We knew it would happen eventually; the Covid-19 Omicron Variant has reached Texas. A woman in her 40s has tested positive for the Omicron variant. The woman has not traveled recently, and she lives in the northwest area of Harris County. The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported that this is the first case of the Omicron COVID variant in Texas.
What do we Know about Omicron so far?
Currently, we know little about the Omicron Variant. Scientists predict that the Omicron Variant will spread much more easily than the original COVID19 virus. However, Scientists don’t know if the Omicron Variant will be more transmissible than the Delta Variant.
Is the Omicron Variant Severe?
While it is still early, early data on the Omicron Variant indicates that the Omicron variant is not causing severe illness. Infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says that the early data is “a bit encouraging.”
However, Dr. Fauci warns that it is very early, and we will need more data to understand the actual severity of the Omicron variant.
“But we really got to be careful before we make any determinations that it is less severe or really doesn’t cause any severe illness comparable to Delta. But thus far, the signals are a bit encouraging regarding the severity. But again, you got to hold judgment until we get more experience.”
Dr. Fauci went on to say that booster shots are going to be critical in “whether or not we are going to be able to handle this.”
But many Texans are wondering, how effective will our current vaccines be against the Omicron Variant?
Will the vaccines protect against omicron variants?
Early lab studies show that two doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines may not be effective enough to protect against infection of the Omicron Variant. However, three doses can neutralize it. Pfizer and BioNTech revealed this information in a press release on Wednesday, December 8th, 2021. Pfizer and BioNTech say that two doses can still protect against severe disease.
Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla has this to say about the vaccine efficacy:
“Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease caused by the omicron strain, it’s clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with a third dose of our vaccine.”
Pfizer and BioNTech are currently working on a variant-specific vaccine for the Omicron Variant. The companies say that this vaccine could be available by March.
Are you looking to get Vaccinated?
CHN (Community Health Network) offers the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations for free! We have 11 locations in the Houston area. Visit our website to register for a COVID-19 vaccination and to find a location near you.
If you are located anywhere else in the U.S., you can call 1-800-232-0233, Search vaccines.gov, or text your ZIP code to 438829 to find a location near you.
Bottom Line:
We still don’t know a lot about the Omicron variant. We know that two doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine may not be enough to protect against infection. However, according to early studies, three shots could neutralize the Omicron variant. Early data suggest that Omicron is not causing many cases of severe illness.
It is crucial to keep in mind that it is still very early. Experts say that we will need more data to ensure vaccine efficacy and the severity of the Omicron variant. Experts also urge Americans to get vaccinated to slow the spread.
Resources:
- https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/1st-case-covid-19-omicron-variant-harris-county/285-39d739ca-0ae6-4a4a-94a7-791138db3d42
- Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know | CDC
- https://www.wxii12.com/article/new-study-shows-how-well-pfizer-vaccine-protects-against-omicron-variant/38459930
- (16) Fauci: Omicron severity signals are ‘a bit encouraging’ (cnn.com)
