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.”