The COVID-19 “variant of concern” called Omicron has been confirmed in Denton County.
During Tuesday’s Denton County Commissioners Court meeting, Denton County Public Health Director Dr. Matt Richardson discussed the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he said that preliminary data from South Africa and Europe has suggested that Omicron may overtake Delta as the dominant variant of COVID-19. Delta has made up about 99% of all COVID-19 cases in Denton County for months. Preliminary reports suggest that Omicron is easier to spread, though patients’ symptoms are not usually different or more serious.
Richardson said that early studies show that three doses of the current vaccines are effective against Omicron, which was confirmed Monday by a laboratory to have infected a Denton County resident from Fort Worth who had traveled domestically recently. It underscores the importance of vaccination and boosters, Richardson said.
“The Omicron variant test result here in Denton County underscores what we already know: COVID-19 remains an ongoing pandemic and Denton County has continuing risk,” Richardson said. “Vaccines, boosters and preventive practices remain our best way to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
In the past seven days, DCPH has administered 1,772 vaccines: 93 first doses, 301 second doses, six third doses and 1,372 boosters.
DCPH also reported Tuesday another resident — a Frisco man in his 70s — has died of COVID-19, bringing the countywide death toll to 754.
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