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Others said they simply wanted to make sure it was safe to attend family gatherings over the holidays. It quickly spread across the country replacing delta, which had been the dominant variant since July. Some were sick, some had been exposed to somebody who had the coronavirus. I mean, what could be worse than the fact that we've had 20,000 unvaccinated Texans since June 1 needlessly lose their lives out of vaccine defiance and refusal? Hotez said. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff says it's unclear how destructive this variant can be towards the community and hope it doesn't cause another coronavirus peak. Im not taking any chances, said Martinez, whose wife works as a nurse. MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report are service marks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Will this variant evade our vaccines and therapeutics? This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Accessed April 6, 2023. The variant appears to be spreading fast across the Houston area. Since then, it has already become the dominant strain in South Africa. By Wednesday there were a total of 3,376 hospitalizations in the state, including 891 in North Texas. The high positivity rates haven't yet translated into more deaths or dramatic numbers of hospitalizations in Texas, but some states that saw a surge in COVID-19 cases in November and early December are near or have surpassed record hospitalizations from the virus. FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- More cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 have been detected in the Houston area. 241(d); 5 U.S.C. Currently, the hospital has 32 patients with COVID. Joseph Leahy anchors morning newscasts for NPR's statewide public radio collaborative, Texas Newsroom. North Texas hospitals are bracing for a possible rise in COVID-19 patients as the omicron variant spreads and families get together for Christmas. Sect. Chronic medical condition categories include autoimmune, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, hematologic, neurologic, pulmonary, and renal diseases. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday warned that the nation could see a major surge in both delta and omicron as early as next month. Results of genetic sequencing this week showed that the infection was caused by the Omicron variant strain. Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Adam S. Lauring reports receiving grants from FluLab, NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and consulting fees from Sanofi and Roche for consulting on oseltamivir and baloxavir respectively, outside the submitted work. FOX 4's Hanna Battah takes a look at the latest predictions. Rodriguez, Beltron and Thomas each said finding a place to get tested was simple and easy. According to the latest CDC guidance, some groups should get a booster, and some groups may get a booster based on their individual risks. Michael Rodriguez said he decided to get tested after waking up Friday with a temperature of 99.9 degrees. The data is from Friday to Tuesday. After exclusion of 1,933 patients,*** 4,421 (70%) were included in the analysis (362 case-patients and 4,059 control patients). And for another half of the facilities, vaccination rates are above 50%. WebJan. Suggested citation for this article: DeCuir J, Surie D, Zhu Y, et al. Kelli covers public safety and the Dallas Police Department for The Dallas Morning News. For the previous 14-day period, the average was 135. VE against IMV and in-hospital death was calculated using logistic regression, in which the odds of monovalent mRNA vaccination (versus being unvaccinated) were compared between COVID-19 case-patients and control patients. There's concern it may be more transmissible based on results out of South Africa. Nearly three days after the storm hit, nearly 15,000 AEP Texas customers in Hidalgo County still are without electricity. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. Houston is seeing early signs of another wave of COVID-19 infections, fueled in part by a fast-spreading omicron variant, as public health officials warn of a nationwide spike in cases as early as next month. Hospitalizations remain flat across North Texas and COVID patients fill an average of about 5% of hospital beds. Waning of vaccine effectiveness against moderate and severe covid-19 among adults in the US from the VISION network: test negative, case-control study. COVID-19like illness was defined as including any one of the following signs and symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, new or worsening findings on chest imaging consistent with pneumonia, or hypoxemia defined as SpO2 <92% on room air or supplemental oxygen to maintain SpO2 92%. Omicron is also making inroads in the United States. Genetic sequencing identified the new variant in a specimen collected on December 8, 2021. "Don't forget that the answer to that question, on whether or not to get vaccinated, is about more than just you," Nirenberg says. Genetic sequencing identified the new variant in a specimen collected on December 8, 2021. By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. A. You cannot ask the status. In Denton County, the average number of new daily cases in for the last two weeks is 154. Among monovalent-vaccinated patients, the median interval from receipt of last dose to illness onset was 248 days (IQR=138378 days) (Table 2). Adit A. Ginde reports receiving grants from NIH, DoD, AbbVie, and Faron Pharmaceuticals, outside the submitted work. Monovalent mRNA vaccination also provided substantial protection against COVID-19associated IMV and death among adults aged 65 years, the age group that remains at highest risk of severe COVID-19 (1). Akram Khan reports receiving grants from United Therapeutics, Johnson & Johnson, 4D Medical, Eli