As the coronavirus omicron variant spreads across the country, local health officials have been urging residents to get tested if they don’t feel well.
On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Thursday, Lyon County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern noted a recent increase in home tests. She says that’s a good step — but residents still need to take a confirmation test if it reads positive.
Millbern says a lab-confirmed test will move a suspect case to either a probable or confirmed case. It also demonstrates a level of immunity from infection — which means residents won’t have to quarantine if they get reinfected.
Regarding omicron, Millbern says it may take until shortly before Christmas before more data and trends are confirmed.
Millbern says early evidence points to a possible higher risk of re-infection, and national health officials have mentioned concerns about a high transmission risk overall — although early indications demonstrate relatively mild infections. Millbern again urges residents to get vaccinated if they haven’t already done so and to get booster doses if they have.
