON THAT SD,AI THERE COULD BE A SILVER LINING HERE. IF OMICRON IS MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN DELTA. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? >> I THINK THERE’S ALMOST NEVER A REASON TO PANIC. IT’S MUCH MORE APPROPRIATE TO BE CONCERNED THANO T PANIC. I THINK THAT WE DON’T KNOW WHETHER IF THIS VIRUS CAUSES LESS DISEASE. I WOULD NOT RELY SPREAD OF NATURAL INFECTION TO GENERATE HERD IMMUNITY. THERE ARE NO EXAMPLE OF HERD IMMUNITY LEADS TO PROTECTION OF POPULATION. THINK OF ALL THE GENERATIONS WE HAD SMALLPOXND A MEASLES. JESSICA: I ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT A NEW STUDY, THIS ONE LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIS.ON WHAT DOES IT SHOW ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO SPREAD COVID TO OTHE?RS >> THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING REPORT. FROM COLLEAGUES OF MINE AT THE HARVARD SCHOOL PUBLIC HEALTH AND BRIGHAM AND WENOM HOSPITAL. WHAT THEY SHOWED, PEOPLE WHO WERE VACCINATED AND HAD A BREAKTHROUGH INFECTION SHED VIRUS FOR SEVERAL DAYS SHORTER THAN UNVACCINATED PEOPLE. THAT DOESN’T MEAN TYHE COULDN’T TRANSMIT. THEY DIDN’T MEAREOW HSU MUCH CONTACTS BECAME INFECTED. THEY ARE PROJECTGIN WHAT TO THEY KNOW ABOUT THE CLEANARCE OF VIRUS. BEN: DR. DANIEL KURITZKES THANK YO

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Video: Boston doctor says more omicron COVID-19 cases in US are near certainty

Updated: 6:14 PM EST Dec 1, 2021

The first case of the omicron variant in the United States was identified on Wednesday, and one local expert says he is “almost certain” there are currently other cases in the country.

BOSTON —

The first case of the omicron variant in the United States was identified on Wednesday, and one local expert says he is “almost certain” there are currently other cases in the country.

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