Wisconsin Health Officials Says Delta Variant is the Main Variant Spreading in Wisconsin

Tuesday, December 14th, 2021 -- 11:00 AM

(WMTV) Wisconsin health officials have released new data Monday in their effort to track the Omicron COVID-19 variant, which also shows the Delta variant is the strain that is still spreading the most throughout the state.

According to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, five cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Wisconsin among the COVID-19 cases sampled.

The Department of Health Services, the state lab and other laboratory partners perform whole genome sequencing regularly on a portion of tests to determine its genetic makeup.

Omicron was noted as a variant of concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Nov. 20 and health officials announced the first case of it in Wisconsin on Dec. 4.

Health officials say Omicron’s mutations of spike proteins recognized in other variant strains have been associated with increased transmissibility and antibody resistance, but health officials say it will take several weeks to determine its transmissibility.

It will also take awhile to determine its disease severity and the effectiveness of vaccines and other treatments against it.

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