In a statement to The Times, the California Department of Public Health said that a sample of wastewater collected in Merced County on Nov. 25 contained a mutation that suggests the Omicron variant was present in California at that time. The finding reinforces observations that scientists have made in recent weeks: that Omicron was rapidly spreading across the world before global health officials were aware it existed. AdvertisementThere are other examples that indicate Omicron was in California before the WHO gave the variant its Greek-letter designation and raised the alarm on Nov. 26. The samples were retested and confirmed using a second, more specific lab procedure indicating the variant is likely present in Sacramento and Merced counties, state officials said. There have been more than a dozen confirmed Omicron cases identified in California, with the latest reported in Santa Clara County on Thursday.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 11, 2021 02:41 UTC