The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports additional cases of the Omicron variant in Anchorage residents. Data from the DHSS’s Coronavirus Variants Dashboard indicates there are up to four cases of the variant. The CDC says that the newest variant likely spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and how easily Omicron spreads compared to the Delta is unknown at this time.
State Epidemiologist, Dr. Joe McLaughlin said:
“What do we know about Omicron? We already talked about the fact that this particular variant does spread more easily than other variants. Will omicron cause more severe illness? Again, we don’t know for sure. Some of the early data suggests that it may well be associated with milder illness, and we hope that is the case. Will vaccines work against Omicron? Some of the early studies that have come out on this front indicate that vaccine effectiveness doe seem to be lower with Omicron, but what we’re seeing is that if you get a booster dose, for example, if you have received two doses of let’s say one of the mRNA vaccines and then you get a booster dose, that dramatically increases the vaccine effectiveness against COVID illness and also against prevention of a more severe illness. We are seeing that even in people who have not received a booster dose but have had their full series seem to be well protected against hospitalization and death, however, we are still seeing some hospitalization and death in breakthrough cases.”
The DHSS says that protective measures against the Omicron variant remain the same as for the other COVID virus variants. Layering on other protective measures, including masking, handwashing, physical distancing, and testing can also help reduce the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, including Omicron. Using a self-test before gatherings is also advised.
In addition, the DHSS also encourages Alaskans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if they haven’t already done so and to get boosted if they are eligible.