Yesterday the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has detected the newest variant
of concern the Omicron variant, in Wisconsin. The Omicron variant was classified as a variant of
concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on November 30, 2021. Variants are
classified as variants of concern if they show evidence of being more contagious, causing more
severe illness, or resistance to diagnostics, treatments, or vaccines. To date, one case of the
Omicron variant has been identified in a specimen from a Wisconsin resident with recent travel
history to South Africa. The person with the Omicron variant is an adult male and is a
Milwaukee County resident who recently returned from a trip in South Africa. The person was
fully vaccinated and had received a booster dose. The person reported mild symptoms and no
hospitalization has been required. Contact tracing efforts have been completed. This case is not
related to the COVID-19 outbreak that DHS and the City of Milwaukee Health Department are
investigating.