More PA Omicron Cases Likely As Hospitalizations Surge

PENNSYLVANIA — The Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, including in Pennsylvania, with suspected cases reported and the hospitalization rate continuing to creep up.

The third booster shot of the vaccine could be crucial to providing protection to the omicron variant, particularly with the Pfizer vaccine, the company announced. Three doses of that vaccine "neutralize" the variant, the most recent studies show.

“Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease caused by the omicron strain, it’s clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with a third dose of our vaccine,” Albert Bourla Pfizer's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement Wednesday. “Ensuring as many people as possible are fully vaccinated with the first two dose series and a booster remains the best course of action to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Pennsylvania saw its first confirmed omicron case last week, when a man in his 30s from northwest Philadelphia was diagnosed. Pennsylvania was among the first smattering of states in the nation to confirm the variant's presence.

The vast majority of cases in Pennsylvania, some 99.4 percent, are still linked to the delta variant. While no other cases have since been confirmed in the state, testing for variants is complex and requires laboratory genetic sequencing. More than a week before the first case was found in the United States, officials were confident that omicron had arrived. And it's suspected that more cases have either already been found and are in the process of being tested at a lab, or exist in the community.

In response to an inquiry about the arrival of omicron, the Department of Health reiterated its commitment to vaccines as the first and most important line of defense.

"The Wolf Administration’s top focus is ensuring Pennsylvanians have access to the COVID-19 vaccine, as we know that is our best mitigation strategy in containing the spread of the virus," Deputy Press Secretary Maggi Barton told Patch. "With the best and most important defense against the pandemic at our fingertips, we need Pennsylvanians to get vaccinated to protect themselves and loved ones who are unable to get vaccinated. Pennsylvanians who are vaccinated and eligible for a booster, need to use this time to get their boosters."

Additionally, in response to the variant, the Department of Health opened up additional mass testing sites and expanded its laboratory testing work around the state designed specifically to find omicron.

They're also looking to make trends in statistics more transparent for both the public and other agencies. Case numbers, hospitalization rates, and related metrics are being released on a weekly instead of a daily basis now to provide a more accurate picture of trends.

“The Department of Health continues to adapt as the COVID-19 global pandemic approaches the two-year mark,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said.

One of those big weekly trends is an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, which has continued statewide as the omicron variant has arrived. The number of people hospitalized on Dec. 6 was 9 percent higher than the week before, Nov. 29. The percentage of available adult ICU beds dropped to 15.5 percent, and the available pediatric beds felt to 11 percent.

In addition to the booster, Pfizer is currently working on a specific "omicron-based" vaccine which would be modified to provide specific protection against the variant.

Along with Pennsylvania, a number of other states are finding cases of the omicron variant, with authorities in New York, Georgia, New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts reporting their first confirmed cases this weekend, and Missouri reporting its first presumed case. The variant also has been detected in Nebraska, Minnesota, California, Hawaii, Colorado and Utah.