Behind-the-scenes: UNC Charlotte lab ups COVID variant testing during holidays

CHARLOTTE — The first case of the COVID-19 omicron variant in North Carolina was detected inside a lab at UNC Charlotte. A student at UNC Charlotte was the first case of omicron found in the state. The student has since recovered.

[PAST COVERAGE: UNC Charlotte student NC’s first confirmed case of omicron variant]

The World Health Organization said omicron is spreading at a rate not seen with any previous variant and research teams have begun increasing their efforts to find variants of the coronavirus.

Sequencing technician William Taylor was at the UNCC lab when omicron was discovered on Friday. It was buried in hundreds of samples brought in by the county health department, StarMed and the campus.

“Once that sample came back and it was analyzed against the known sequence for omicron, it was like, ‘Whoa,’” Taylor said.

Officials at the lab notified county and state authorities.

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“We’re ramping up now,” Taylor said. “We’re going to take as many positives as we can get in the next couple weeks.”

The sequencing technician said they want to have an early report in case there is a potential increase in omicron cases over the holidays.

The omicron variant detected in North Carolina remains the only case known so far. The next batch of results is due on Friday.

Return to this story for updates.

(Watch the video below: UNC Charlotte student NC’s first confirmed case of omicron variant)

UNC Charlotte student NC’s first confirmed case of omicron variant

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