The Omicron variant of the coronaviruses is spreading quickly in the United States. The variant of the covid-19 is rising in highly immunized cities like New York, and experts expect it to become the dominant form of the virus in the U.S. in as little as a few weeks. Based on preliminary reports, we know what is known about this variant.
What are the most common Omicron symptoms?
South Africa, where the variant was first discovered in late November, and other countries are starting to paint a clearer picture of the trouble Omicron can cause. It is infecting people who have a baseline of immunity from previous vaccinations, but its typical symptoms are milder than they would be if it were not for that. A case study of an Omicron-specific outbreak among people in Norway found that the majority of them had sore throat and a stuffy nose, along with dry cough and fatigue. A study found that only 12% of people reported a loss of smell, which was previously known to be a symptom of covid-19. The recent Omicron wave has been associated with fewer hospitalizations and deaths in South Africa than in the past.
Lab data shows that Omicron can grow quickly in the cells of our upper respiratory tract, but not in our lungs. This could help explain why Omicron is spreading so fast and why it doesn't seem to cause a lot of illness. It is not yet known if Omicron is milder than older strains of the virus. The milder presentation we are seeing so far may not hold true for people who have not been exposed to the coronaviruses.
Experts warn that Omicron is still a major threat. The spread of Omicron will lead to many people getting sick at the same time, which could strain local healthcare systems. If they are in poorer health or not previously exposed, they won't fare as well as everyone else. We don't know if people will experience chronic symptoms after Omicron, a condition known as long covid. Even if only a small percentage of people develop symptoms, that could still mean many cases in total.
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When should you be tested?
If you have been around someone who has covid-19, you may be wondering how soon you can get tested to find out if you have it. The good news is that Omicron isn't inherently different from the previous versions. There is some data from South Africa that shows that symptoms can appear sooner after exposure. Omicron symptoms could be showing up after three to four days on average, compared to the average five day period seen before. If you fear you have been exposed to Omicron, you might want to get tested for it.
Even if you test negative for an infectious disease soon after exposure, you should still take precautions since some infections can only be detected a week or more after exposure. Rapid tests seem to be effective at detecting when a person is most infectious and able to spread the virus to others, but there is some speculation that rapid tests may not be as effective as they used to be. If you are relying on these tests, it is more important than ever to take the test before you go to visit someone. If you are sick, you should stay home.
How effective are the vaccines against Omicron?
Our vaccines aren't giving as much protection against Omicron as they used to. That doesn't mean they aren't helping. Booster shots seem to restore effectiveness against Omicron at least temporarily.
Moderna released new data on Monday that looked at people's neutralizing antibody levels a month after they received a booster dose. The standard 50 microgram booster dose was given to some people, while others were given a 100 microgram dose. Those who got the standard booster dose had their levels rise 37 times, while those who got the 100 microgram booster had their levels rise 83 times.
There are some things that can happen here. The pseudoviruses used in the experiments looked like Omicron, which may not be an exact match for how our boosted immunity will respond to the real thing. The strength of the booster was indicated by some early real-world data from the UK. The booster may restore protection against illness from Omicron to around 70% to 75%, depending on the vaccine status of the person, and it may offer even higher protection against severe illness.
Moderna is developing Omicron-specific boosters, but they may not arrive for some time, and who knows what the situation will look like when newer strains become dominant. Getting boosted is the most important thing you can do to stay safe this winter.
