6 Omicron Variant Cases Now Confirmed In PA, Many More Suspected

PENNSYLVANIA — Six cases of COVID-19's omicron variant have now been found in Pennsylvania, Department of Health officials confirmed on Friday, about two weeks after the first case of the variant was found in a Philadelphia resident. Dozens of other cases are being investigated and are "likely" the cause of some recent breakthrough cases amongst fully vaccinated individuals, health officials said.

Testing for the variant requires laboratory work and genetic sequencing, and it's believed there are a number of more cases that have not yet been detected.

Two of the new cases were found in the Lehigh Valley, St. Luke's University Health Network announced.

“This is another reason to strongly consider getting a booster shot, or to be immunized if you haven’t already,” Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, St. Luke’s Senior Vice President of Medical & Academic Affairs and Section Chief Emeritus of Infectious Diseases, said in the announcement.

At St. Luke's alone, some 30 other cases are under review and are considered "suspicious" as potential omicron cases.

At least three other omicron cases have been confirmed statewide, the Bucks County Courier Times reports, including one more in Philadelphia and another in the northeast region of the state.

While omicron is considered to be highly transmissible, and vaccines are less effective at preventing infection due to the variant, vaccines do still protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths. A third booster shot of the vaccine significantly increases protection from infection.

"However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur," the CDC added.

The most recent estimate from the CDC still has omicron as representing about 0.5 percent of all COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania and several other nearby states, including Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. The delta variant remains the most prevalent variant, though omicron is expected to overtake it in coming weeks. In New Jersey and New York, the variant already represents 13 percent of all cases.

To learn more about getting a booster shot, see the Department of Health website.