Health officials say the omicron variant is anticipated to grow in it’s spread throughout the week. More people are getting tested for the virus, but there has been a national shortage of at-home tests. Dr. Geri Weiland, Pediatrician and President of the Mississippi State Medical Association, says if you are displaying symptoms of the coronavirus, tests are available at county health departments and most health clinics.
“If you feel sick, especially if you have fever, cough, loss of taste, loss of smell, you should be tested for coronavirus,” says Dr. Weiland. “I imagine with people wanting to test, and a lot of people wanting to test at home, there’s maybe a shortage. Here in our clinic [we’ve] even had shortages of testing at times. We’ve been able to keep tests, but it is sometimes difficult.”
Coronavirus testing and quarantines have been the first line of defense throughout the pandemic. Last year it helped health experts focus on learning about the disease and caring for patients. Dr. Weiland says this year, experts have been working to get everyone vaccinated and study emerging variants. She says monoclonal antibody treatments have also helped to reduce severe outcomes, though experts now say it may have reduced efficacy against the omicron variant.
“That has been a game-changer. You get that early enough, you’re not hospitalized, you don’t end up in the ICU, you don’t end up on a ventilator,” says Dr. Weiland on how the monoclonal treatments affect other strains of the coronavirus. “This was only available for children 12+, but we do now have one that’s been approved for less than age 12, and that’s going to be a big help also in those children who have underlying health issues and that sort of thing.”
Health officials are recommending residents wear masks indoors, get a booster dose if eligible, and to stay home when sick. More than 7 thousand coronavirus cases were reported over the holiday weekend.
