First Cases of Omicron in Wyandotte County

Published on December 21, 2021

News Release December 20, 2021

Today, the Unified Government Public Health Department (UGPHD) announced that the first confirmed cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant have been detected in Wyandotte County.

Two Omicron cases in people living in Wyandotte County were confirmed through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) lab over the weekend. KDHE’s Laboratories are screening positive COVID-19 samples to check for genetic characteristics associated with the Omicron variant and sequencing samples to confirm if they are Omicron. The individuals in Wyandotte County with confirmed cases of the Omicron variant are both adults between 20 and 39 years of age. Both of these individuals are fully vaccinated with two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna).

“With new COVID variants like Omicron, is more important than ever that we each take steps to protect ourselves and others from COVID,” said Juliann Van Liew, Director of the UGPHD. “Vaccinations are still the best protection against serious illness and hospitalization from COVID, and boosters are especially important to help protect against Omicron. We also strongly encourage people to wear masks in public indoor spaces and continue social distancing. If you will be gathering or traveling for the holidays, we recommend testing before doing so, especially for those who are unvaccinated or are experiencing any symptoms.”

Learn more about what you can do to protect yourself and the people around you from COVID-19. Read the full story here: English(PDF, 200KB) Español(PDF, 124KB)