Omicron variant of COVID is ‘very likely’ in Kansas, health department says
The omicron variant of COVID-19 is “very likely” in Kansas, a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Wednesday.
Omicron has been detected in every state bordering Kansas other than Oklahoma. The variant is thought to be more infectious than other strains of the virus, but it is unclear whether it can evade a person’s immunity or cause severe cases.
In an email to The Star, KDHE spokesman Matt Lara said though it is “very likely” omicron is in Kansas, a case has not yet been identified or confirmed.
“Kansans need to follow the same recommendations we have had from the beginning — wear a mask, social distance, get tested and get the vaccine or booster,” Lara said.
Lara said KDHE screens every positive COVID-19 test sample it receives for characteristics of the omicron variant.
Federal officials said this week that omicron could become the predominant variant of the coronavirus in the United States in a matter of weeks over the delta variant.
COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations have been increasing in Kansas during the holiday season.
According to the New York Times, average new cases per day in Kansas have increased 61% in the past two weeks, while hospitalizations have increased 26% and deaths have increased 155%.
As of Tuesday, Kansas was reporting 1,649 new cases per day and 19 new deaths.
Also, 68% of Kansans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Gov. Laura Kelly said omicron won’t change the state’s response to the pandemic.
“I think KDHE is doing good work that they’ve been doing for the last nearly two years on this,” Kelly said. “Even if we know it won’t change the approach. The approach will be the same with all the public health safety protocols in place and really encouraging people to get vaccinated or get boosted.”
On the University of Kansas Health System’s daily briefing Wednesday, Chief Medical Officer Steve Stites called trends across the Midwest “very concerning.”
“This is a challenging time because we’re so darn tired of following the rules,” Stites said. “But with omicron coming for the holidays, people not wearing masks, gathering indoors and not enough of us vaccinated, this may be our greatest challenge.”
