Systems that have previously been in place to curb the coronavirus are not as effective as they once were with the emergence of the omicron variant. This strain is resistant to most monoclonal antibody treatments according to State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs. He says the state is working to make testing more readily available to residents but says those who are unvaccinated should use caution when going into the public.
“So for the next couple of weeks, please be especially careful going to the new years. We’ve seen a lot of transmission in congregate settings. We’ve seen an almost fourfold increase in the number of outbreaks in long-term care settings. We’ve seen a lot of outbreaks in social events and other gatherings. And so please be very careful as we go into the next couple of weeks.”
Less than half of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, and far fewer have gotten the booster dose. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers says there is substantial levels of community transmission, most cases are among residents between the ages of 25 and 39, and omicron is now the most predominant strain. He says Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are rising, and the state has limited amounts of monoclonal antibody treatments that are effective against the omicron variant.
“We are distributing these limited supplies out that we have to the hospitals of excellence. We also have a very small supply of Sotrovimab. This is a monoclonal antibody that has retained activity for treating and is still effective at treating the omicron variant. We are distributing that out to some hospital centers of excellence as well
Dr. Byers says the state will also be distributing a shipment of oral anti-virals to several outpatient clinics across the state to help prevent severe illness. In response to increased demand, the Department of Health is ramping up its coronavirus testing initiatives, and appointments can be made on the Department of Health’s website.
