KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The newest variant of the coronavirus is quickly spreading across Missouri, according to water testing by the state. Omicron was already identified in the Kansas City area earlier this month.
The week of Dec. 20, more than half of the sewershed samples tested by Missouri's department of health contained the omicorn variant of COVID-19, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced this week. This means the variant is likely present in the community connected to that sewer system.
"The existence of the omicron variant is becoming much more prevalent each week, making the actions of COVID-19 individual testing, vaccination and other mitigation measures more important as we already face the threat of the delta variant and an increase in flu cases," DHSS director Donald Kauerauf said in a news release Monday.
The state has been testing wastewater for nearly a year in an attempt to identify where cases of each variant are located across Missouri.
The first samples containing omicron were found on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 in Jackson County and Buchanan County.
The state soon expanded its testing, and on the week of Dec. 20, omicron was found in 32 of the 57 samples taken by the health department.
The 32 locations included Blue River, Westside and Birmingham facilities in Kansas City. The mutation associated with omicron was also found at facilities including Branson, Springfield, Columbia, St. Joseph, Joplin, St. Louis, St. Charles County and Cape Girardeau.
On Thursday, with Kansas City in the midst of another COVID-19 wave, 1,600 new COVID-19 cases were reported across the metro. The spike marks one of the largest single-day increases since The Star began recording case numbers in early March 2020.
The state health department is still urging people to wear masks in public, wash their hands often and maintain social distancing.
For those continuing to gather for the holiday season, Kauerauf recommended that individuals get tested for the virus before and after spending time with those outside their household.
"If you're not feeling well, stay home and don't risk getting your loved ones sick," he wrote. "It is important for individuals to plan ahead when identifying a location and advance timing needed to get tested, as there is a growing demand for these services."
