GA COVID-19 Cases Spike As Omicron Becomes Dominant In SE: CDC
ATLANTA, GA — The omicron variant has overtaken the delta coronavirus variant, including in the Southeast, and is now dominant in the United States, accounting for 73 percent of new cases, federal health officials estimate.
The omicron spike comes three weeks after the variant was detected half a world away and days before Americans gather for the holidays, sparking fears among health officials that COVID-19 cases could return to early pandemic levels.
In the Southeast region — including Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and North Carolina — omicron variant cases outpace the delta variant, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Southeastern states are taking different steps to prepare for what seems to be an inevitable winter spike. Georgia public health officials who counted only five cases last week and updated the number Tuesday to 25 continue to urge the public to get vaccinated and get booster shots that have been shown to be effective in protecting against the more contagious omicron variant ahead of a major spike in the state. Still, state officials reported 29,929 COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks — more than twice the amount in the same two weeks ending Nov. 18.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis says he will not pursue the kind of public shutdowns many more hard-hit states like New York and New Jersey are considering.
Regional proportions from virus specimens collected by the CDC the week ending Dec. 12, show the delta variant accounting for only 4.7 percent while the omicron strain has grown to be very dominant at 95.2 percent.
The CDC numbers reported Monday show how quickly omicron is spreading. Nationwide, omicron variant cases increased six-fold in only a week.
In some regions of the country, the spike is higher than 73 percent. The variant accounts for at least 90 percent of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the Midwest and Pacific.
The delta variant had been dominant since June, and as recently as the end of November represented 99.5 percent of new cases.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters Monday that omicron’s rapid spread matches what other countries have seen.
“These new numbers are stark, but they are not surprising,” Walensky said.
Only about 28 percent of Americans have gotten their COVID-19 booster shots, which health officials say is the best defense against the omicron variant. Only about 61 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated but aren’t boosted, and health officials are worried about the nation’s ability to withstand a fifth wave of COVID-19.
For more information, go to the CDC data tracker.
This article originally appeared on the Atlanta Patch
