Omicron variant found in 4 North Dakotans, none were hospitalized

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) – The North Dakota Health Department says four cases of the omicron variant of Covid-19 have been found in the state.

Two cases are in Ward County and there is one each in Cass and Burleigh counties.

Two people who tested positive traveled to another state together. The other two did travel. Three of the four people had two vaccine doses, but have not gotten booster shots. One person is unvaccinated. All four cases were identified in people under the age of 50. None of the patients were hospitalized.

The Health Department says only PCR Covid-19 tests can detect the omicron variant, so we should assume there’s community transmission of it in North Dakota.

“To get some semblance protection of protection against symptomatic disease, people need to have a booster. Just to get to that, sort of, 75 percent range of vaccine effectiveness, you need to have a booster,” North Dakota Department of Health Disease Control & Forensic Pathology Section Chief Kirby Kruger said.

North Dakota is 42nd in the nation for the amount of its population that’s fully vaccinated at 52 percent.

Kruger says there’s a potential of a rapid spread of omicron in the state.