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

MARYLAND — The omicron coronavirus variant has only been present in Maryland since Dec. 3, 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 .5 percent of COVID-19 cases in Maryland.

The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients doubled in the last month in Maryland.

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.

Gov. Larry Hogan said Saturday that, according to official CDC data, 90 percent of all Marylanders 18 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Even as we continue to urge booster shots, we are also very focused on getting the remaining unvaccinated individuals vaccinated,” Hogan said. “As part of our commitment to leave no arm behind, we will work to get that last remaining 10 percent vaccinated. This continues to be the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your fellow Marylanders.”

According to the New York Times, Maryland has recorded 593,000 COVID cases during the pandemic, and has confirmed 11,255 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, Maryland doctors could immediately order the pills directly from medical distributors for their patients.

To find a clinic, visit covidvax.maryland.gov or call the state’s multilingual call center, available seven days a week, at 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).