How to protect yourself from the most contagious variants of covid-19

Covid-19: is it risky to eat in a restaurant?

4:49

(CNN) -

A coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom is now the dominant variant in the United States.

The B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is present in all 50 US states and is contributing to the rise in coronavirus infection, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not only does it appear to be more communicable, but some research also suggests that it can cause more serious illness, posing an increased risk of hospitalization and death.

What should people do to protect themselves from this most contagious variant?

We asked Dr. Leana Wen, CNN medical analyst, emergency room physician, and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

She is also the author of the forthcoming book "Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health."

CNN: What should we do differently now that variant B.1.1.7 has become dominant in America?

Dr. Leana Wen:

Variant B.1.1.7 is more transmissible than the previous strains, which means that we must be even more cautious.

Some activities that we previously considered low risk, such as going to the supermarket or taking public transport, now have a higher risk of transmitting the virus.

Those that were once high-risk, like going to closed bars or meeting large crowds, are now even more so.

Diners eating out in New York City on April 10.

With the spread of the most contagious variants, you should know that dining outdoors is less of a risk than eating indoors.

Make sure you sit down with your family.

Take out food is ideal, said Dr. Wen.

You have to be even more on your guard than before.

For example, if you are going to eat outside in a restaurant, check that they comply with the CDC guidelines and that there is at least six feet between tables.

Those who are not yet fully vaccinated should wait until they are fully vaccinated before dining near someone else at their table.

That said, this variant is contagious just like others.

The same measures that we used before to prevent the spread of the coronavirus are still effective now.

That means wearing a mask in public, practicing physical distancing, and avoiding indoor gatherings with people outside of your home.

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It's even more important than ever to get vaccinated as soon as it touches you.

CNN: Do vaccines work against this variant?

Wen:

Yes, and this is a really important point. All currently licensed vaccines provide a good level of protection against B.1.1.7 (remember that no vaccine is 100% effective, but getting vaccinated against covid-19 means you have much less risk of contracting the disease and becoming seriously ill from it).

There are other variants against which vaccines may be slightly less effective.

However, vaccines remain the fundamental tool to prevent these other variants as well, and still other variants that may be developed in the future.

• ANALYSIS |

  Variants of covid-19 identified in the United Kingdom and Brazil are already transmitted in a community way in Ecuador

Viruses mutate when they replicate.

The best way to prevent viruses from mutating is to stop them from spreading.

We help slow and stop the spread when we get vaccinated.

CNN: What is it about this variant that makes it especially dangerous for young people?

Wen:

In recent weeks, we are registering that young people are becoming infected in a higher proportion.

This includes both teens and people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

This is probably due to a combination of factors.

Older people are those who were vaccinated first and are therefore more protected.

Many younger people are not yet vaccinated and, given their higher level of activity, when there is a more contagious variant, they are likely to become more infected.

It is also possible that there is something in B.1.1.7 that makes it more easily attached to the respiratory system and that people harbor more viruses, possibly making them sicker and more infectious to others as well.

All of this suggests that it is not so much that the virus is attacking the very young in some way, but rather that the very young are more vulnerable, as many have not been vaccinated.

CNN: What should we do to avoid getting infected by this most transmissible variant?

Wen:

People who are not vaccinated should try to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

That is the best defense against this variant and others.

Until they can be vaccinated, they should redouble all precautions.

Again, that means wearing a mask in all public places.

Studies have shown that wearing two masks is helpful: a tight-fitting cloth mask over a surgical mask.

• Check the fit of that double mask if you want it to work against covid-19, a study indicates

I would wear two masks like this or one N95 mask in the places of greatest risk, such as if you use public transport or attend a church service indoors with many people around you.

Try to avoid riskier environments where people are not wearing a mask, such as indoor dining rooms.

Socialize only outdoors, with members of different households separated by at least 1.80 meters.

CNN: The CDC has specifically singled out youth sports as promoters of infections.

Should they stop being practiced?

Wen:

It's true that in Michigan and Minnesota, among other places, there have been outbreaks associated with youth sports.

With this variant B.1.1.7, more transmissible, and the fact that young people under 16 years of age cannot yet be vaccinated, it is better to exercise caution.

Sports that can be played outdoors will be much safer than those played indoors.

Contact sports like wrestling will have a much higher risk than, for example, soccer or lacrosse.

Players must wear face masks at all times when physical distance cannot be maintained.

Regular surveillance testing of all players can help, for example if everyone is tested twice a week for an asymptomatic infection.

• Youth sports and other extracurriculars are spreading COVID-19, officials warn

It is very important that parents supervise informal settings as well as formal ones.

You don't want all the precautions to be followed during organized sports, just to have the broadcast happen at the pizza party after the game.

Or for student-athletes to let their guard down and spread the virus in the locker room if everyone gathers there, without masks, for long periods of time.

Ideally, these types of social interactions should be limited for the time being, and strict precautions are taken to prevent the spread of the virus and allow as many sports as possible, and classes in person.

CNN: What about people who are fully vaccinated, do they have to remain just as careful?

Wen:

The vaccines we have work very well against variant B.1.1.7.

People who are fully vaccinated should know that they are very well protected against this strain.

"Fully vaccinated" means that it has been at least two weeks since someone received their vaccinations.

Nothing is 100%.

What people decide to do once they are fully vaccinated will depend on their values ​​and choices.

After you get vaccinated, activities that were previously high risk will be lower risk, but there will still be some risk.

This must be weighed against the benefit of these activities.

• How do you explain that fully vaccinated people in the US have become ill with covid-19?

The CDC states that fully vaccinated individuals can be seen and can visit another home with unvaccinated family members, as long as unvaccinated individuals are not at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.

It is definitely necessary to wear masks in public places, even after having been vaccinated, and to reduce the time in high-risk environments, such as closed places crowded with unvaccinated people.

I have advocated thinking about a "coronavirus budget", that is, knowing that you cannot do everything, but that you must choose the things that are most important to you.

CNN: Even with a different variant, your fundamental advice is to follow the same protective measures that we are already following?

Wen:

That's right.

We have to be aware that the pandemic is not over.

Hope is absolute and it is here, but we still have to be cautious, especially for this more contagious variant.

Please continue to wear masks, maintain physical detachment, and avoid indoor gatherings.

Try to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Getting vaccinated is the key to preventing this virus from spreading further and could make many more people sick.

Coronavirus variants