OMICRON VARIANT UPDATE: HOW TO STAY SAFE
Just when we thought it was safe to resume our normal lifestyle, a new dirtier and uglier variant has made its way US. It looks like this virus isn’t leaving us anytime soon.
The new variant is named Omicron. Omicron was first reported in Botswana on November 11 and then in South Africa on November 14. The World Health Organization has called it ‘a variant of concern’ and has warned that the global risks posed by this variant can be ‘very high.’ However, it’s still to be decided how easily it spreads, how severe the illness it causes, and how effective available vaccines and medications are against it.
What States in the US are Facing an Omicron Variant Spread?
As reported by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus has now spread in 19 states in the US as of December 7. The States include:
● California
● Colorado
● Connecticut
● Georgia
● Hawaii
● Louisiana
● Maryland
● Minnesota
● Missouri
● Massachusetts
● Nebraska
● New Jersey
● New York
● Pennsylvania
● Wisconsin
● Washington
● Texas
● Utah
Most of the reported cases are of fully vaccinated people. No severe symptoms or deaths have been reported due to the new Omicron variant. Still, the number of cases is increasing rapidly. Therefore, it is good to take safety precautions.
How to Stay Safe Against New Omicron Variant
Fortunately, we are not going into quarantine like we had to when Covid-19 first hit us in 2020. We are now at a different place with vaccines, boosters, and medicines available. Still, it’s advised that “we should invoke the precautionary principle,” said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University.
Many precautionary principles that experts recommend are similar to other discovered variants and mentioned below:
● Keep your masks on. (Always outdoors, indoors also if you are not vaccinated).
● Get vaccinated if you still haven’t.
● Get yourself the booster to raise your antibody levels.
● Avoid large social gatherings (both indoors and outdoors).
● Avoid crowded areas.
As expected, it will take time to learn about the new variant and find out how contagious it is. It’s more important to add extra layers of protection during the holiday season.
