Arizona Health Authority Announces Case of First Omicron COVID-19 Variant in State

Phoenix ―――― Phoenix (AP) — Arizona The first known case of the Omicron variant was identified in Yavapai County, state and local health officials said Wednesday.

The Arizona Department of Health and the Yavapai County Community Health Department urge people to be vaccinated, boosted if eligible, stay home in case of illness, wear masks, and maintain physical distance. I did.

“Of course, we should be worried, but we must avoid overreacting to this news,” Leslie Houghton, head of the Yavapai County Health Department, said in a news release.

State Health spokesman Steve Elliott added, including when the person was tested and whether he or she traveled to areas of the world where variants are known to be endemic. Refused to publish information. He said the agency has withheld information “to maintain patient privacy.”

New case COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) In the United States, the average daily number of people on November 22 has increased from about 95,000 to about 119,000 this week, and hospitalizations have increased by 25% from a month ago. Omicron has been detected in about 20 states and is certain to spread further, but the increase is almost entirely due to the delta variant.

The average number of deaths per day is close to 1,600, returning to October. And within two years of the crisis, the death toll across the United States could reach another tragic milestone of 800,000 in a matter of days.

Scientists monitor mutations and the evolution of the coronavirus through genetic tests that are separate from the type of test used to determine if someone is infected with COVID-19. This sequence allows scientists to monitor how the virus changes over time.

Coronaviruses are constantly evolving, but most mutations are not important. At this point, scientists are trying to figure out whether Omicron is more likely to spread than the delta mutants that are currently predominant in the United States, or if it causes more serious illness.

Arizona reported 3,506 confirmed COVID-19 cases and an additional 18 deaths on Wednesday due to a slight decrease in the number of inpatient virus cases.

As of Wednesday, 2,753 inpatients were occupied by the virus, down from 2,800 on Tuesday. This is the highest ever on the rise.

Hospitals throughout the state are crowded with both viral and non-viral patients. According to the dashboard, as of Tuesday, only 6% of inpatient beds were available.

However, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, the 7-day moving average in Arizona has increased over the past two weeks, rising from 46.6 on 22 November to 64.9 on Monday.

The daily moving average of new cases also increased over the same period, increasing from about 3,964 to about 4,044.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 1.3 million cases have been identified in Arizona, with nearly 23,000 deaths.

Health experts say the variant is likely to have been in the state for some time

“I’ve been here for a while, and this isn’t clear today,” said Will Humble, managing director of the Arizona Public Health Association.

“Because I’ve been here for at least a few days, there are certainly dozens, and perhaps hundreds, of cases in Arizona, but we don’t know yet,” he adds.

According to Humble, only a few of the positive COVID-19 tests can actually be tested to see which mutant it is.

“They randomly selected specimens daily for sequencing and happened to pick Omicron samples from Yavapai County, which could have been easily obtained from Douglas, Phoenix, Gilbert, and Tucson,” he said. ..

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related: Health officials are urging vaccinated Arizonas to shoot COVID boosters in concern about Omicron mutants

AZDHS: “Arizonas can protect themselves and their families while maintaining hospital capacity. “

Tip:

• Get a flu shot: azhealth.gov/Flu
• Mask up, maintain physical distance, wash hands, stay home in case of illness, and follow other precautions: azhealth.gov/COVID-19
• Be tested 5-7 days after being exposed to people who have symptoms or who are or may be infected with COVID-19: azhealth.gov/Testing
• If you or your loved one is infected with COVID-19, consider monoclonal antibody therapy that can reduce the severity of the disease and reduce the chances of hospitalization. azhealth.gov/mAbs

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