Omicron within the U.S.: What to Know

Dec. 20 , 2021 — The Omicron coronavirus variant has been present in dozens of states throughout the nation because it was first recognized in South Africa in November, and lots of could also be questioning: Will it upstage Delta and trigger a winter surge? Is it nonetheless protected to assemble with others for the vacations? How is that this variant affecting kids?

Experts addressed these and different questions in a webinar hosted by New York University final week, acknowledging that it’ll take a while to seek out out all of the essential details about Omicron.

But within the meantime, here is what’s identified — and never — about Omicron within the fast-changing COVID panorama.

How widespread is Omicron now?

As of Dec. 15, Omicron transmission had been reported in 80 nations, in keeping with Michael H. Merson, MD, a visiting professor of world well being on the New York University School of Global Public Health. In the 35 states with Omicron circumstances, the numbers differ. Right now, New York and New Jersey are detecting the Omicron variant at about 4 instances the general charge within the nation, he mentioned. But whether or not or not the variant will stay in ”pockets” is presently unknown, he mentioned.

How can individuals benefit from the holidays safely?

When it involves deciding about gatherings and journey, “belief your instincts,” Elodie Ghedin, PhD, chief of the techniques genomics part on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and affiliate college member at NYU, mentioned.

“In the previous 2 years, you will have developed a really feel for what feels too shut. This isn’t April 2020. You have discovered loads within the final 2 years.”

As an instance of protected vacation gatherings, the specialists cited President Joe Biden’s look final Tuesday at a celebration of 400, which was held on a resort rooftop attributable to COVID considerations.

“It’s crucial to spend the vacations with household and mates,” Merson mentioned. “But accomplish that correctly. That’s my recommendation about journey.”

That means getting vaccinated and boosted when eligible, making use of fast testing when referred to as for, masking, handwashing, avoiding crowded indoor areas, and preserving your distance from others.

Knowing your threat stage and that of household and mates when planning for the vacations can also be vital, Merson mentioned.

Is Omicron drastically affecting kids?

Experts are ready on information to seek out out.

“The jury continues to be out on how virulent Omicron will probably be for teenagers,” mentioned Celine R. Gounder, MD, a member of President Biden’s COVID-19 activity pressure and a medical assistant professor of drugs and infectious ailments at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “We do not know.”

The neatest thing dad and mom can do proper now’s to vaccinate their kids ages 5 years and up who’re eligible, she mentioned.

Do monoclonal antibody medicine work nicely in opposition to Omicron?

No, Ghedin mentioned.

“Most of the monoclonal antibodies don’t appear to work very nicely in opposition to Omicron,” she mentioned.

What’s identified about how infectious Omicron is?

“It seems to be essentially the most infectious variant up to now,” mentioned Gounder.

“Relative to Delta, Omicron seems to be 2-3 instances extra infectious.”

Put one other method, she mentioned, you might be more likely to infect 2 to three instances extra individuals than if contaminated with different variants.

People mustn’t depend on their pure immunity from a previous COVID an infection to guard them from the Omicron variant, Gounder mentioned.

It additionally does appear that the Omicron variant may be much less virulent than different variants, she mentioned. (Virulence refers to how extreme a illness an contaminated particular person can get.)

If Omicron is much less virulent, is not that excellent news?

Yes and no, Gounder mentioned.

“Even if it is a gentle illness, you may nonetheless have a number of deaths. Let’s say COVID has a case fatality charge of 1% and you’ve got 100 individuals who get contaminated — and one demise,” she mentioned.

Then say Omicron’s charge is .25%, however when you’ve got 400 circumstances, since it’s extra infectious, that is nonetheless one demise.

“We actually need to be very cautious after we say much less lethal and fewer extreme [when talking about Omicron]. On a inhabitants stage, Omicron might be simply as lethal as Delta even when it causes gentle illness, if extra are contaminated,” she mentioned.

If a COVID check is optimistic, will the outcomes specify whether or not it’s the Delta or the Omicron variant?

“Unfortunately, you will be unable to get that info from a PCR check accomplished locally,” Ghedin mentioned. “If you might be doing it by means of a analysis entity, they may present that info, however I extremely doubt it.”

With extra individuals vaccinated now than previously, can we contemplate COVID endemic, not a pandemic, now?

No, Gounder mentioned.

“We are nowhere close to endemic [status],” she mentioned. “We are nonetheless very a lot pandemic. Saying it’s endemic now’s like saying, ‘Let’s do nothing.'”

Currently the U.S. is at a stage of about 60% of the inhabitants vaccinated, she mentioned.

“We actually have to be attending to 85, 90 %” earlier than transitioning into endemic standing.

In tropical nations, the flu is endemic, Ghedin mentioned, ”and it is there year-round. We are usually not there with SARS-CoV-2.”