Read The Intersection's Latest Story On The Omicron Variant - Issue #16

Omicron

The Intersection Mag interviewed Dr. Andrew Pekosz, who studies respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2, and influenza. We talked about the Omicron and Delta variants. Pekosz said, as other media science reporters have, that the Omicron variant spreads like wildfire. Here is an excerpt:

What is known about the variant so far?

AP: It is very clear that this variant can spread faster than any other variant that has been identified to date. It is nearly astronomical in terms of how quickly it is moving through multiple countries. It seems to be displacing the Delta variant in countries where that variant was causing a large surge of infections, like the U.S. Furthermore, it has started new SARS- CoV-2 outbreaks in countries where there were relatively low numbers of cases (infections). It is spreading like wildfire, and that may be an understatement.

We know that it is capable of infecting people who have been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, as well as people who were [fully] vaccinated. It appears that when researchers look at the antibodies that have been generated by the vaccines, most of those antibodies don't recognize the Omicron variant. But if you get a booster vaccine on top of your two-dose vaccine, then your antibodies tend to recognize Omicron much more effectively. We hope that will translate into greater protection for individuals who have received a booster vaccine (a third dose). I say that realizing that there are some people who have received their third dose of the vaccine but gotten infected. However, right now, it looks like it's a lower number of people in that category that are getting infected with the Omicron variant.

“….it is good to remember that the people who are going into the hospitals right now are probably infected with Delta. So we are in an odd place here in the United States. We are seeing new infections with Omicron, but the severe infections are probably driven by the Delta variant.”

COVID-19 Numbers

Note: Though the Maryland Department of Health has resumed posting state data on COVID-19 cases, Prince George's County has not. Prince George's County COVID-19 data website was last updated on Dec. 2.

Maryland

Jan. 3 Positive Cases: 14, 251

Jan. 3: Hospitalized: 2,746

Deaths: 26

screenshot from www.marylandmatters.com

Prince George's County

Total Positive Cases: 132,442

Deaths: 1,746

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