Lily, Dompe Pharmaceuticals, and GlaxoSmithKline; and serves on the guidelines committee for Chest, outside the submitted work. North Texas omicron surge drives up testing demand, increases hospital cases. ", Fight between neighbors leads to shooting in NE Houston, police say, New details about King Charles' coronation, 6 shot, 2 fatally, at after-prom party in Mississippi. The percentage of tests coming back positive has also taken a big jump recently, a sign the virus is spreading rapidly. The number of omicron cases in Houston detected through genome sequencing is small but rising, with Houston Methodist reporting 54 samples of the new Tenforde MW, Self WH, Gaglani M, et al. "The difference with this surge is because this is so infectious and everyone is getting sick, everyone is calling out sick," McDeavitt said. The variant now makes up roughly 32 percent of cases in the hospital system, up from 13 percent on Saturday. In Bexar County, the Delta variant has caused a positivity rate of 4.8 percent as of Tuesday, November 30. Views equals page views plus PDF downloads. Effectiveness of Monovalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination in Preventing COVID-19Associated Invasive Mechanical Ventilation and Death Among Immunocompetent Adults During the Omicron Variant Period IVY Network, 19 U.S. States, February 1, 2022January 31, 2023. Still, with the jump in infections, experts say there's never been a better time to get vaccinated and get boosted. Texas health officials are ramping up efforts to identify and track cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant, which was confirmed in Harris County on Monday. Vaccine or no vaccine, health officials say the unseasonably warm weather ahead could be a positive. For the previous 14-day period, the average was 324. According to the state, 1,269,619 people in Tarrant County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 1,116,832 57.5% of the countys population 5 and older are fully vaccinated. WFP line in Rensselaer County's 2021 races key in FBI case, Family still seeking answers in Schenectady woman's disappearance, Deaf man killed on Ballston road remembered as funny, loving, New York tests can take hours for elementary schoolers. In Houston, one of three county-run sites reached its 500-test capacity by 11 a.m. Friday, KHOU reported. The death toll is 758. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7217a3. Hall noted that the largest number of cases over the weekend came from prisons in Anderson and Fort Bend counties, which both have seen an increase in cases over the past two weeks. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. "That number is closer to 98% for critical care, and around 60% for those on ventilators.". BMJ 2022;376:e069761. Monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provided substantial, durable protection against COVID-19associated IMV and death. These senior authors contributed equally to this report. Clinical severity of, and effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against, covid-19 from omicron, delta, and alpha SARS-CoV-2 variants in the United States: prospective observational study. Scientists are still trying to find out if the vaccines provide protection against Omicron, but it will likely provide some, Bowling says. Updated: Dec 14, 2021 / 10:25 AM CST AUSTIN (KXAN) The possible first cases of the omicron COVID-19 variant in Travis County have been found in three Omicron already accounts for 94% of new cases in Texas, experts say. https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccines (Accessed April 25, 2023). Understanding the durability of protection provided by monovalent mRNA vaccination against critical outcomes is vital. All rights reserved, Texas Man Kills 5 Neighbors After They Complained of Gunfire, Colin Allred to Challenge Ted Cruz for Senate, DMN Sources Say, Aerosmith Kicking Off Farewell Tour in September, One Dead, Standoff With Barricaded Person Ends in Kaufman County, Authorities Widen Dragnet for Suspect in Texas Shooting That Left 5 Dead, Post-Military Life Can be Challenging for Texas Veterans and Their FamiliesThese Resources Can Help. Abbreviations: HHS=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; IMV=invasive mechanical ventilation. Omicron already accounts for 94% of new cases in Texas, experts say. Here's what our leaders and doctors know: Omicron has been labeled a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization. VE was calculated as (1 adjusted odds ratio) x 100%. Given the increase we are seeing in omicron, we could very possibly be at 100 percent omicron by January, said Dr. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist. The higher rate of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the Amarillo area is attributed to lower vaccination rates, a lingering delta surge and resistance to social distancing measures, according to Dr. Rodney Young, the regional chair of family and community medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. Statewide, roughly 1 in 14 hospital patients are being treated for COVID, but the number is a lot higher in hospitals serving the El Paso area and the Texas Panhandle, where at least 1 in 6 hospital beds are occupied by a COVID-19 patient. When compared with unvaccinated patients, the VE of 24 monovalent mRNA vaccine doses against IMV and in-hospital death was 62%. The county reported that 129 people were hospitalized with the virus as of Wednesday. It has now been detected in all but 17 states and accounts for 2.9 percent of the countrys cases, a jump from 0.4 percent last week. All three had a Delta variant infection followed by [Omicron] BA.1 infection with intervals of 45, 68, and 83 days, " the authors wrote. The Omicron coronavirus variant has now been identified in dozens of countries globally and this story will no longer be updated. