The COVID-19 delta wave began to subside late last year and many felt that we had seen the worst of the virus. Unfortunately, a new variant of COVID-19 began to emerge. Omicron was first labeled as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) in November 2021. Since then, the variant has sped around the world in a matter of weeks. In the United States, new daily case numbers have exceeded half a million several times recently, smashing records.
Here is what we know about this new variant.
Omicron appears to be less severe than delta but it is spreading faster
Early indications are that omicron is causing a milder version of COVID-19 than delta. However, this does not mean we should let our guard down. COVID-19 is still a virus that should be taken seriously regardless of the variant encountered.
Because of the exponential rate of spread, although illness with omicron might be milder, as a percentage of the population, more people will be infected and end up in the hospital. It is for this reason that health authorities continue to take this variant seriously.
Monoclonal antibodies are less effective against omicron
There is some early research that indicates monoclonal antibodies may be less effective at treating omicron than they were against delta. Laboratory evidence and patient data shows that omicron is totally or partially resistant to most available monoclonal antibody treatments. Sotorovimab is one exception. However, Sotorovimab is in short supply nationally.
Vaccination still provides the best protection against omicron
At the moment, vaccination, which includes the two initial COVID-19 vaccinations and the booster dose, remains the single best defense we have against omicron.
If infected, those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are less likely to end up in ICU than those who are not vaccinated. Now is the time to get vaccinated or get boosted if you haven’t already.
If you have been infected with COVID-19, you can still get infected again
Even those that have previously been infected with COVID-19 can get infected again.
Additionally, even if you have been vaccinated you can still get infected with COVID-19. This does not mean that the vaccination does not work. Quite the opposite. The COVID-19 vaccination works by preventing severe illness and death if infection does occur. This is also true for omicron.
Getting infected with omicron is still a problem for everyone
In some spaces, there has been a misconception that because omicron does not appear to be as dangerous as delta, it is okay to get infected. This is incorrect. Although omicron may be milder, the chances are good that you will likely pass on the infection to someone you know or live with. Not everyone who gets the virus will have a mild version. Furthermore, because of the fast rate of spread of omicron, the high case numbers in hospitals means that those beds are not going to people with other life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks, cancer or traffic accidents. Getting infected with covid affects us all.
Steps to take that will lower your risk of catching omicron
Guidance for protection against omicron still involves the basic recommendations of social distancing and good hand hygiene. If you have relaxed some of your COVID-19 precautions in recent months, consider being a bit more careful with omicron spreading
- Avoid large crowds and attending crowded events
- Wear a mask when in indoor public spaces
- Social distancing in indoor public spaces
- Wash your hands with sanitizer or soap and water when required
- If you believe you have been infected with COVID-19, stay at home and isolate
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html
- https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.30.21268495v1
- https://www.npr.org/2022/01/01/1069610981/why-omicron-spreads-so-fast
- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03829-0
- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/21/health/covid-monoclonal-antibodies-omicron.html
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