January 5, 2022 3:30 p.m. 

Staff with the Douglas Public Health Network is looking at the potential for an Omicron variant surge.

The Douglas County COVID-19 Update said DPHN confirmed the first case of that variant in the county last week. DPHN expects to see “…a huge increase in cases over the next days or weeks, perhaps as many as 200 to 500 cases per day”. On Tuesday, DPHN confirmed over 100 new cases, the highest case count since September.

The Update said if there is any good news, it is that the peak of the Omicron cases in South Africa was short lived. They had fewer hospitalizations than with the Delta variant, most of those infected did not require medical care and deaths were less than with previous waves. DPHN said additional good news is that the primary series of vaccinations provided good protection against hospitalization or severe disease. A primary series followed by a booster provided excellent, 75 percent, protection against hospitalization or severe disease.

The Update said public health professionals at DPHN have been preparing for a new surge for many weeks. While the next 6 weeks will likely be very difficult, the staff at DPHN “is in a good position to weather the storm”.

Go to www.douglaspublichealthnetwork.org for more local COVID-19 information.