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of Tarrant County public health director Dr. Vinny Taneja said families should be cautious Logistic regression models were adjusted for date of hospital admission (biweekly intervals), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services region (10 regions), categorical age (1849, 5064, and 65 years), sex, and race and ethnicity (Black or African American, non-Hispanic; White, non-Hispanic; Hispanic or Latino, any race; Other race, non-Hispanic; and Other, unknown) unless otherwise noted. "We can protect ourselves and those at highest risk by getting vaccinated, including with boosters, staying away from others when we are ill, getting tested when appropriate, and wearing face coverings indoors or at crowded events with close contact.". The risk level, however, remains low in San Antonio. XBB.1.16 dubbed Arcturus on social media is another descendant of omicron. Of the new cases in the county, 686 were confirmed and 188 were probable. VE was estimated by comparing the odds of monovalent mRNA vaccination among case-patients and control patients, calculated as VE=100 (1 odds ratio). The new COVID variant is present in Houston, as evidenced by the cases uncovered by one of the hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. The new three cases were detected Thursday in residents by the county's health and human services department. Doll MK, Pettigrew SM, Ma J, Verma A. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:45965. "I just don't want people to take chances. GETTING VACCINATED: Houston hospitals see uptick in demand for booster shots as omicron spreads in Texas, Were going to have a wave. VE was 57% among patients aged 1864 years and 69% among patients aged 65 years. ; IVY Network. The new COVID variant is present in Houston, as evidenced by the cases uncovered by one of the hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. You can review and change the way we collect information below. I dont doubt it at all, said Dr. Rodrigo Hasbun, professor of infectious diseases with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. Over 1.3 million received both shots and 393,000 received the Omicron booster. Among the greatest concerns is omicrons ability to evade immunity from prior COVID-19 infections and vaccinations. Patients who received positive influenza test results were excluded from the analysis because of potential correlation between COVID-19 and influenza vaccination behaviors (8). Dallas County will resume reporting on Tuesday. This activity was determined to be public health surveillance by each participating site and CDC and was conducted in a manner consistent with all applicable federal laws and CDC policy.. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2022. "Things are changing rapidly again, Rogers said. A Fort Worth man and his family say they are terrified and angry after the FBI originally posted his photo and identified him as the suspected shooter that killed five people near Houston Friday night. The county reported that 258 people were hospitalized with the virus. It was first detected in early January and the majority of cases have been seen in India so far. Some nations, like Australia and the United Kingdom, have already detected Omicron. Bowling says it remains to be seen whether or not Omicron will overtake Delta in the U.S. CDC. Before joining the staff, she reported for the Chicago Tribune and KTSM, the NBC affiliate in El Paso. Although a bivalent mRNA dose was recommended on September 1, 2022, for all persons who had completed a primary COVID-19 vaccination series, bivalent vaccination coverage among adults aged 18 years is 20%, and most adults have only received monovalent mRNA vaccines (1,5). The following year, he helped launch Delaware's first NPR station, WDDE, as an afternoon newscaster and host. The omicron variant is driving the spike in cases across the country. When you read a paragraph, you put letters together, and you are able to make a sentence," said Abi Mosleh. "They are going up but they are not going up proportionally to the number of cases.". The initial vaccines series offers some protection against an omicron infection, but early findings from Pfizer and Moderna show the new strain significantly reduces their effectiveness. The K9 was also shot once. The death toll is 5,469. As of April 2023, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 1.1 million deaths in the United States, with approximately 75% of deaths occurring among adults aged 65 years (1).Data on the durability of protection provided by monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccination against critical outcomes of COVID-19 are limited beyond the Omicron BA.1 Delta's been the king of all variants. By the following week the most recently available data that number jumped to 25. We can see how quickly this variant is going to spread, said Hasbun. Michigan, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire reached their highest hospitalization rates in December, according to CNN, however, the number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in Texas hospitals is still far below the surges seen during the winter of 2020 and this past fall. But this more infectious variant is having a major impact on hospital staffing, said Dr. James McDeavitt, the executive vice president and dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of Medicine. Harris County's new COVID threat levels will focus on new cases, not hospitalizations, As Texas kids return to school, routine vaccination rates still haven't recovered from the pandemic, Inside a Houston brain bank, researchers explore drug addiction, Texas Childrens ER visits spike for kids in mental health crisis, Houston event to address lack of diversity in clinical trials, MD Anderson to use AI to develop cancer drugs. Scientists around the globe are rushing to gather more