TAMPA, Fla. — A veterans’ hospital in Tampa said it has detected the first case of the omicron COVID-19 variant in Florida.
Officials from the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital said the patient is experiencing mild symptoms and had recently returned from international travel.
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“Our providers were able to quickly detect, test, confirm and add this data to our developing understanding of this strain,” a spokesperson for the hospital said.
The hospital said it is critical to get vaccinated against the virus as soon as possible, as the new variant begins to spread.
READ: Omicron concerns drive Central Florida residents to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters
“While no vaccine is 100% effective in preventing illness, the COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. provide excellent protection against the COVID-19 variants that have caused surges in the United States so far and are particularly effective in preventing severe illness or death from COVID-19,” the spokesperson said.
According to the CDC, the omicron variant has been detected in 17 states so far, not including Florida.
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