BREAKING: COVID-19 Variant Omicron Found In Southeast Nebraska

LINCOLN–(KFOR Dec. 3)–The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been found in southeast Nebraska.

According to officials with the Public Health Solutions District that covers Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Saline and Thayer counties, the first of the six cases was likely exposed during international travel to Nigeria, returning November 23 and becoming symptomatic Nov. 24. Five other cases were likely exposed through household contact. Just one of the cases was vaccinated and no one has been hospitalized.

Case investigations and contact tracing are ongoing. The patient self-identified their travel history, sought testing, and alerted PHS. A team from PHS promptly investigated and coordinated testing for sequencing to identify a variant, and sequencing was rapidly completed through NPHL.