Only a matter of time until omicron strain appears in U.S.

coronavirus

The latest variant of COVID-19, called omicron, has not been detected in the United States yet, but health officials expect it will be soon.

State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah told reporters Monday it could take weeks before scientists and public health experts can determine how transmissible the new variant is compared to the delta variant, as well as how effective vaccines are against it. It is still too early to determine if omicron, which was first detected in South Africa, is more virulent than delta or causes more severe symptoms.

But experts do expect that current testing and genotyping infrastructure will detect the variant as quickly as it arrives. Washington state ranks in the top 10 states in the country for its rate of genotyping cases as well as overall number of cases sequenced, Shah said. This is due to both public and private health labs partnering with the Department of Health to examine a percentage of positive COVID-19 testing samples for variants.

The CDC now says adults who are eligible – meaning six months past Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two months past Johnson & Johnson vaccine – “should” get a booster. Pfizer is expected to ask the FDA this week for authorization to offer boosters for those ages 16 and 17. Shah asked Washington residents who haven’t been vaccinated at all against COVID-19 to begin their series. To prevent the new variant from spreading once it’s detected, health officials said what’s been working –masking, vaccines, distancing and testing – will continue to be effective. (Spokesman-Review)

Tags: , , , ,