Two new omicron subvariants sweeping through South Florida

MIAMI – Last Friday, Vivian Fazio tested positive for COVID.

She’s double vaxxed and it’s the first time she’s gotten a positive diagnosis.

“It’s strange to get it now. We thought we had turned the corner, and now here we are,” she said.

The two new omicron subvariants are spreading in South Florida.

Dr. Annirudh Setya, a pediatrician with Kidz Medical Services, says the subvariants are highly transmissible.

“The common symptoms are upper respiratory infection and fatigue. We are not seeing as much loss of taste and smell,” he said.

Throughout South Florida, COVID hospitalizations are fairly steady.

Broward Health says in June and July there were 76 Covid patients. Last summer, during the same time period, there were 1,739 patients.

Memorial Healthcare says across all their hospitals there are 240 patients. Last month, there were 196. At the peak last summer there were 600.

And within the Jackson Health System, the numbers have stayed within the 100s. Currently, there are 119 COVID patients. In June, there were 102. And during the peak last summer, there were 445 patients hospitalized.

Fazio was prescribed a common anti-viral called paxlovid.

“Overall I feel it’s helping,” she said.

But she points out that she’s had a bit of a roller coaster ride recovering.

Dr. Setya says because the new subvariants are so transmissible, people may want to consider masking up, especially if you are going to be in a confined space for an extended amount of time.