In Louisiana and beyond, if you watch or listen to the news - either reporters or elected officials talking to reporters - you'd think the current death toll caused by the COVID Omicron variant is equaling the darkest days of the pandemic. No less than the President of the United States recently sounded the alarm for America, warning of "a winter of severe illness and death."

Well, if Joe Biden is right, our dark days of doom have gotten off to a pretty slow start, because no matter what dire forecast you see, hear or read, the following is fact.

Right now, the number of deaths caused by the COVID Omicron variant across the entire United States of America officially stands at...one.

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From Britain's The Independent:

"An unvaccinated man from Texas died after contracting Omicron, becoming the first person to die from the COVID 19 variant in the US.

"The Harris County (Houston area) health department in Texas said that the man, believed to be in his 50s, was not vaccinated and had an underlying health condition."

And from WebMD:

"Health officials in Texas have announced the state’s first COVID-19 death related to the Omicron variant. It may be the first Omicron death in the U.S.

The unvaccinated man in his 50s had been infected with COVID-19 previously and tested positive for the Omicron variant before his death. He had health conditions that put him at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19, Harris County Public Health officials said."

And Houston's KHOU:

"After warnings of an omicron surge over the holidays, Harris County has reported its first death caused by the omicron variant of COVID-19. It's also the first known omicron death reported nationwide."

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And while each COVID related death is tragic, for now, at least, it's a long way to reach the thousands and thousands of Omicron deaths projected for the holidays. People in power - and the people who report on them - have jumped the gun on tragedy more than once of late. Let's hope this Christmas, they're guilty of their biggest exaggeration of all.

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