It's faster, it's more communicable and it needs less time to incubate. The omicron variant of COVID-19 arrived in southwest Missouri.
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department confirmed on Dec. 29 that a COVID-19 patient had the presence of the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus disease from a sample taken on Dec. 15.
On the same Dec. 29, both of Springfield's major hospitals reported a dramatic increase in the number of hospitalized patients sick with COVID-19.
On Dec. 29, Mercy Springfield Chief Administrative Officer Eric Frederick shared Mercy's COVID-19 patient census on Twitter. At the time, Mercy had 71 hospitalized patients who had tested positive.
"Up 10 from yesterday. 12 non-infectious. 21 in the ICU. We are still within our projections but we are moving to the top quickly," Frederick wrote.
Frederick then recommended that eligible persons who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 or received a booster vaccination upon reaching eligibility take steps to get vaccinated.
CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards shared that the patient count in the two Cox hospitals in Springfield jumped from 66 to 110 from Dec. 21 to Dec. 29.
"(COVID-positive) inpatients have increased a worrisome 167 percent in just the last eight days," Edwards wrote.
Edwards warned that CoxHealth's hospitals were nearing capacity, and that access to traveling nurses and respiratory therapists, who played crucial roles in caring for patients at Cox in 2020 and in 2021, was waning. Edwards shared that 94.6 percent of the COVID-positive patients who were sick enough for hospitalization at Cox had not been vaccinated.
"Get vaccinated to save a bed for someone else," Edwards wrote.
Edwards tweeted a graphic that showed 12 patients in the hospital on Dec. 29 were from Christian County. Data by county for Mercy Springfield admissions was not readily available.
With the recent changes to guidance for those who have been infected with or exposed to COVID-19, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department created an online tool to help determine what isolation and quarantine guidance an individual should follow.
The questionnaire is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and can be found at http://health.springfieldmo.gov/quarantine. The new CDC guidance shortens the required isolation time and draws a distinction in quarantine guidance for those who have received a booster shot.
Guidance for those who test positive for COVID-19:
-Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home and away from others for at least five days after testing positive.
Isolation can end after five days if an individual is asymptomatic or resolved of symptoms.
-A mask should be worn around others for at least five days post-isolation. Those with fever should continue to isolate until the fever resolves.
Guidance for those who are exposed to COVID-19:
-An exposure occurs when a person comes into close contact for more than 15 minutes and within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19.
-Individuals who are not fully vaccinated or completed vaccination more than 6 months ago for Pfizer or Moderna or over 2 months ago for those that received Johnson & Johnson and have not received a booster dose, are required to quarantine according to CDC guidance.
-Quarantine following a COVID-19 exposure should last for five days followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others.
-Those who have received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or become fully vaccinated within the last six months with Pfizer or Moderna or two months for those that received Johnson and Johnson, are not required to quarantine, but must mask around others for 10 days.
-Those who begin experiencing symptoms should quarantine until they are able to get tested.
-Anyone who is exposed to COVID-19 should get tested five days after the exposure occurs.
Currently, the Christian County Health Department only offers Moderna vaccine, so those seeking a Pfizer booster shot are encouraged to contact a nearby provider and schedule an appointment. The following locations are offering Pfizer vaccine; however, there may be other providers offering Pfizer vaccine:
Alps Pharmacy- https://www.alpspharmacy.com/
Cox Health- https://doctors.coxhealth.com/book/1835361 or call (417) 269-1300
Jordan Valley- https://www.jordanvalley.org/covid-19-vaccines/
Mercy- https://www.mercy.net/service/covid-19-vaccine/
Vaccine Finder- https://www.vaccines.gov/
Walgreens- https://www.walgreens.com/topic/promotion/covid-vaccine.jsp
Walmart- https://www.walmart.com/cp/flu-shots-immunizations/1228302
"Research shows that all COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illness and death. Individuals should only get a booster shot when it is recommended, not earlier," a statement from the Christian County Health Department reads.
While the Christian County Health Department previously announced that it had suspended all COVID-19 prevention activities, it held a Moderna vaccine clinic on Jan. 3, by appointment only.
On Dec. 9, the health department gave notice to all schools within Christian County that it would immediately cease notifying or contacting students or their families in any manner with regards to COVID issues, as had previously been initiated in conjunction with the schools.
"This was in response to the recent Cole County circuit court decision and the support and direction of the Missouri Attorney General," a statement from the Christian County Health Department reads.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sent a letter to the Christian County Health Department, among other county health departments across Missouri, on Dec. 7.
“Under this judgement, all mask mandates, quarantine orders, and other public health orders that are based on any of the invalidated regulations or issued outside the protections of the Missouri Administrative Procedure Act are null and void," Schmitt wrote. "You should stop enforcing and publicizing any such orders immediately. Failure to follow the court’s judgment may result in enforcement action against you to remove orders the court has determined are unconstitutional and illegal. We encourage you to take immediate action to remove all unconstitutional and illegal orders."
The Christian County Health Department, in response, announced it would cease all COVID-19 related work, including investigations, contact tracing, quarantine orders and public announcements of cases and deaths.
The statement went on to say that the Christian County Health Department "has and will continue to be pro-health, pro-science and pro-vaccine."
You can reach the Christian County Health Department at http://christiancountyhealth.com.
