UNMC is monitoring developments with the BA.2 variant, a spinoff of the omicron variant.
Last week, the Douglas County Health Department reported two cases of a new subvariant of the COVID-19 omicron variant that were identified at the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory; both were in people with a history of international travel. Health officials say it’s too early to know much about this new version, including whether it evades vaccines better or causes more severe disease.
The BA.2 variant – first identified in December during an outbreak in Denmark – has spread to dozens of countries, including the United States. UNMC’s Mark Rupp, MD, last week said it’s important to keep an eye on the data as it emerges, adding: "In populations like ours, where they’ve seen really a high wave of omicron BA.1, we won’t know if BA.2 is going to make any impact or not."
Dr. Rupp is chief of the UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases and Nebraska Medicine's medical director of epidemiology and infection control.
Infectious diseases and public health experts remind us that vaccines and boosters provide the best protection against severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. In addition, individuals should practice such layered, non-therapeutic interventions as proper masking, hand washing, avoiding crowds and staying home when sick.
Reviewing the national fatality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including average weekly deaths per 100,000 population, continues to demonstrate that fatalities among COVID cases are reduced by vaccination by more than tenfold and are more than 75 times less likely for those who have received a booster.
The number of COVID-19 cases across UNMC campuses increased in January and is reflective of the large community spread with the highly transmissible omicron variant. The UNMC community is encouraged to make use of the free saliva testing at Williams Science Hall, which is available to all faculty, staff and students who are asymptomatic. Learn more about UNMC's asymptomatic testing for faculty, staff and students.
Visit the UNMC coronavirus website for the latest campus COVID-19 guidance on screenings, exposure, masks, travel and other topics.