Omicron In FL: What Percent Of COVID Cases Are New Variant?

FLORIDA — The omicron coronavirus variant has only been present in Florida since Dec. 7, but it has begun to spread in the state, although it is not yet the major cause of COVID-19 cases.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials estimate the highly contagious variant now represents .7 percent of COVID-19 cases in Florida.

Omicron makes up about 3 percent of cases in the rest of the United States, the government said. It is much more prevalent — about 13 percent of all COVID cases — in New York and New Jersey.

But there's a potential silver lining — Rochelle Walensky, who heads the CDC, said Tuesday on the "Today Show" that increasingly it appears the omicron variant causes less severe cases. She said there's still reason for concern.

"You still have a lot of people who are getting sick," she said, adding some of the most vulnerable people could experience severe COVID-related illness or death.

Florida's first case of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus was confirmed Dec. 7 at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said after the new variant was found in the state he doesn't plan to change his policies regarding the coronavirus or impose mandates.

"In Florida, we won't let them lock you down. We won't let them restrict you. We're not going to let them impose mandates. We're not going to let them close the schools. We're going to protect your freedom to make your own decisions," DeSantis said. "I have no problem if someone's scared of omicron and wants to lock down. They're free to do so."

In a statement, Kimberly Antos, a spokeswoman with the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, confirmed that a patient tested positive for the variant. She said the patient, who recently returned from traveling overseas, has mild symptoms.

Antos reiterated that "the best tool we have to ensure the public's continued health is COVID-19 vaccination, including COVID-19 boosters."

According to the New York Times, Florida has recorded 3.72 million COVID cases during the pandemic, and has confirmed 62,073 deaths due to the respiratory disease.

The delta variant remains much more prevalent across the county, but cases involving the omicron variant have been trending upward nationwide in recent weeks, officials said.

Omicron cases have been detected in 33 states, which Walensky said indicates that it is quickly becoming the predominant strain as more cases emerge.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is preparing to make decisions on COVID-19 pills from Merck and Pfizer, clearing the way for millions of Americans to pick up treatments for the coronavirus at their local pharmacy.

FDA approval could come for both pills by the end of this month. Once approved, Florida doctors could immediately order the pills directly from medical distributors for their patients.