Omicron Variant Presence Raises Questions Among Healthcare Workers

Will vaccines be effective against the new strain?

PROVIDENCE, RI  (WLNE) –

Despite having the highest number of vaccinated nursing home workers in the country at 99%, Director of the Rhode Island Healthcare Association John Gage says he and his staff plan to continue to be “very vigilant” in taking COVID precautions following the announcement of the new Omicron variant making its way to the U.S.

In a statement released by the C.D.C. earlier this afternoon, The California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health have confirmed the first U.S. case of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant in someone who returned from South Africa on November 22, 2021. Although only mild symptoms were reported, the case itself is raising questions among health professionals as to how transmissible it is, how effective current vaccines are against it, and if it could cause more severe symptoms for the unvaccinated.

“I worry that something is going to mutate and the vaccines won’t be as effective, we’re continuing to watch it,” says Gage. “It is frustrating that we’re seeing breakthrough cases. We’ve gotten vaccinated and boosted, and staff is vaccinated and boosted.” Despite having 95% of residents also vaccinated -the second highest number of all nursing homes in the country-Gage says they continue to perform surveillance testing of staff on a weekly basis and have been consistently staying in “COVID mode” throughout the pandemic. “We’re trying to maintain low levels at this point. The level of vigilance comes from the transmissibility rate, and the state of Rhode Island has been in a high transmissibility rate for an extended period of time.

While no new guidance has been issued from the Rhode Island Department of Health as to new safety precautions to combat the Omicron variant, Gage plans to continue to meet weekly with the Department and continue current COVID protocols for the foreseeable future.