NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The omicron variant continues to deliver record-setting numbers of new COVID-19 cases in New Mexico. But while case totals remain high, omicron has also ushered in a far different phase of the virus.

New Mexico News Podcast

This week on the New Mexico News Podcast, Chris and Gabby help make sense of what’s new with omicron and how the state is responding differently. A leader in New Mexico’s pandemic response, New Mexico’s Department of Health Acting Secretary Dr. David Scrase, joins the podcast again to offer the latest perspective on what the virus is doing in 2022 and what’s ahead.

How is the omicron variant physically affecting adults and kids? Despite a high caseload, are there any encouraging trends at this stage in the pandemic? How is the state viewing the rise of at-home rapid tests versus lab-based PCR testing and will there be a shift toward more home testing? These questions and more are the focus of this week’s discussion.

Noted in the discussion this week is a segment from CBS News about the differences in PCR and antigen testing. Here’s a link to that segment: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-test-pcr-antigen-results/

The New Mexico News Podcast is a weekly podcast with new episodes available every Tuesday. Episodes are available for download on most popular platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Podbean among others.

To find the show on your favorite podcast player, type “KRQE News” or “New Mexico News Podcast” into the search feature. Use the links above to find the podcast on each respective service, or listen to the audio player below.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.