Will the U.S. surge go up after the holidays? Should you be tested?
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The Department of Health of Puerto Rico is giving out drive-through Covid-19 tests.
The United States is in the midst of a case spike that has averaged more than 300,000 new cases a day for the first time in the Pandemic as holiday gatherings and travel have caused a surge across the country.
The last two weeks have seen a significant increase in the number of positive coronavirus cases. Three days in a row, the daily counts increased by 100,000 or more. Hospitalizations increased in two weeks.
Many more people will test positive for the coronaviruses as the Omicron variant speeds through communities. There are some projections that say millions of new cases in the next week.
Here is what you should know.
Some symptom differences between Omicron and other variants have emerged, but experts are not sure if they are meaningful. South Africans with Omicron often have a sore throat, a dry cough, and low back pain, according to data released from South Africa.
The Delta variant is still spreading. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common Covid symptoms include a dry cough, fatigue, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headaches, and a loss of the sense of taste or smell.
Get tested if you are sick.
Even if you are vaccine free, you can still get the virus and spread it to others. It's better to get tested for the coronaviruses if you want to stop the spread of Omicron. If you've gone to a large gathering, it's probably a good idea to get tested.
The current guidance from the C.D.C. says that people who have had close contact with someone who has Covid should get tested five days later. Testing experts say that it is probably not soon enough for Omicron, who may have a short incubation period. The best times to test are on days 2, 3 and 4.
There are many options for testing. You can get a P.C.R. test at a lab or buy a rapid test from a pharmacy.
If you test positive for a drug, you can either take a second home test using a different brand or go to a testing center.
If you get the news in public, put on a mask. Even if you don't have symptoms, you should be isolated as quickly as possible.
The C.D.C reduced the isolation period from 10 to five days for those who are vaccine-free, those without symptoms, and those who have other symptoms.
After their isolation periods are over, Americans should wear masks around other people.
The new guidelines have been called reckless by some experts.
The C.D.C. says that Day 1 is the first full day after you develop symptoms.