information about the new variant. Houston sees early signs of new omicron-fueled COVID wave as Texas Medical Center cases triple. Harris County Public Health on Tuesday reported 483 new cases, the highest single-day total in more than two months. Positive cases are again on the rise in the state's prisons, according to Karen Hall, the deputy chief of staff for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're at the beginning stages of this wave, we're really still watching it," said Carmen Tilton, vice president of public policy with the Texas Assisted Living Association. All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. At least until then, he says, people need to take precautions to stay safe. Dr. Annamaria Macaluso Davidson, associate vice president of medical operations for Memorial Hermann Medical Group, is hopeful that pockets of highly vaccinated areas in the city and new COVID treatments arriving on the market will stave off a dire situation at hospitals. Several cars were lined up at a drive-through site in the parking lot of a shopping center on Plano Road near Beltline Road in Richardson. All three had a Delta variant infection followed by [Omicron] BA.1 infection with intervals of 45, 68, and 83 days, " the authors wrote. ABC Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jen Ashton spoke with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky about the new variant and what doctors are hoping to discover. That would be a faster sweep than even the delta variant, which took about a three-month span to sweep prior variants and achieve 100 percent. COVID data tracker: demographic trends of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the US reported to CDC. * These authors contributed equally to this report. the date of publication. The daily average of positive cases in the Texas Medical Center more than tripled last week, from 232 to 721, and Houston Methodist on Tuesday recorded nearly five times the number of positive cases in its system compared to the previous week. In this case-control analysis, the effectiveness of 24 monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine doses was evaluated against COVID-19associated invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and in-hospital death among immunocompetent adults aged 18 years during February 1, 2022January 31, 2023. Among 4,059 control patients, 979 (24%) were unvaccinated, and 3,080 (76%) were monovalent-vaccinated. Early findings from South Africa suggest that omicron causes less severe disease than earlier strains, though several factors, such as the countrys younger population, cloud the data. Upstate New Yorks ongoing COVID-19 surge offered a case study in the rapid rise of a new subvariant, called BA.2.12.1, which is now poised to outcompete prior strains. Houston Methodist identified the nine cases through comprehensive genome Patients were most commonly excluded because of receipt of a bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose (446 [23% of excluded patients]), receipt of a non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (392 [20%]), or receipt of only 1 monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose (260 [13%]). Abbott criticized for dehumanizing victims of mass shooting by calling them illegal, Texas college baseball player shot during game, Man fatally shot by Dallas police wounded 2 relatives before shooting cop, dog, chief says, Developer proposes new apartments near Dallas Fair Park, Landmark Texas home becomes most expensive on the market with $60M price tag, Luxury North Dallas rental community sells to national investor, Forest Hill widow facing eviction for I-20 widening gets deadline extension, Texas latest mass shooting is about guns, not immigration, Cowboys 2023 undrafted free agent tracker: See which players Dallas added after NFL draft, Hot List: 15 great bars and restaurants to visit in Dallas-Fort Worth in May 2023. BURLINGTON, VT The Vermont Department of Health announced today it has confirmed the states first case of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. The state reported 12,476 more cases Thursday, including 10,610 confirmed cases and 1,866 probable cases. Dec. 6, 2021 The first known Texas case of the COVID-19 B.1.1.529 variant has been identified in a resident of Harris County. I want them to get vaccinated. Analyses were conducted using SAS (version 9.4; SAS Institute). By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) Officials in Harris County confirmed on Monday evening Texas first detected case of the "We have seen an increase just as we do when we see an increase when the community cases rise," Hall said. Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to The states case total is now 4,457,359, including 3,695,086 confirmed and 762,273 probable. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The individual is a Lamoille County resident in their 30s. The weekend also led to an increase in positive cases among youth and staff members at the state's juvenile correctional facilities, with 37 children in Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities having tested positive for COVID-19. Clin Infect Dis 2022;75:e56471. But U.S. health officials said Sunday that while the omicron variant is rapidly spreading throughout the country,early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations. She also stressed other public health precautions proven to work since the onset of the pandemic last year, such as social distancing, wearing masks in crowded spaces, getting tested for the virus before attending holiday gatherings, and regular hand washing. Traces of omicron are also being detected at a growing number of citys wastewater treatment plants. Tarrant County reported seven deaths and 843 cases Thursday. "So some of this will change over the weeks to come as we see more cases, but in one of the their regions in South Africa, over two weeks, they saw this Omicron variant become more prevalent than the Delta variant. That's more youth cases than the agency registered over the past nine months and the largest single-day positive rate since the summer of 2020. 