BA.2 variant pushing a spike in COVID-19 cases in Alaska – State of Reform

The BA.2 variant has turn out to be the dominant COVID-19 pressure in Alaska, and is pushing a spike in case counts within the state.

Alaska had 1,675 constructive COVID instances from Could Eleventh-Seventeenth. That was an 11% enhance from the earlier week (Could 4th-Tenth), wherein the state had 1,506 constructive instances. Alaska had 1,433 constructive instances from April Twenty seventh-Could third.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin stated rising case counts are linked to the BA.2 variant’s emergence.

“As is true nationally, all the current SARS-CoV-2 viruses sequenced in Alaska are omicron, with the overwhelming majority being BA.2,” McLaughlin stated.

The Alaska Division of Well being and Social Providers (DHSS) updates its COVID-19 knowledge each Wednesday. There was additionally a small enhance in COVID-19 hospitalizations from Could Eleventh-Seventeenth, in comparison with the earlier week, in accordance with knowledge launched Wednesday. The weekly DHSS report confirmed a complete of 44 COVID-positive Alaskans hospitalized over the past week. There have been additionally 41 Alaskans hospitalized attributable to COVID the earlier week.

“Alaska is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 hospital beds occupied, significantly in Anchorage, the place the state’s largest reference hospitals are positioned,” McLaughlin stated.

By means of the top of March 2022, a complete of 71,743 vaccine breakthrough instances had been documented amongst Alaskans. An extra 8,178 instances occurred amongst Alaskans who had been partially vaccinated. Greater than 72 % of Alaskans aged 5 or older have obtained at the very least one dose.

“COVID-19 instances have turn out to be extra frequent amongst fully-vaccinated folks than they had been within the preliminary months after vaccine roll-out,” McLaughlin stated. “Vaccines proceed to offer robust safety towards hospitalization and demise in Alaska through the omicron period, and most COVID hospitalizations in Alaska might need been prevented by vaccination.”

From March 2020 via March 2022, the imply age of COVID-19 hospitalized sufferers was 59. Throughout that timeframe, 55 % of hospitalized residents had been male, whereas 45 % had been feminine.

Alaska’s response and prevention methods embrace case, hospitalization, and demise monitoring. The state additionally makes use of varied communications sources, together with its COVID-19 webpage, varied dashboards, a quarterly epidemiology report, a web based vaccine finder, and a testing website locator.

“DHSS continues to encourage applicable mitigation in areas with excessive COVID exercise,” McLaughlin stated. “We’re working intently with well being care and key business companions with congregate work settings within the fishing business and cruise traces. DHSS can be conducting community-level outreach and assessments concerning vaccines, testing, and therapeutics to make sure equitable entry to those companies to all Alaskans.”