Both omicron cases in Clark County are among people who are fully vaccinated, according to Clark County Public Health. While breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are occurring, the COVID-19 vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths due to infection with the omicron variant.
The omicron variant was first detected in Washington on Dec. 4, with cases in the Seattle area. On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nearly a six-fold increase in omicron’s share of infections in only one week. Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73 percent of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday. It’s responsible for an estimated 90 percent of new infections in the Pacific Northwest.
The state notified Clark County Public Health of the local omicron cases over the weekend.
Molecular and antigen COVID-19 tests detect infections of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including infections from variants of the virus. But to determine which variant is causing the infection, specimens must be sent to a laboratory for genomic sequencing, Public Health said in a statement. Not all specimens are submitted for sequencing so the number of omicron cases in Clark County and Washington is likely much higher. The University of Washington Virology Lab estimates that more than 50 percent of specimens submitted for sequencing have genetic markers associated with omicron and are likely omicron cases.
