The omicron variant: the best and worst scenario 0:44
(CNN) -
Colleges send students home.
Sports leagues are canceling matches and rushing to deal with covid-19 outbreaks.
States are again requiring the use of masks.
The persistence of the delta variant of the coronavirus, coupled with fears of the omicron variant, which vaccines do not stop as effectively, is complicating the United States' effort to emerge from the pandemic.
Cornell University closes its campus after identifying more than 900 cases of covid-19
The government's main advice on the omicron variant is to get a booster shot.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, presented the evidence Wednesday during a virtual briefing at the White House.
Two doses of the covid-19 vaccine are not enough to stop the spread of the omicron variant, but the addition of a booster dose can make the vaccine much more effective.
"The message remains clear: If you are not vaccinated, get vaccinated," said Fauci, who is President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser.
"And, in particular, as for omicron, if you are fully vaccinated, get the booster shot."
Why is a booster not required for "full vaccination"?
Right now, the government is pushing hard for everyone who can get a boost to do so.
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But neither has the definition of "fully vaccinated" changed to include a booster.
And for now, it won't.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), did not provide much explanation as to why the government has not changed the definition.
"Certainly, as Dr. Fauci has shown, and even our CDC data has also shown, we continue to follow that science and it is literally evolving on a daily basis. And as that science evolves, we will continue to review the data and update our recommendations based on necessary, "Walensky said Wednesday.
Ómicron significantly weakens the protection of vaccines Pfizer, Moderna, J&J and AstraZeneca
Mixed Messages:
The unwillingness to update vaccine definitions is the latest example of mixed messages from the government that could lead to some confusion about the pandemic.
New York returns to mandate for indoor masks 3:46
CDC has shifted to and fro on mask-wearing guidance as the pandemic has evolved and variants have emerged.
The CDC recommends the use of masks in closed public places, but there is a new patchwork of rules for where they are required.
California enacted a new indoor mask requirement, but only for parts of the state.
Also, wearing face masks is not mandatory in closed gyms in San Francisco, for example, where there is a vaccination requirement.
New York has a new temporary indoor mask requirement, but companies that enforce a vaccination requirement are exempt.
California imposes these measures to curb the increase in omicron infections
These are states with relatively high vaccination figures.
In other states, where vaccination is less, mask-wearing requirements have been banned.
An omicron surge:
The new variant represents less than 3% of cases in the United States, but the numbers could double every other day, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, on Wednesday. , to Jacqueline Howard of CNN.
That means omicron could soon be the dominant variant in the country.
Although this latest COVID-19 curveball, omicron, does not appear to be nearly as deadly as other variants for now, its rapid spread is another aggravating factor in the US efforts to emerge from the pandemic.
This week's headlines, such as the outbreak among NFL teams and the new rules in California and New York, suggest that outbreaks and restrictions are coming.
More delta
omicron
:
a less severe version of covid-19 does not necessarily mean that it is not dangerous or deadly.
The health authorities say that what is worrying is the sum of the omicron cases with those of the delta.
"It's the mix. It's kind of a perfect storm of public health impacts here with the delta that already affects many areas of the country and jurisdictions," Freeman said.
Hospitals are already overflowing in parts of the US Omicron has been detected in most US states and is causing concern among public health officials, but it is the delta variant that continues to dominate in the US. .US., And many hospitals are still overwhelmed.
"I've been in the ED for 25 years, and every shift I'm working these days is like the worst shift of my career," said Dr. John Hick, an emergency room physician at Hennepin Healthcare in Minnesota, in an interview. .
Other doctors described hostile patients that make their treatment even more difficult.
"We are not starting from scratch compared to the omicron variant," says specialist
Does the vaccine protect against omicron?
Yes and no.
A South African study published this week suggested that the two-dose Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine was not ideal for slowing the spread of the disease - it was 33% effective at stopping the infection.
But infection is not all.
The same study found that vaccinated adults were less likely to be hospitalized.
It was also found that omicron was generally less likely to cause a hospitalization than the original strain of COVID-19.
CNN's Maggie Fox writes: "Government officials stressed that while the variants may evade some of the protection that vaccines offer, vaccinated people often have milder disease or even no symptoms when infected, so Vaccines are still the No. 1 choice for protecting people. Masks, distancing and other measures work too. "
What works best against omicron?
The reinforcements.
"Our booster vaccine regimens work against omicron. At this time, a variant-specific booster is not necessary," Fauci said Wednesday.
"If you are not vaccinated, you are very vulnerable not only to the existing delta surge that we are experiencing, but also to omicron."
How many Americans have received reinforcements?
Just over 60% of the US population is fully vaccinated.
A much smaller number of Americans, about 1 in 6, have followed the latest guidelines and received reinforcement.
The lack of vaccination in the most vulnerable populations is perhaps more worrying.
Just over half of US nursing home residents have received the booster shot.
CNN's Deidre McPhillips presented a breakdown of the vaccination status of the American population.
Pfizer pill would reduce the risk of covid-19 0:49
The covid-19 pill also shows promise.
Pfizer has applied to the government for authorization of the emergency use of a treatment against covid-19: the experimental antiviral pill Paxlovid, which, according to the pharmaceutical company, reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% if administered to adults from high risk in the days after your first symptoms. The Biden administration has already asked for enough to treat 10 million people.
The omicron variant demonstrates what we already know.
The coronavirus will adapt and hamper efforts to contain it.
Joseph Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard University's TH Chan School of Public Health, argues in The Washington Post that the government should be more agile in responding to new developments and updating to begin with. the guidelines on the use of masks and booster vaccination.
Is there any doubt, as Allen writes, that the US needs a new covid-19 playbook for the new year?
ómicron Coronavirus variants