Omicron Variant Found At Greenwich Hospital Testing Site

Greenwich CT

08 December, 2021

4:39 PM

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GREENWICH, CT — Two cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus were found at the Greenwich Hospital COVID-19 testing site on Tuesday morning, according to hospital President Diane Kelly. One person was asymptomatic, and the other showed mild symptoms, Kelly said; neither were being treated at the hospital. The two people, who live in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, are fully vaccinated, but it's unclear if they received a booster shot. On Wednesday, Pfizer and BioNTech said their COVID-19 vaccine booster neutralizes the omicron variant, while two-shots "show significantly reduced neutralization titers." More specifically, the booster shot "increases the neutralizing antibody titers by 25-fold compared to two doses." But health experts are still trying to determine if omicron is more transmissible and if it causes more severe illness than previous coronavirus variants. During Wednesday's Greenwich COVID-19 briefing, Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo said no one should panic over the omicron variant. "Before we jump to conclusions on everything, don't panic and certainly don't alter your lives. Continue to be safe, carry a mask whenever you need it, and we'll get through it," Camillo said. Kelly urged residents to get vaccinated if they haven't done so already. "I think we all have to wait and see," she said regarding the omicron variant. "These two cases, they're very fortunate, [the cases are] very mild. But I think we just have to keep observing it. What I don't want is anyone to think they shouldn't be getting their vaccines." Stay tuned for a more in-depth story on Wednesday's COVID-19 briefing in Greenwich