TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the case was identified from a sample of a Tarrant County resident by a lab in Frisco.
The first case of the omicron COVID-19 variant in North Texas has been detected in a Frisco lab, Tarrant County health officials confirmed Thursday.
Tarrant County Public Health said the patient is a man in his 30s from Tarrant County, who has not traveled internationally recently. TCPH says a case review is underway.
So far, cases of the omicron variant have been confirmed in 21 states, according to the CDC.
The first known case in Texas was confirmed on Dec. 6 in Harris County for a woman who had not traveled anywhere recently.
Health experts say that while there's limited information about the omicron variant, it's still important to observe safe COVID protocols.
"If you get a booster, you increase your antibodies, which may help with omicron, clearly helped with delta," said Dr. David Winter of Baylor Scott & White. "So if you haven't gotten a booster, get that. If you haven't gotten the vaccine, now is the time to reconsider."
It will take a few weeks to learn key aspects about this latest variant, including whether it's more contagious, causes more severe illness or evades immunity -- and if so, how by much.
In addition to wearing a face mask, avoiding crowds and improving ventilation, testing is another protective step. That’s recommended for anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms or was potentially exposed to the virus. But it also could help ensure safety before holiday gatherings, even if everyone attending has been vaccinated.
To-date, the delta variant remains the dominant strain of the virus in the United States.
The omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization on Nov. 24 and it was first detected in South Africa, according to the CDC.