14, 2022: Texas audited cases data from previous years, which added about 26,000 cases to the state total and resulted in one-day increases or decreases in cumulative As concerns with the omicron variant rise, so too has the demand for COVID-19 testing. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/ivy.htm. The original omicron variant, called BA.1, now represents only about 3% of cases in the United States, according to Centers for Disease Control data. However, the COVID expert placed it as his second biggest concern, behind the continuing delta wave in Texas. Ferdinands JM, Rao S, Dixon BE, et al. Sect. "Then you can tell, at the end, based on the sequence of those letters, if it's Omicron, if it's Delta, if it's Delta plus or any other variant.". Erie County's rise in new cases comes as the new omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 spreads across parts of the northeastern United States. Other race, non-Hispanic includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander categories, which were combined because of small counts. Protection against these critical outcomes appeared to correlate more closely with time since last dose than with total number of doses received. Leahy returned to St. Louis in 2013 to anchor local newscasts during All Things Considered and produce news on local and regional issues. "The ex-president has said he got his booster, he said. COVID-19 cases rose in Eddy County as a state mandated public health order issued nearly three years ago expired, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. The variant was first detected in South Africa in late November. Manjusha Gaglani reports having served as co-chair of the Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee for the Texas Pediatric Society, outside the submitted work. Statewide, new cases area also trending lower. We're going to know that in a few weeks.". Conroe ISD secures campuses amid manhunt for alleged mass shooter, Houston Methodist Hospital confirms 9 omicron COVID-19 cases, Woman tests positive for omicron variant in NW Harris County, judge says, 8 of 39 Houston wastewater plants detect COVID omicron variant, How severe is omicron? "Not as drastic, not as drastic as with the original outbreak or with the delta (variant).". According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, its the same statewide. The numbers bring the countys case total to 137,458, including 110,979 confirmed and 26,479 probable. Users are referred to the electronic PDF version (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr) UTSWs COVID-19 prediction models are also showing cases will continue to increase in North Texas with 800 infections expected daily in Dallas County and more Data from the Investigating Respiratory Viruses in the Acutely Ill (IVY) Network were used to conduct a case-control analysis measuring the effectiveness of monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccination against COVID-19associated IMV and in-hospital death. "Sequencing is like reading. ; Influenza and Other Viruses in the Acutely Ill (IVY) Network. Ninety-one percent of patients had one or more chronic condition, and 20% had a previous self-reported or documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. A Harris County woman contracted the first known case of the omicron COVID variant in Texas, a predictable sign the new strain has been spreading for days Logistic regression models for age groupspecific VE estimates were adjusted for continuous age. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading fast across the U.S., including in Texas communities. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The first case of the omicron variant has been detected in Harris County. Earlier in the day, Houston Methodist Hospital confirmed nine cases of the variant. Among 362 case-patients with IMV or in-hospital death, 146 (40%) were unvaccinated, 216 (60%) were monovalent-vaccinated, 293 (81%) received IMV, and 156 (43%) died in the hospital within 28 days of admission. - Harris County's new COVID threat levels will focus on new cases, not hospitalizations, - As Texas kids return to school, routine vaccination rates still haven't recovered from the pandemic. Wednesday, Wise Health System, the only hospital in the county, reported that its Medsurge/ICU units were at 100% capacity. Other includes patients who self-reported their race and ethnicity as Other and those for whom race and ethnicity were unknown. Have Omicron cases been reported in the Austin-Travis County area? Here's how side effects compare to the original shots. According to Ayass Bioscience, the omicron variant has 60 mutations, with 30 on the spike protein, reportedly enhancing its ability to infect people. I wouldnt be too bummed out, Rodriguez said. According to the state, 19,173,107 people in Texas have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 16,362,431 60.7% of the states population 5 and older are fully vaccinated. It was first detected in early January and the majority of cases have been seen He had not traveled in the last three months and had no underlying symptoms. We tallied the votes from this years Best of the Capital Region contest in 100 categories. ** Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as any self-reported or documented previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. "Do you want to take that chance? Taneja asked. It's hard to say. The variant, which is now known to be more transmissible than delta and the original virus strain, has also led to the state's highest rate of positive cases with more than 1 in 5 COVID-19 tests reading positive.
