Fresno County health officials pushing for testing to identify COVID variants

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As scientists study the new Omicron COVID variant, they use a Phylogenetic Tree to compare it to other variants of concern.

Fresno County Public Health Microbiologist Jeff Bulawit says you don't normally see a virus mutate over 30 times in a short period.

"Those mutations are occurring in those key areas that we know could have detrimental effects to us," he said.

Doctors continue to assess omicron's transmissibility and its ability to cause severe illness.

Public Health Assistant Director Joe Prado notes we are still in the early stages of evaluation.

To improve surveillance, Fresno County could soon add lab equipment to conduct whole-genome sequencing, which can not only determine COVID variants but could also be used for testing tuberculosis and STD samples.

"When you make a million-dollar investment in a lab, it shouldn't just be for a six-month or eight-month period," Prado said. "It should be a long-term investment."

Right now, five labs in the county can handle genome sequencing and produce results. Four others send cases to state labs for processing.

"What they're doing is mapping out the genetic information for that particular virus," Bulawit said.

Prado adds the testing of wastewater has also been effective in helping to identify COVID surges.

"The whole purpose of this is to get better surveillance," he said.

Prado says both the City of Fresno and Fresno County are now looking into testing sewage samples because it is a cost-effective way of keeping tabs on COVID variants.

"The wastewater side, its samples we're already pulling anyway," he said. "We're just sending it off to a lab for detection."

Just this week, researchers indicated evidence of the omicron variant was present in a sample taken from Merced's wastewater.

Merced County, though, has not yet reported any positive cases.