US records first death believed related to Omicron variant, media report

Health officials in Texas said the state recorded the first death related to the Omicron Covid-19 variant, ABC News reported on Monday. It is believed to be the first known recorded Omicron death in the United States, ABC said in its report, citing Harris County health officials.

The victim was a man in his 50s, who was unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions, the report said.

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus accounts for 73% of US coronavirus infections based on sequencing data for the week ended Dec. 18, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday.