Omicron Variant: Your Questions, Answered
Author: Dr. Nancy Yoon
As the Springfield-Greene County community recovers from previously elevated daily averages of COVID-19 due to the Omicron surge, many are wondering: What about the next surge or variant? And, potentially, the next after that?
It is no secret that Omicron, which rapidly spread across the US at the tail end of 2021, ignited surges in nearly every state or community, including Greene County. Communities that were reporting low COVID-19 cases before Omicron began seeing a new peak number of cases. Greene County surpassed 1,100 new cases a day on Jan. 20 during the surge, a first for the community throughout the entire pandemic. A disease spread of this magnitude has led to many questions about the severity, symptoms, and spread of future variants and how to cope with them.
It’s important to remember that viruses are constantly changing through mutation and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 infection) is not any different. Mutations of a virus lead to variants like Delta and Omicron, or in the case of the flu, different strains. Some variants of SARS-CoV-2 will persist while others have and will disappear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As the Omicron surge begins to wane, reflecting on the path of Omicron can help answer the many questions the community may have about variants and the future of COVID-19 in our community. However, it is also important to remember that we cannot predict the future, and our knowledge and recommendations may continue to change.
This leads us to our first question:
How did Omicron start?
Because Omicron is a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it emerged due to the rapid spread and mutation of the virus. It was first reported to the World Health Organization in November 2021 by South Africa after samples taken from positive COVID-19 cases in the lower region of the continent showed new characteristics.
Omicron was labeled as a Variant of Concern on Nov. 30, 2021, meaning there was evidence it would have a high impact on diagnostics, treatments, or vaccines.
Is Omicron worse than Delta?
The Health Department began sending positive COVID-19 samples to the University of Minnesota to test for sequencing in late 2021 as the Omicron surge swept the country to determine its prevalence in this community. Both the Delta and Omicron variant have hit Greene County at full force and though cases prior to Omicron had stabilized, that doesn’t mean that the Delta variant went away completely. There are still current cases of Delta in Greene County, making up 9.5% of cases as of Feb. 2 while Omicron cases make up 91.5% of about 140 positive cases sent for genomic sequencing.
It has been estimated that Omicron is more than four times as transmissible as the Delta variant. In terms of disease severity, a report released by the CDC just last month shows that while Omicron has escalated COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to nearly its highest point yet, indicators such as length of stay, ICU admission, and death, were lower than what we’ve seen in past high transmission periods.
Getting vaccinated and receiving a booster when eligible helps prevent the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, or death from the variants of SARS-CoV-2. Our department has more information about vaccination on vaccine417.com.
Why should I wear masks then?
Omicron is a highly contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 and protecting ourselves as much as possible, like getting vaccinated and wearing a mask properly, is the best action to take right now to avoid getting severely sick. Wearing a mask, despite vaccination status, is a simple but effective tool we can all use to help decrease case numbers.
Disease can spread when in close contact with others while someone is carrying the virus and not wearing a mask, especially in a high transmission area.
The CDC County Check shows a strong mix of high, medium, and low transmission areas across the country. Currently, Greene County is considered a medium transmission area. Being a medium transmission area, the CDC recommends staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, getting tested if you have symptoms, and if you are at a higher risk for severe illness to talk to your healthcare provider about whether to wear a mask and take other precautions.
An N95 mask is the most effective mask to wear to prevent spread of disease but masks with no filter or holes and worn correctly do the job, too. Always make sure your mask is secure to your face and covers your nose and mouth to keep from spreading disease.
I’m vaccinated and wear a mask — why should I get a booster to protect me from Omicron if both work?
While wearing a mask and getting vaccinated are the best tools to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, or death from COVID-19, getting a booster when eligible is an additional important step in avoiding hospitalization. The level of immunity wanes over time, and the vaccines may not offer the same protection against the newer variants that have emerged. According to the CDC, not receiving a booster puts an adult between the ages of 18–49 at 12 times the risk of hospitalization than if they hadn’t received a booster. Children between the ages of 5–17 are 8 times more likely to be hospitalized without a booster. In addition, people who have been vaccinated are believed to have lower viral loads if they become infected with SARS-CoV-2, which helps reduce the spread of the virus.
Additional local data illustrating the importance of receiving a booster can be found here.
Should I be worried about Omicron BA.2?
There are only two Variants of Concern (VOC) identified currently of SARS-CoV-2: Delta and Omicron. Subvariants under Delta and Omicron are also being closely monitored by the CDC.
The BA.2 subvariant has been detected in countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and the US. It has also been detected in wastewater samples in Greene County. However, with cases falling globally, the BA.2 variant does not appear to be causing a new surge of cases. It also appears that the risk of reinfection with BA.2 is low.
Once more is known about these variants, the Health Department will notify the community on additional steps of protection. I encourage those who have not yet chosen to be vaccinated or received a booster to read up on the Health Department’s VaxFacts page here to learn more information.
