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Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Image Credit: Bloomberg

Washington: The first US case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected in California, top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday.

The individual in question had returned from South Africa on November 22 and tested positive seven days later, he said.

He said the person, who was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 but had not had a booster shot, had mild symptoms and was self-quarantining.