The Grayson County Health Department (GCHD) has released information on the Omicron COVID-19 variant, believed to be responsible for a recent surge in cases throughout the U.S.
The variant continues to be studied, but health officials have gleaned important data on the virus since it was first labeled a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization on November 26.
The variant was first diagnosed in Botswana and South Africa in early November.
“Public health professionals have been informed that the Omicron variant is spread easily, and may spread faster than the Delta variant,” GCHD Director Josh Horton said. “We also know that the variant is a concern for everyone, but those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 are at higher risk.”
Horton noted that with about half of Grayson County residents unvaccinated, and even fewer residents inoculated with a booster, the variant could spread rapidly within the community.
“As it relates to Grayson County, we still have nearly 50 percent of the population who have not received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine,” Horton said. “This will allow variants of the virus to spread quickly here at home as well as contribute to further mutations of the virus in the future. Data produced from Africa indicate that those vaccinated with a booster dose have stronger protection against the new variants compared to those who received their initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine months ago.”
Gov. Andy Beshear on Tuesday reported 4,297 new COVID cases in Kentucky, the most cases recorded on a single day since September 28.
The positivity rate on Tuesday was 12.61 percent, the highest the metric has been since September 19. On December 1, the positivity rate was 8.56 percent.
Twenty-three new deaths were announced on Tuesday, giving the commonwealth 1,110 deaths during the month of December, about 40 deaths per day.
State health officials on Tuesday reported 1,330 people are being treated in a hospital, up 40.3 percent from the 948 hospitalized December 1. There are 342 patients in intensive care, up 37.3 percent from the 249 people in ICUs on December 1, and 203 people are on ventilators, up 65 percent from the 123 patients on ventilators on December 1.
The Omicron variant was first confirmed in Kentucky on December 20, when a 26-year-old Louisville woman, who underwent a COVID test on December 6, was diagnosed with the variant after laboratory analysis. The woman has not traveled outside the area, indicating she contracted the variant from someone locally.
The variant has since been confirmed in multiple Kentucky counties and in wastewater samples from southwest Jefferson County.
“As Omicron spreads here in the United States,” Horton said, “local health organizations are concerned with an increase in mortality rates amongst those unvaccinated, as well as the level of illness and hospitalizations that will be experienced within the next few months, especially given an already fatigued medical infrastructure.”
For information about booster dose eligibility, or general information regarding vaccination or COVID-19, visit graysonhealthcenter.org/virus.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
