GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – With additional omicron variant cases confirmed in Wisconsin, Dr. Brad Burmeister of Bellin Health tells FOX 11 it was only a matter of time.
“Really not surprising, we’re seeing more cases pop up, and you know likely there’s more out there.”
The state of Wisconsin now has a total of four confirmed cases of the omicron variant.
As of now, the Department of Health Services reports spread is happening in communities.
Burmeister adds it’s important to note it could already be in Northeast Wisconsin.
“I would not be surprised if the omicron variant has already made it’s way up here somewhere. We do what’s called surveillance testing to identify these variants. So when people get a COVID test that tells us do you have the COVID virus or not, it doesn’t tell us what variant you have.”
Just a small number of patients go on to have additional specialized testing done. And with Pfizer reporting its booster protects against Omicron, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ryan Westergaard says receiving a booster, if you’re eligible, should be at the top of your to-do list.
“The CDC and their advisory committee looked at all the data and are encouraging people to mix and match. So if someone received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine for the primary series, they can get and may chose to get the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine.”
But there still needs to be more research done on the variant to better understand how it spreads.
“The ideal circumstance might be is that it makes you actually less sick and it’s more infectious,” said Burmeister. “So it becomes something that’s more like the common cold, that would be an ideal circumstance.”
The DHS says the best protection against any variant is vaccination.
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