Omicron confirmed in Wyoming
New COVID-19 variant now in at least 45 states in US - no deaths reported to date
by Pinedale Online!
December 18, 2021
On December 17th, the Wyoming Department of Health confirmed at least one case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Wyoming in an adult from Albany County. A second probable case is pending confirmation.
This variant was first detected in mid-November in Botswana and South Africa. The first case in the U.S. was detected December 1st, 2021. As of the date of this article, omicron has been detected in 45 of 50 states in the U.S.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta." WHO also states, "It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta."
The Centers for Disease Control states, "We don’t yet know how easily it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, or how well available vaccines and medications work against it. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms."
Data shows that fully vaccinated people can still get the Alpha and Delta variants of COVID-19 and transmit it to others, especially once they are past the 3-6 months after having been vaccinated or having received a booster shot. Natural immunity appears to last much longer, at least one year, but it is not known if it is effective against omicron.
To date, no one age 18 or under has died of COVID-19 in the state of Wyoming in the two years of the pandemic.
There have been no deaths reported to date in the U.S. due to the omicron variant.
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