As the number of covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in Northwest Arkansas and the state increases, the omicron variant is causing international alarm.
The new variant was first found in the U.S. on Wednesday in a person who had traveled from South Africa to California. Since then it has been identified in a growing list of states, according to media reports.
No cases of the variant had been identified in Arkansas as of Friday, said Danyelle McNeill, public information officer for the Arkansas Department of Health. The state since June 25 has sent 2% of positive cases, or about 9,747, for genetic sequencing, according to the department.
About 100 samples per week are being sent to the Minnesota Genomics Center for sequencing, McNeill said.
While there are still many unknowns about the new variant, the steps Arkansans can take to protect themselves against the delta variant -- currently the most prevalent in the state and country -- and the omicron variant are the same, according to Dr. Joe Thompson, president and CEO of the Arkansas Center for Health Information, and Dr. Marti Sharkey, public health officer for the city of Fayetteville.
Scientists and health officials are still facing three big questions about the omicron variant, both doctors said.
It's unknown whether the mutations that have changed the appearance of the variant's spike proteins will make the virus more infectious or transmissible than the delta variant, Thompson said. The spike proteins serve to make the virus stickier so it transmits more easily, he said. If the original strain of covid-19 was scotch tape, the delta variant could be compared to duct tape, he said.
"Is omicron going to be superglue?" he asked.
Health officials also don't know whether the omicron variant will cause more serious infections or how much protection current vaccinations will offer, Thompson and Sharkey said.
Early indications show the omicron variant is causing milder illness, but it is still early and infected people haven't been sick for several weeks, which is when patients often decline, Sharkey said.
She said vaccines will provide protection at least to some degree, but "we are still waiting on those studies."
Both doctors said they expect more answers to the three key questions in the next week.
It does appear the risk of getting reinfected with omicron after having a previous variant of covid-19 is higher, Sharkey said.
"Vaccines combined with boosters are your best protection against this based on current knowledge," she said.
Cases increasing
Arkansas is still facing a highly infectious situation with the delta variant, Thompson said. The number of new cases the state has quadrupled in the last few weeks, Thompson said.
Arkansas reported 1,226 new cases on Thursday, a two-month high, and 1,174 cases on Friday, according to the Department of Health.
On Friday, there were 88 new cases in Washington County, 112 in Benton County, 57 in Sebastian County and 26 in Crawford County, according to the Department of Health. In comparison, there were 76 new cases in Benton County on Nov. 24, 42 in Washington County, 28 in Sebastian County and 14 in Crawford County.
There were 12 new deaths in the four-county area this week for a total of 1,705, according to the Department of Health.
Covid-19 hospitalizations in Northwest Arkansas are trending upward again. On Friday, 50 covid-19 patients were hospitalized in Northwest Arkansas, up from 45 last week. The all-time high was 173 patients on Aug. 11, and the low since then was 31 hospitalizations on Nov. 5. Patients in the area had an average age of 47; the youngest was 30 and the oldest was 88.
In the River Valley, 19 patients were hospitalized at Baptist Health Fort Smith, down from 27 last week, including eight in covid critical care units and five on ventilators, according to spokeswoman Alicia Agent.
Mercy Fort Smith reported 16 hospitalized covid-19 patients, up from 15 last week, including four in intensive care units, said spokeswoman Mardi Taylor.
Statewide, there were 433 patients hospitalized Friday -- up from 344 last week -- including 171 in ICU and 80 on ventilators, according to the Department of Health.
People who are unvaccinated are completely unprotected and everyone who is eligible needs a booster shot, Thompson said.
Early December is the time to get boosted to prepare for Christmas gatherings, Thompson said. It takes 10 to 14 days to get the optimal effect from a booster shot, he said.
"If you've been vaccinated, the booster shot reduces your odds of getting the virus around 85%," Thompson said.
This is also the time to consider getting children vaccinated to be protected during the second semester of school, Thompson said. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Jose Romero said 30% of new cases have been occurring in children and teens ages 5 to 18.
It takes about five weeks for children to get their first and second covid-19 vaccine, then develop full immunity, Thompson said.
It's also important for people to get the flu vaccine this year, Sharkey said. The state saw its first flu death this week, according to the Department of Health.
The next two weeks are especially important to prevent the spread of covid-19 during the holiday season, Thompson said. He encouraged families and groups to discuss vaccination before they come together for holiday events. If some are not vaccinated, the family should talk about what other safety measures will be in place to prevent the spread of the virus, he said.
People should also recognize that if they are in a store, there is likely a covid-19 positive person in the store with them, Thompson said.
In addition to vaccination, the best ways to prevent the spread of both the omicron and delta variants are wearing masks when appropriate; testing after traveling outside the country and quarantining until negative; and testing before attending big holiday gatherings, Sharkey said. Handwashing and hygiene is also important, Thompson said.
Both doctors urged people to take advantage of covid-19 testing, which is much more accessible than in the past.
"I know we are all covid exhausted, but make sure you wash your hands, think about wearing a mask in public settings where you are mixing with all sorts of people, and as you come together for holiday events, be comfortable asking the question about vaccination." Thompson said. "We all want this to be behind us, but unfortunately it's not."
Better prepared
It's been about two years since the first cases of covid-19 were identified, Thompson said. Since then scientists, vaccine manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies have learned more with each passing month.
Thompson said he understands that people get frustrated when health recommendations change, but the changes are caused by health experts learning more and knowing better how to respond, he said.
Health officials have learned a lot since the virus was identified, Sharkey said.
"We have vaccines; we have the ability to make new vaccines quickly; we know how to socially distance and mask," she said.
The new antiviral pills being developed by Merck and Pfizer interrupt the virus's ability to replicate, so scientists believe the pills will be just as effective against the omicron variant as any other variant, she said. The drugs are still in the approval process.
"Everyone needs to have some patience as we figure out what exactly this means," Sharkey said. "Don't panic; take a deep breath; let's get prepared and do what we need to do to get through this. We've gotten through four different surges; we can get through another one if we need to."
Unvaccinated case percentages
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NoneThese are the percentages of covid-19 cases and deaths in Arkansas in which the patients are unvaccinated:
• 76.3% of active cases
• 85.7% of all cases
• 87.7% of hospitalized cases
• 85.9% of deaths
Source: Arkansas Department of Health