The Vaccinated Make Up Nearly 80 Percent of COVID-19 Omicron Cases
According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control, almost 80 percent of the known Omicron variant cases of COVID-19 are vaccinated. So far, there are 43 cases of Omicron variant in the United States. Six of the people infected by the latest variant previously were infected with COVID-19. The fully vaccinated make up the largest portion of Omicron cases in America,
Among these cases of COVID-19 attributed to the Omicron variant, 34 (79%) occurred in persons who completed the primary series of an FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine [greater than or equal to] 14 days before symptom onset or receipt of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result, including 14 who had received an additional or booster dose; five of the 14 persons had received the additional dose [less than] 14 days before symptom onset.
One of the vaccinated people who tested positive for the Omicron variant was hospitalized for two days. There haven't been any deaths attributed to the Omicron virus. Most of the infected people report having mild symptoms, like fatigue, a runny nose, and a cough.
The President of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, has issued a warning that a fourth vaccine dose may be needed to combat the Omicron variant,
“When we see real-world data, will determine if the omicron is well covered by the third dose and for how long. And the second point, I think we will need a fourth dose.”
In New York State, the predominant variant is still Delta, according to the New York Department of Health,
For samples of SARS-CoV-2 collected between November 21 and December 4, 2021 from New York State that are sequenced and entered into Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID), 98.9% were the Delta variant, compared to 99.3% in the previous two-week period.
The Omicron variant was first confirmed in New York State on December 2, 2021. For samples of SARS-CoV-2 collected between November 21 and December 4, 2021 from New York that are sequenced and entered into GISAID, 0.6% were the Omicron variant.