Omicron confirmed in Sarpy County – KETV Omaha

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JO: OMICRON APPEARS TO BE LESS SEVERE BUT IT SPREADS FASTER. THE MORE CHANCES OF DEVELOPING NEW, DEADLIER VARIANCE. — VARIANTS. OMROICN IS OFFICIALLY HERE. 10 CASES AND COUNTING IN DOUGLAS COUNTY. >> THERE’S NO REASON TO TNKHI THAT THIS WON’T TAKE OFF AND SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE. JOEY: THAT WILDFIRE MIGHT HAVE BEEN IGNITED TUESDAY, BUT DOCTORS SAY THVAE RIANT MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN THE METRO. >> THESE ARE JUST THE FIRST 10 THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED. JOEY: NEBRASKONA LY SEQUENCES 5% OF ITS TOTAL CESAS, WHICH MEANS THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHIT COVID WON’T KNOW WHICH VARNTIA THEY HE.AV >> I ASSUME, AS WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SEQUENCING DATA, THAT OMICRON WILL BECOME THE PREDOMINANT STRAIN OF COVID IN THE AREA. JOEY: THE FIRST KNOWN LOCAL OMICRON CASES EMERGETHD E SAME DAY PRESIDENT BIDEN COMMITTETOD DISTRIBUTING HALF A BILLION FREE AT-HOME COVID TESTS. >> THE WIDER AVAILABILITOFY TESTS IS GREAT, BUT WE’REOT N GOING TO TEST OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC. JOEY: AS PEOPLE PREPARE FOR HOLIDAY TRAVEL, AT-HOME TEST KITS ARE IN HIGH DEMAND. >> WE STOCK A BUNCH OF TMHE EVERY DAY AND JUST ABOUTVERY E DAY, THEY’RE SOLD OUT. JOEY: BECAUSE OMICRON ISOS CONTAGIOUS, UNMC DR. MARK RUPP SAYS WE SHOULD ALL EXPECTOT COME IN CONTACT WITH COV.ID >> THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS JUST HAVE YO IURMMUNE SYSTEM PREP FOR IT. YOU GET THAT THROUGH THE VACCINE. JOEY: AND FOR THOSE WHO TEST POSITIVE, RUPP SAYS EARLY INFORMATION SUGGESTS MONOCLOLNA ANTIBODY TREATMENTS MIGHT T BENO AS EFFECTIVE AGAINST OMION.CR PLUS, THEY’RE IN SHORT SUPP. >> WE’RE PAST CAPACITY IN MANY HOSPITS.AL AND IT JUST WILL NOT TAKE RYVE MANY CASES TO UPSET THE BALANCE. JOEY: DR. RUPP SAYS THERE’S ANOTHER WAY TO COMBAT OMRON.IC >> I THINK THAT IT’S TIME TO TPU THE MASK MANDATE BACK INTO PLE. JOEY: DR. RUPP EMPHASIZES WE DON’T NEED TO SHUT DOWN THE ECONY.OM HE SAYS WEARING MASKS INDOORS AND GETTING VACCINATED CAN HPEL KEEP OMICRON A