No Data Yet To Detail Omicron’s Presence In Mother Lode

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Sonora, CA — The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated this week that 73-percent of new COVID cases nationwide are directly attributed to the Omicron Variant.

Early studies from the UK and other countries are indicating that symptoms from Omicron have been less severe than the Delta Variant, and there have been fewer hospitalizations. Health officials do say, however, Omicron has been more contagious than Delta.

The California Public Health Department is strongly encouraging everyone to consider getting a vaccine booster shot to increase protection.

Locally, it is more difficult to find out exactly how prevalent Omicron is. The initial test results simply indicate a positive or negative case, and the advanced testing of results sent to labs to identify more specific variant strains can take several weeks.

Tuolumne County Public Health Director Michelle Jachetta says there have been no official confirmed cases of Omicron yet, locally, as the latest advanced results are still from late November. She notes, however, “With the recent rise in cases (locally), we can assume Omicron is circulating in Tuolumne County.”

California had the nation’s first confirmed case of Omicron, and as of late yesterday, the state had confirmed 191 cases of the variant. The number is anticipated to jump in the coming weeks when more results return back.