First Omicron Variant Case in NC Detected on UNC Charlotte Campus

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The first omicron variant in North Carolina was confirmed on UNC Charlotte campus, Mecklenburg County Health Officials announced Friday (December 10).

A student at the university tested positive for the variant. The school website says the student had traveled out of state for Thanksgiving break before returning back to campus.

WCNC Charlotte reports, the student was fully vaccinated and did not have a severe case after contracting the variant. The student has since recovered.

Anyone who may have come in close contact with the student were notified through the University’s contact tracing protocols, and no additional positive cases have been identified.

Health Director Gibbie Harris said this is also the first confirmed case of the omicron variant in North Carolina. Harris said she’s not surprised the variant is here, given the large population and the amount of travel during the holiday season.

The case was identified through UNC Charlotte’s sequencing program.

The omicron variant was first detected in the United States in California on Dec. 1.