New evidence is emerging that suggests the COVID-19 omicron variant is widespread in California.
Scientists testing sewage in California have found genetic markers of the new coronavirus omicron variant in wastewater samples from Sacramento and Merced.
The discovery was made by researchers from Stanford, the University of Michigan, and Emory University’s Marlene Wolfe.
“We are looking for genetic markers of the virus. It’s not virus that’s going to infect anybody, but we’re looking for those markers that tell us that COVID is present in the population.”
It’s not clear where exactly the samples originated, but the data suggests the amount of omicron detected so far indicates that the rate of spread may be about one to two cases per 100,000 people.
In a statement, public health said “these findings indicate that the omicron variant is most likely present in Sacramento County. Please note that we have not identified any individual with this variant to date.”
The results of the monitoring of wastewater will help officials understand the concentration and spread of the omicron mutation and guide policy accordingly.
“The most important thing is for us to look at, what are our total numbers of COVID cases. How much COVID are we seeing in the wastewater so that we can take appropriate action to make sure that we can limit the pandemic.”
There is no indication so far that the omicron variant is widely circulating. Wastewater samples in several other communities including San Jose, Palo Alto, Modesto, and Gilroy found no concentrations of virus mutations linked to omicron.
