UW Testing Show Surge of Omicron Variant in Washington State

Research is showing a rapid rise of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in Washington State.

The New York Times reports testing by the University of Washington shows 13 percent of samples collected today had the strain, which is almost double the percentage reported Tuesday, and four times the number reported Monday.

The state recorded its very first cases of Omicron just two weeks ago.

The trend in Washington mirrors the sharp rise of the variant in Britain and South Africa, where hospital capacity has been squeezed.

A University of Washington researcher told the New York Times that the relatively small sample sizes provided only a limited window into the variant’s trajectory, but said the results add to worries that omicron may be highly transmissible.

The UW Medicine virology lab has been looking for signs of the Omicron variant through its screening of samples of the virus from across the state.

More than half the samples are from King County.

There's been some evidence that Omicron causes less severe illness that other versions of the virus.