‘Now is a critical time.’ Why Fresno County’s first omicron case has officials alarmed
Health officials confirmed that the fast-spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus, now believed to be behind about three-quarters of all new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., has been detected in Fresno County.
The person with the confirmed infection is a traveler who returned to Fresno County and tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 10. The patient was not only fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but had also received a booster shot, according to the Fresno County Department of Public Health.
The county agency said Monday that it is conducting contact tracing to identify people with whom the infected person may have been in contact over the past 11 days.
The arrival of the omicron variant, which was first detected in southern African nations, in Fresno County was fully anticipated and not unexpected.
That’s because the first U.S. case was identified earlier this month in San Francisco in a traveler who returned from abroad. Many more cases are expected to crop up as more results come back from genomic sequencing of positive COVID-19 tests, although those results typically come back about two weeks after a person is tested.
“Health officials expected this aggressive new variant to arrive in Fresno County, and now it has,” said David Luchini, director of the Fresno County Department of Public Health. “Now is a critical time to protect our community and prevent this highly contagious strain of COVID from spreading to our vulnerable population.”
Nationwide, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that the omicron variant was responsible for more than 73% of all new COVID-19 cases in the week ending Dec. 19 – an enormous jump from 12.6% of cases just a week earlier, on Dec. 11. At the start of the month, the share of new COVID-19 cases attributed to the omicron variant was less than 1%.
The wildfire-like spread of the new variant across the U.S. and around the world is prompting new sets of recommendations and limitations on business, entertainment and social activities.
In California, a statewide mandate for residents to wear masks in indoor public spaces was issued last week as rates of new cases began to tick up in the wake of the Thanksgiving holiday.
In New York City, the Rockettes have canceled their famous Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall, and Broadway shows are canceling some performances. The National Hockey League has suspended its games until after Christmas. In Boston, plans are to require diners, revelers and shoppers to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, bars and stores.
As infections have spread, European countries have so far gone further than the United States, with restrictions ranging from a full lockdown in the Netherlands to indoor mask mandates in the United Kingdom.
A theater in western England refunded $240,000 in tickets. The Advantage Travel Group, which represents U.K. travel agents, said that business — flights, cruises and package holidays — plummeted fell 40% in mid-December from a month earlier. A diner in central Madrid absorbed cancellations for about half its booked space one week recently.
Importance of vaccines
The ferocity with which omicron is being transmitted in the U.S. – even among people who have been “fully vaccinated” with either two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine – is triggering renewed urgency among health officials asking previously vaccinated people to get a booster dose and for those who are unvaccinated to start getting their shots.
“Everyone eligible for a vaccine needs to have one as soon as possible, and those due for a booster dose should get one as soon as they can,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer. “The added protection of a booster will be needed to reduce infections and prevent severe illness this winter.”
Everyone ages 5 and older are eligible for vaccines, and ages 16 and older are eligible for booster shots. COVID-19 vaccines are available in different areas of the county, including at many retail pharmacies and various pop-up clinics and events. To find out how and where to get vaccinated, visit the Fresno County Public Health Department website at www.fcdph.org/covid19vax, or the state’s MyTurn online vaccine registration site at myturn.ca.gov or calling 833-422-4255.
Fresno County officials warned that even though evidence suggests that a lower percentage of people who are infected with the omicron variant may get sick enough to require hospitalization or die from their illness than other coronavirus strains, “if a surge causes many thousands of new cases per day, even a small percentage of that total entering our hospitals will overwhelm healthcare delivery systems,” the county health agency said in a statement Monday afternoon.
Dan Lynch, emergency medical services director for Fresno County, said Friday that while local hospitals have seen a slight decline in the number of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization for treatment, they remain at or near capacity because of the volume of patients being seen for other non-coronavirus conditions and illnesses.
Through Monday, about 54% of Fresno County’s total population of more than 1 million residents were considered “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19, and 15% had also received a booster shot in the past few months. More than 405,000 residents in the county, or just over 39% of the total population, remain wholly unvaccinated, yet to receive even one shot.
Vohra encouraged people to follow the state’s renewed call for wearing face coverings in public indoor spaces to slow the spread of the virus, and to follow health advice, much of which is the same that has been promoted since the first local cases of the COVID-19 pandemic were reported in March 2020, particularly as families plan gatherings for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays:
- Anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate themselves and get tested as soon as possible.
- Get tested before gathering or traveling, upon returning, and again three to five days later.
- Have everyone ages 5 and older get their COVID-19 vaccine and booster if eligible.
- Take advantage of quick and easy home test kits available in pharmacies and stores.
- Wear a mask indoors and in crowded settings. KN95 masks are more effective than cloth masks at preventing spread and protecting you from contracting COVID-19.
- If you are hosting an indoor event, increase ventilation by opening windows or turning on ventilation, and consider placing HEPA filters in rooms.
- Keep group gatherings small. Gather with close family units.
- Outside gatherings are safer than indoor gatherings.
- Be particularly cautious around elderly or people with compromised immune systems and consider COVID-19 testing before such interactions.
To learn more about testing or vaccines in Fresno County, the health department has a toll-free COVID-19 Information Line at 888-559-2683.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 10:47 AM.
