New omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 found in McHenry County, health departments say

A new subvariant of the omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant has been found in McHenry County, prompting health officials to recommend residents continue to take protective measures.

The subvariant, called omicron BA.2, has been found through random testing, McHenry County Department of Health spokeswoman Lindsey Salvatelli said. However, COVID-19 cases in the county continue to remain low.

With the subvariant’s emergence, officials recommend that residents continue to get vaccinated and boosted, and test themselves when they have symptoms.

At this point, it’s not known how prevalent omicron BA.2 is in McHenry County, Salvatelli said.

“As with all strains of the variant, we are concerned about how the virus will spread and impact our community, especially those who are at a higher risk of severe illness caused by the virus,” she said.

Testing for variants is done at random by state and federal health agencies, Salvatelli said, meaning the county can tell when a variant has entered the area but it doesn’t give a full picture of the variant’s prevalence.

Nationwide, the subvariant made up almost 86% of all new cases from April 3 to 9, with that proportion rising every week since the beginning of February, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.

State data doesn’t break down individual subvariants. As of April 9, all versions of omicron collectively made up 98.87% of new cases in the state, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The latest report marked the first time since early March that the delta strain was being detected again, showing up in 1.13% of cases. Previously, omicron accounted for 100% of new cases.

In Illinois, the seven-day rolling average for cases has seen an uptick dating back to the later half of March, increasing to 2,007 new cases a day as of Friday, the highest average since Feb. 24.

In McHenry County, that number has stayed flat, passing 10 cases per 100,000 residents twice since March 12, state data shows. The level of COVID-19 in the county was considered low by the CDC as of Friday.

While hospital admissions have seen a slight increase too, the number has stayed relatively flat across both the state and McHenry County, IDPH data shows.

In Region 9, which contains both McHenry and Lake counties, intensive care unit availability has fallen over the past week, from 31% on April 5 to 21% by Thursday, state data shows.

That number across the state has stayed consistent, remaining between 23% and 24% since March 9, IDPH data shows.

County Board Chairman Mike Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, said that going forward he doesn’t expect the state to issue more mandates and would think any mitigations would be more suggestive. He added that he’s not convinced the state’s previous mandates set Illinois on a better course when compared with other states’ outcomes from COVID-19.

Washing hands frequently and wearing a mask if you think you are at an increased risk are both things Buehler said he recommends.

“I’m not in favor of mandates,” he said. “I think we all know the best way to protect ourselves.”

The new director of the IDPH, Dr. Amaal Tokars, said Tuesday that state officials were not discussing a mandate at that time.

“But we don’t know what the future will be,” Tokars said. “At this time, we are really wanting to educate people on actions they could and should take.”

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it would extend the nationwide mask requirement for public transit until May 3 as it monitors the uptick in COVID-19 cases.