BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announced Wednesday that 13 additional probable cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been detected in the state.

LDH says the probable cases involve 9 individuals the Greater New Orleans area, 2 individuals in the Baton Rouge area, and 2 individuals in the Northwest region of the state. 

This brings the total number of Omicron cases in our state to 17 – 16 probable and 1 confirmed. 

The first confirmed Omicron case in Louisiana was identified Dec. 3.

The CDC and LDH recommend everyone 5 years of age and older get vaccinated and that everyone 18 years of age and older get a booster if eligible. 

LDH adds that it is also more important than ever to use those public health tools we know work – mask according to applicable guidelines, practice good hand hygiene, and get tested and stay home if you feel sick. 

On Nov. 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new variant, B.1.1.529, as a Variant of Concern and has named it Omicron. This new variant was first reported to the WHO by government officials in South Africa. Since that time, it has been detected in 50 countries and more than 20 states.

Information is still emerging, but Omicron includes multiple mutations across the SARS-CoV-2 genome. There is concern that this new variant may be more transmissible than previous strains and that Omicron may carry an increased risk of reinfection compared to other variants of concern. Researchers expect to learn more about Omicron in the coming days.

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