As long lines at Omaha COVID-19 testing sites persist and local clinics report high coronavirus test positivity rates, health professionals are still learning about the emerging Omicron variant.
Dr. Sara Hurtado Bares, an infectious diseases provider at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), spoke with El Perico to share what people in the Omaha community can do to stay safe and healthy during the spread of Omicron. Here’s what you need to know.
For the most updated information about the Omicron variant, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, website. For information on testing, vaccinations and the Metro’s response to COVID-19, visit the Douglas County Health Department website.
El Perico (EP): What do we know right now about the spread of the Omicron variant in Douglas County?
Dr. Sara Hurtado Bares (Dr. SHB): “We know that there are now many documented cases of Omicron right here in Douglas County. I think it’s also important to say what we don’t know, which is that unfortunately, our sequencing data is about a week behind real time. So everything we know is about a week delayed. And so we suspect that there is, at this point, significantly more predominance of Omicron, then what the data told us from a week ago.”
Dr. Hurtado Bares said Nebraskans can expect a rapid uptick of Omicron cases in the coming weeks due to the variant’s surge throughout other cities in the U.S.
EP: How do the symptoms of Omicron differ from other variants we’ve seen in the pandemic?
Dr. SHB: “Early on, Omicron can look identical to a common cold or flu. It can present as just a sore throat and congestion… We don’t see some of the symptoms that are more key symptoms of COVID that we think of: like the cough, the shortness of breath, the fever, the loss of taste, the loss of smell….So that’s why it’s so important to get tested to distinguish between the two.”
EP: If I start feeling sick or having those symptoms, what should I do?
Dr. SHB: “Our recommendation is still at any onset of symptoms, quarantine and test as soon as possible. The earliest symptoms that we typically see are just that sore throat, the sinus congestion, and the headache. So if you have any of those symptoms, or any of the other symptoms that are hallmarks of COVID, like fatigue or body aches, find a place to get tested.”
Dr. Hurtado Bares recommends looking into COVID-19 testing sites near you before you get sick so you know where to get tested if you do start having symptoms.
“If you can schedule it that same day, that’s ideal,” she said, because the first few days of symptoms are most infectious. Some Douglas County residents have reported long waits to access COVID-19 tests in the past few days.
Here’s what you need to know on the latest CDC guidelines for isolation and quarantine time periods.
EP: There’s been an uptick in breakthrough cases, or fully vaccinated people testing positive for COVID-19. Does the vaccine still protect from COVID-19 and Omicron?
Dr. SHB: “The vaccination is still the most important line of defense that we have against the virus… What we’ve learned from the vaccines is that, although they provide very strong protection early on, that protection weakens with time. And so once you’re more than six months out from your vaccine, it’s really important to get a booster shot. So if you’re more than six months out from your Pfizer or Maderna vaccines, or if you’re more than two months out from the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, the booster is recommended.”
Preliminary data shows that those who have received a booster are likely to have more protection against Omicron than those who don’t have a booster, Dr. Hurtado Bares said. You can find out where to get your COVID-19 vaccination or booster shot in Douglas County here.
EP: Who is most vulnerable to the Omicron variant?
Dr. SHB: “If you have not yet received the vaccine, we strongly recommend going and getting it. Although it’s not as effective against this strain as the others, it will still offer some protection. The unvaccinated are the most vulnerable. Secondly, those who are immunocompromised, so specifically those who have weaker immune systems… even if they’ve had all their vaccines plus a booster, they may still be susceptible. And lastly, anyone who is gathering with people outside their home in indoor spaces without a mask, is also going to be at risk.”
EP: When family members are sick, oftentimes we turn to home remedies that have helped us in other illnesses. Can those help in our recovery if we test positive for COVID?
Dr. SHB: “I think we all lean on some of our familiar remedies and therapies when we’re sick and not feeling well, and that’s definitely okay to do. We want to be cautious of using prescription medications that data has demonstrated to not be effective for COVID. So, for example, the hydroxychloroquine and the ivermectin, has a data for that it’s just not fully supportive… I would recommend against those at this point. And, you know, just to be cautious about the vitamins, a lot of times people like to pile up on the zinc and the vitamin C, and those other things, and those are just not as widely regulated.”
If you do use home remedies to treat cold-like symptoms, Dr. Hurtado Bares suggests “using them in conjunction with the medication that we have really good scientific data to support the use of.”
EP: Is there anything else you want readers to know about staying safe and healthy right now?
Dr. SHB: “In the Latino community, we all are all about taking care of one another. So the best thing you can do to take care of your loved ones and friends and family is to get a vaccine. As much as we want to be around and take care of our family members when they’re sick, much of the transmission that we’re seeing is occurring in households because it’s in those households that you have the prolonged exposure…. If you have someone at home who is sick, really try to take care of them by putting them in a room on their own and bringing meals to them, but not being in the room with them. Unless it’s for a very short time when you both have masks on. What breaks my heart is when we have multiple family members of the same family in the hospital sick at the same time. That’s what we want to avoid.”
Here are more COVID-19 resources from the city of Omaha:
Douglas County Health Department COVID-19 Information Line
Se Habla Español
402-444-3400
8:30am – 4:00pm, Monday-Sunday
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Information Line
402-552-6645
8 a.m. – 8 p.m. CST, 7 days a week
Any day after 8 p.m., call 2-1-1
CHI Health:
Website: www.CHIHealth.com/coronavirus click on “Take Questionnaire”
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center:
Methodist Health System:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hotline: 402-815-SICK (7425)
Website: https://www.bestcare.org/covid-19/
Nebraska Medicine:
1-800-922-0000
OrthoNebraska:
Website: https://www.orthonebraska.com/covid-19/
Phone: (402) 609-2600
Email: Info@OrthoNebraska.com