An unvaccinated man in the Houston area is believed to be the first person in the US to die from COVID-19’s Omicron variant, health officials said.

The man, who was in his 50s, had survived a previous case of COVID-19 but had underlying health conditions, the Harris County Health Department said Monday.

“The individual was at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 due to his unvaccinated status and underlying health conditions,” health officials said.Harris County Public Health Director Barbie Robinson said the man’s death was “a reminder of the severity of COVID-19 and its variants.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the patient’s family, and we extend our deepest sympathies. We urge all residents who qualify to get vaccinated and get their booster shot if they have not already,” Robinson said in a statement.

The development came as Omicron has become the predominant strain of the coronavirus infecting Americans, accounting for 73 percent of infections in the last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Scientists in South Africa first alerted the world of the new variant in late November.

The variant has since reached at least 89 countries, with cases believed to be doubling every 1.5 to 3 days.

Earlier in December, Britain reported the first publicly confirmed death globally from Omicron.

Since then, the variant has claimed the lives of at least seven people in the United Kingdom.

With Post wires