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First American Known to Have Died With Omicron Was Unvaccinated

The man, who was in his fifties and from Texas, died Monday after testing positive for the Omicron variant.

The first American known to have died after catching the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was unvaccinated. The unnamed man, who was in his fifties and from Texas, died Monday after testing positive for the heavily mutated Omicron variant. Harris County Public Health said in a statement that the man had underlying health problems and hadn’t received any COVID-19 shots. “The individual was at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 due to his unvaccinated status and had underlying health conditions,” the statement read. Barbie Robinson, HCPH executive director, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the patient’s family, and we extend our deepest sympathies... This is a reminder of the severity of COVID-19 and its variants. We urge all residents who qualify to get vaccinated and get their booster shot if they have not already.”