MSDH: Virus variant in Mississippi
It’s the 17th state to report omicron case
A coronavirus case identified as the variant omicron was reported in Mississippi, making it the 17th state with the variant, according a Monday news release from the Mississippi State Department of Health.
The person infected was a fully vaccinated traveler who’d recently come back from New York. They were not hospitalized, the health department’s release noted.
“We were prepared for the appearance of this variant in Mississippi, and we need to remember that Delta is still a very active variant of COVID-19 currently in the state, as well,” State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said in the release.
Omicron, listed by the World Health Organization as a “variant of concern,” was first detected in specimens collected in mid-november in Botswana and South Africa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Much remains unknown about omicron, especially as it relates to the highly contagious and still-prevalent delta variant. The CDC noted omicron is spread more easily than the original SARS-COV-2 virus, however, it is not known whether the variant causes more severe disease.
In Mississippi, state health officials said delta remains the predominant variant in the state that’s continuing to spike case counts and drive coronavirus-related hospitalizations.
The CDC and Mississippi health officials alike urge vaccination and mask-wearing, noting their protection against the delta and omicron variants.
It’s still too early to tell how vaccination against omicron will affect severity of illness, hospitalization and death likelihood. Though, the CDC said “breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur.”
“Vaccines remain the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19, slow the transmission rate, and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging,” Dobbs said.” COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death.”
Building up a defense against the coronavirus is especially important this winter season as Mississippi’s health care systems remain understaffed and “struggling,” Dobbs said.
As of Monday afternoon, 44% of Mississippians are fully vaccinated, according to state health department reports. About 293,000 residents have gotten a booster dose.
Despite the unknowns around omicron, Mississippi health officials said it’s imperative to wear a mask in densely populated spaces, be fully vaccinated and, if eligible, get the booster shot.
During a press conference in Hattiesburg, Gov. Tate Reeves said based on what he’s heard from the nation’s health officials, it’s too soon to know what omicron’s wake will bring.
“It seems like, and Dr. Fauci actually said this yesterday on a number of morning shows, that this particular new variant certainly is very transmissible and it’s very contagious,” Reeves said. “But the virus and the disease people are getting, particularly those who are vaccinated, doesn’t seem to be as serious as was initially thought and anticipated.”
Hattiesburg American reporter Laurel Thrailkill contributed to this report.
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