The Public Health Solutions District in Southeast Nebraska confirms six cases of the omicron variant of COVID=10 among destruct residents. The Public Health Solutions District oversees Gage, Fillmore, Jefferson, Saline and Thayer counties.
The first case was likely exposed during international travel to Nigeria. That person returned on November 23rd and started having symptoms on November 24th. The five remaining cases were likely exposed through household contact with the traveler. Only one of the six infected were vaccinated and none were hospitalized. Case investigations and contact tracing are ongoing.
The person initially exposed reported their travel history, was tested and alerted the Public Health Solutions District. A team from PHS investigated and coordinated testing for sequencing to identify a variant and that was completed through the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory.
Dr. Peter Iwen and Dr. Baha Abdalhamid identified the omicron variant using the Clear Labs next generation whole genome sequencer and the identification was made available to Public Health immediately.
DHHS Acting State Epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Donahue said, “The identification of omicron reinforces the urgency for Nebraskans to get vaccinated. The more Nebraskans are vaccinated, the less opportunity new SARS-CoV-2 variants will have to take hold in the state. With delta, which is the current predominant variant, unvaccinated Nebraskans are filling hospitals at a rate 10 times higher than vaccinated Nebraskans. We are doing our part to find new variants when they emerge and arrive in the state, older Nebraskans have done their part in getting vaccinated at high rates; we need younger Nebraskans to keep stepping up to protect themselves and each other by choosing to get vaccinated.”