State braces for omicron wave
Dec. 21—TRIAD — The omicron variant of COVID-19 could sweep across North Carolina in the next few weeks, which could lead to a spike in infections up to 10,000 a day from the more contagious version of the virus, the state Health and Human Services secretary said Monday.
Worse, the existing treatments for people who develop severe symptoms from COVID-19 do not appear to be as effective against omicron as against earlier variants, making it critical for people who have not been vaccinated to get their shots, Dr. Mandy Cohen said during a media briefing with Gov. Roy Cooper and other state health officials.
"It is incredibly contagious, it's moving very fast," she said. "We're going to be ... without a treatment that really works."
Medical professionals say the early experience with omicron in other parts of the world is that the vaccines are less effective at keeping someone from getting infected with COVID-19, but they remain strongly effective at preventing someone from getting seriously ill or dying.
During the briefing at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, Cooper and the other state leaders said they worry about a rapid rise in viral illnesses sapping the capacity of hospitals.
Cohen said almost every major medical center in North Carolina has reported finding the omicron variant in some patients.
The delta variant remains most prevalent in North Carolina and most of the country, but omicron case numbers appear to double every two days — a great deal faster than previous variants spread.
Cohen said omicron could become the most prevalent variant in North Carolina by the second week of January. The initial case of omicron in North Carolina was confirmed Dec. 10 in Mecklenburg County.
On Monday, there were 1,630 COVID-19 hospitalizations in North Carolina, the highest daily total since the fall surge caused by the delta variant peaked in mid-October, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. By contrast there were 1,056 hospitalizations statewide on Nov. 18.
State health officials reported 437 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds on Monday. There were 296 COVID-19 patients in ICU beds on Nov. 18.
Still, in answering a question from a journalist during the briefing, Cooper said his administration isn't currently planning to reinstate mask mandates or social gathering limits, though Cooper and Cohen advised people to wear masks in public settings and hold Christmas celebrations outdoors where possible.
They said that getting vaccinated and getting a booster are the best protective measures anyone can take.
Gatherings for the Christmas and New Year's holidays also highlight the importance of getting tested for COVID-19, the governor and Cohen said. If you test positive or display symptoms of COVID-19, public health officials advise you to avoid holiday gatherings, Cohen said.
"This is a moment to act," Cohen said. "We can keep people from becoming really sick and make sure there is hospital care for everyone who needs it."
Despite the omicron worries, Cooper said the state remains in a better position now than a year ago, when vaccines were in their infancy and not widely available.
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
