‘The numbers really don’t reflect that, yet’: Dr. Harris on why the Omicron surge isn’t over

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said Omicron is not finished with Alabama just yet.

Harris called it an incredibly infectious variant that continues to spread quickly.

Over the last three days, Harris said Alabama has had the highest number of COVID-19 cases. About 2,700 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. The most we have ever seen during the pandemic was 3,000.

Alabama has a 46 percent COVID positivity rate as of January 21, 2022.

Harris said we’re always going to have new variants because the virus adapts to survive. He said we just hope they won’t be as severe and we hope people will change their behavior and not put themselves and others at risk.

Harris addressed the fact that people who are vaccinated also can get COVID-19, but he said the vaccine lowers the risk of serious disease or hospitalization. Harris said one analogy is seatbelts don’t stop wrecks, but they can protect you from serious injury or death.

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