SEATTLE — The first three cases of the omicron coronavirus variant have been confirmed in Washington state, officials said Saturday.
The cases were found in three counties: Thurston, Pierce and King, according to the Washington Department of Health. The patients — two men and a woman — range from 20 to 39 years old.
Samples from the three were collected between Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, and the cases were confirmed at an in-state lab. Details about the patients’ conditions weren’t immediately released.
Much remains unknown about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it can thwart vaccines and whether it makes people as sick as the original strain.