Omicron Variant Officially Detected In Oklahoma, OSDH Says

State health officials have said Omicron has been spreading rapidly where it has been found.

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Department of Health said the variant was officially detected in the state, but many doctors have no doubt it was already circulating.

According to the CDC, the Omicron variant has made up about 75% of the nation's new cases.

"If you think about how contagious it is and how quickly it has taken over as the primary, and not just the primary, but overwhelming primary, not just 50% in some states, it is 90%. That is a pretty impressive shift," said Dr. Mary Clarke, the president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

Some states have been hit so hard already, hospitals beds have become limited, and they have started to call health care systems in Oklahoma to aid in taking on some of the patient load.

"Our system received a call from Kansas that they had something like 50 patients that they were going to try and transfer into Oklahoma," said Dr. Dale Bratzler, the chief COVID-19 officer for OU Health.

Bratzler has predicted that Omicron will most likely spread just as fast in Oklahoma.

"Short of a full lockdown and things like that, I think it is going to be very difficult to keep this from spreading and we have a lot of vulnerable people in Oklahoma," said Bratzler. "That is my concern, how many people are unvaccinated."

Doctors have urged people who are eligible for a booster to get one.

"Vaccines that we have, especially the mRNA including the booster when available, do seem to have good protection against hospitalization and death," Clarke said.

Bratzler said he thinks it is not if but when the term fully-vaccinated will include a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

The OSDH released the following statement on behalf of interim Commissioner of Health Keith Reed Tuesday afternoon concerning the Omicron variant:

“We have known for some time that COVID-19 is not going anywhere. The good news is, as new variants come on the scene, our resources in the state are plentiful. Early research is indicating that the mitigation methods we’ve been using to combat COVID-19 are still the best way to detect and prevent severe illness from the Omicron variant. Getting your COVID-19 shot is the best way to protect yourself and others, even from new variants like this one. Wearing a mask, especially in crowded indoor places, can also help protect you from infection. And if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, tests can tell you if you are currently infected and are available at pharmacies across the state. Tests can also provide reassurance that your holiday gatherings are safe.”