Texas' Harris County on Monday reportedits first death related to the Omicron COVID-19 variant, a man who was unvaccinated, the county health department said, Trend reports citing Reuters.
It is believed to be the first known recorded Omicron death in the United States, ABC News reported. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the issue.
The victim, aged between 50-60 years old, was at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 as he was unvaccinated, the health department said in a statement.
County judge Lina Hidalgo tweeted that the man was the first local fatality from the variant.
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus accounts for 73% of U.S. coronavirus infections based on sequencing data for the week ended Dec. 18, the CDC said on Monday.