A 'deluge of omicron' is on the way, according to Santa Clara County's health officer.

As the COVID-19 variety spreads across the Bay Area and residents started traveling and gathering for the holidays, Santa Clara Area Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody predicted a "deluge" of omicron infections in the county.

At a press conference, Cody added, "What I see is possibly one of the most trying situations we've had yet in the epidemic." "And I believe it'll be difficult since it's not what we expected." Over the previous two years, we've all become used to living with COVID, and we're all a little bored of it. But I just wanted to let you know that I notice a lot of COVID and a lot of omicron when I glance around the corner."

Despite the fact that the number of omicron cases in Santa Clara County is still low — 10 as of Thursday — Cody believes they will soon climb. The county revealed a single omicron case last week, but added that the new type was discovered at a wastewater facility. By Thursday, Cody said the county had found omicron in all four of its wastewater treatment plants, which service the bulk of the region's residents.

While vaccination rates in Santa Clara County are among the highest in the country — at least two doses are administered to 80 percent of all eligible persons in the area — global research shows the county may not be able to avoid a widespread epidemic of the new variety.

Another reason, she suggested, is that everyone above the age of 16 should have a booster injection.

She claims that omicron instances are on the rise in Norway and Denmark, which have immunization rates equivalent to Santa Clara County's.

However, the county's COVID-19 vaccination officer, Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, said the region is "not doing as well" with boosters as it was with the first and second doses. He claims that 44 percent of county residents aged 18 and up have obtained a booster, leaving a quarter of a million individuals aged 50 and above without extra protection.

Four of the ten positive cases in Santa Clara County were unvaccinated, five had gotten two doses, and one had also had a booster, according to Cody. The majority of the people had symptoms, but no one had to go to the hospital.

"None of our preventative methods can be used in place of any other," stated Fenstersheib. "Vaccinations are the most critical thing we can do." And our biggest supporters are our boosters. However, we must continue to employ all of the tools in our toolbox.

Cody and Fenstersheib suggested that individuals take COVID exams before getting together in groups for the holidays, in addition to obtaining boosters.

While the vaccine's efficacy against the highly transmissible omicron has yet to be determined, recent research is concerning. According to a research published this week in South Africa, a two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine gave just 33% protection against the new type. People who received two doses of the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and J&J vaccinations were unable to neutralize omicron in their blood, according to a Massachusetts research.

Boosters, on the other hand, have been reported to provide a hundredfold increase in protection against omicron in Israel, with two doses still protecting against severe instances.

On Dec. 1, the variation — which is twice as infectious as delta and four times as virulent as the original strain — was discovered in San Francisco for the first time. Alameda County had seven instances reported as of Thursday, while San Mateo and Marin counties have none.

"Omicron was discovered in a local wastewater sample last week," health department spokesman Will Harper wrote in an email. "But the new variation hasn't been spotted in any of our genetic sequencing yet." "However, it's just a matter of time before we do."