Georgia seeing spike in COVID cases as omicron takes over

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen almost 50% in Georgia in the last month, and the number of infections continues to accelerate.

In the face of the increase, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms reinstated an indoor mask mandate in the city. It comes as the city’s incoming mayor, Andre Dickens, tested positive for COVID. He reports feeling well and having mild symptoms.

Infections and worries are rising as the extra-contagious omicron variant of coronavirus becomes the dominant strain across the U.S. after racing ahead of others.

Omicron accounted for 73% of new infections last week in the U.S., and Georgia health officials believe that’s probably the case in the Peach State, given how contagious the strain is — although the last analysis Dec. 4 showed delta as the dominant variant here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers showed nearly a six-fold increase in omicron’s share of infections in only one week across the U.S.

Since the end of June, the delta variant had been the main version causing U.S. infections. As recently as the end of November, more than 99.5% of coronaviruses were delta, according to CDC data.

Even though omicron is more contagious, preliminary results show it may be milder than its predecessors.

That’s not an unusual direction for viruses to evolve.

“It is to a virus’ advantage for survival not to kill the host. If the host dies, all the virus dies with the host,” said Dr. Rodger MacArthur, professor of medicine in the division of Infectious Diseases Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

Because of the milder reputation of omicron and the expertise the medical community has gained in treating coronavirus, Augusta medical experts aren’t anticipating an increase in hospitalizations like we saw with the delta variant — but they do anticipate an increase in cases.

Regardless of the variant, prevention measures for are the same as with other strains, Georgia health officials said, putting vaccination at the top of their list.

While South Carolina health officials also recommend getting vaccinated, they said not to forget to get a flu shot, too.

With flu cases rising higher than they have in recent years, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is strongly encouraging flu shots for all eligible residents. Flu shots are recommended for ages six months and up.

DHEC’s latest weekly flu report shows numbers for the week of Dec. 5-11. During that week, South Carolina reported 775 lab-confirmed cases, which signified “widespread flu activity” across the state. During the same week last year, the Palmetto State saw just 50 cases. And the year before that, it reported 309 cases.

Health officials reminded people that it’s safe to get a flu shot and a COVID shot at the same time. It takes about two weeks for the body’s immune system to respond for full protection.

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