Kansas Hospitals and Health Officials Prepare for Omicron Variant Arrival

TOPEKA – As confirmed cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 begin to appear across the country, Kansas health officials and hospitals are bracing for the variant’s arrival in the state.

On Wednesday, the public health departments in California and San Francisco confirmed a recent case of COVID-19 caused by omicron in a resident who had just returned from South Africa, where the variant was first identified. The first confirmed case was followed by reports on Thursday that the variant had been identified in COVID cases in minnesota and Colorado.

With the arrival of omicron in the United States, concerns have arisen about the effectiveness of vaccines and treatment options, such as monoclonal antibodies, against the variant. Matt Shoemaker, an infectious disease expert in the University of Kansas health system, said omicron was still largely unknown.

“I think we’ll kinda have to see how these models play out,” Shoemaker said in a briefing Tuesday. “We don’t know the severity of the disease, just as we don’t know the effectiveness of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. So at this point, unfortunately, it’s a watchful wait.

The World Health Organization has called the omicron a “variant of concern” and it is believed to be more infectious than the delta variant. According to a KU Health System medical expert in Kansas City Star reports, there is a small chance that the omicron variant is already in the Kansas City area and, if not, will arrive in the coming weeks.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is already researching the omicron variant, spokesman Matthew Lara said. The department regularly works with lab partners to obtain positive COVID-19 samples for further genomic sequencing testing to identify variants.

Lara said that omicron is different from delta because it has what is called an “s gene drop”.

“All positive samples will be run for a second time using this test to look for s gene drop,” Lara said. “Any samples that are missing the s gene in the second test will then be prioritized for genomic sequencing to determine if it is the omicron variant. “

In the meantime, Kansas hospitals are still focused on balancing daily health emergencies with the care of patients with the delta variant, which has filled hospitals, said Cindy Samuelson, spokesperson for the Kansas Hospital Association. KDHE reported on Wednesday that the state had recorded 4,477 new cases, 19 new deaths and 133 new hospitalizations since Monday.

Samuelson said hospital officials were urging the Kansans to take action to stay healthy and reduce the burden on healthcare workers.

“At this time, we continue to urge community members to get immunized. If they are vaccinated and can be given a booster, they should do so, “Samuelson said, adding that” washing your hands, wearing a mask and keeping a safe distance are also essential during this time “.