photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

Douglas County’s coronavirus numbers are low right now, but LMH Health said Friday that it was on the lookout for a new subvariant of the virus known as BA.2 or “stealth omicron.”

The hospital’s update said that no cases of BA.2 had been detected so far in Douglas County, but that the subvariant “is gradually increasing in our region.”

BA.2 is a different version of the omicron variant of COVID. According to the American Medical Association, it’s colloquially referred to as “stealth omicron” because its genetic mutations can make it harder to distinguish from the delta variant compared to the original version of omicron.

Meanwhile, Douglas County added 14 new coronavirus cases since Wednesday, according to updated data from Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, but hospitalizations at LMH Health ticked up slightly. The number of inpatients hospitalized with COVID-19 at LMH Health has risen from four on Wednesday to six on Friday.

As of Friday, there were 249 active cases of COVID in the county, a decrease of 68 cases since Wednesday’s update. Since March 2020, Douglas County has seen a total of 25,247 COVID cases.

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health continues to encourage community members to follow updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and also urges them to get vaccinated. The health department administers vaccinations and booster doses at the clinic on the first floor of the Community Health Building, 200 Maine St., for adults and for eligible children.

To register for an appointment, visit ldchealth.org/getmyvaccine. Those interested in an appointment can also call 785-843-0721 for help with registering or with additional questions. Shots are also widely available at various pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

The health department also offers information about where to go to get tested for COVID in Douglas County on its website.

Additionally, KDHE has a COVID testing site at the former Payless Shoe location at 1540 Wakarusa Drive. Typical hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.