Signs of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been found in California sewage, officials said, as the number of cases associated with the new variant rose into double digits this week, including a confirmed infection in a Long Beach resident.
Clues suggesting Omicron’s presence in the Central Valley were picked up in sewage samples collected in Sacramento and Merced counties, state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan reported Tuesday at a discussion hosted by the California Medical Association. California.
“We’re definitely seeing Omicron statewide,” Pan said.
In Sacramento County, Stanford University researchers detected a distinctive mutation found in the Omicron variant from sewage collected on Nov. 30, according to a statement provided by county spokeswoman Janna Haynes. Results were confirmed Monday, the county said.
“These findings indicate that the Omicron variant is likely present in Sacramento County,” the statement said.
Pan noted that the mutation was also found in a sewage sample collected in Merced County.
Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed an 11th case of the Omicron variant Wednesday in an interview with ABC’s “GMA3” morning show. He commented that he expects more cases.
“While there are only 11 cases, believe me, it is exponentially larger. And that means it’s ubiquitous, probably, across the country, or at least it will be more and more,” Newsom said.
Still, scientists say it’s unclear whether Omicron will become the country’s dominant strain, displacing Delta, which now accounts for more than 99% of coronavirus cases tested nationally, a point Newsom emphasized.
“The deepest aspect: The Delta variant is the problem. And it is the cause that generated increases in 30 states during the last weeks, which caused hospitalizations and occupation in ICUs, ”emphasized Newsom. “And that’s why we’re still very cautious and very aggressively promoting boosters and vaccinations.”
Of the people confirmed to have Omicron in California, five reside in Alameda County, four in Los Angeles County and one in San Francisco. It was not clear which county the 11th person lives in.
Long Beach on Tuesday reported a case of this variant in a fully vaccinated resident who had no symptoms and who had traveled abroad, though not to southern Africa. The largest proportion of Omicron cases that have been identified have occurred in people from southern Africa.
The five variant cases in Alameda County were linked to seven other people who were also infected with the coronavirus and were invited to a wedding in Wisconsin on November 27. All were under the age of 50 and had mild symptoms. Also, all were inoculated and most had received their booster shots, reported Pan.
The index case, or the first infected person in the outbreak, is believed to be a wedding guest who returned from Nigeria on November 24, one day before South African scientists revealed their discovery of the new variant and three days later. before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Omicron to be a variant of concern. The wedding in Wisconsin had more than 100 people and there were events where people wore masks and also where they did not.
There are reasons to be concerned about how transmissible the Omicron variant is. Pan referred to a report released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detailing a case of probable airborne transmission in a Hong Kong quarantine hotel among airline passengers. They were across the hall.
“Retrospective investigation, including CCTV camera footage, confirmed that none of the patients left their room during the quarantine period. No items were shared between rooms and no other people entered any of the rooms,” the report states.
“The only time the two quarantined people opened their respective doors was to collect the food that was placed right at the door of each room. The only other time they could have opened their doors would be to [las pruebas de coronavirus], which were performed at three-day intervals. However, because these two case-patients arrived within a day of each other, it is unlikely that they were tested on the same day.”
The Omicron variant has been most prominently identified in South Africa, with an initial cluster of cases among university students in the populous Gauteng province, which is home to Johannesburg and Pretoria, Pan reported. Monitoring websites indicate there are more than 67,000. probable cases of Omicron in South Africa and more than 300 confirmed cases.
The variant was first reported to the WHO by South Africa on November 24, and the WHO declared Omicron a variant of concern two days later. Authorities in San Francisco confirmed the first case in the United States on December 1 in a resident who returned to the city on November 22 and developed symptoms around November 25.
Many scientists are concerned about Omicron because it has many more mutations than previous variants of concern, including Delta. The mutations that have been identified “have a lot to do with transmission. So everyone is worried that it might be more contagious,” which could affect how the virus attaches to human cells, Pan said.
There is also concern that Omicron may cause more reinfections than previous variants. Pan pointed to preliminary data showing there is “a twofold increased risk of re-infection compared to previous waves. So that again suggests an invasion of immunity from a previous infection.”
But doctors are hopeful that people vaccinated with booster doses will be protected against serious illness.
“A booster dose strengthens and amplifies the immune response. It is widely believed that inoculating yourself as much as possible will keep you out of the hospital and prevent you from dying from the Omicron variant,” said Ventura County Health Officer Dr. Robert Levin.
Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, detailed Wednesday that an initial laboratory study suggested that three doses of their vaccine may provide strong protection against Omicron. Two doses may not be enough to protect against infection with this variant, the companies commented, although two doses may still protect against severe illness.
“Although two doses of the antigen may offer protection against severe disease caused by the Omicron strain, it is clear from these preliminary data that protection is enhanced by a third dose of our vaccine,” said Albert Bourla, Pfizer President and CEO. it’s a statement.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser for the pandemic, called the news encouraging in an interview on CNN’s “At This Hour.”
“This is good news about booster protection,” Fauci noted. “The news we received last night and this morning about the effect of the reinforcements makes me feel some relief.”
If you want to read this article in English, click here.
–
