From the start of the pandemic to the present date, when the highly contagious omicron variant triggers COVID-19 cases,
More than 848,000 Americans have died from the virus and more than 63 million have contracted it, according to data from our sister network NBC News.
Below, medical experts answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the omicron wave.
1. What is omicron?
It is a variant of the Sars-cov-2 virus, which produces the COVID-19 disease, explains Dr. Jaime Sepúlveda, director of the Institute of Global Health Sciences.
It emerged in South Africa at the end of 2021 and has spread throughout the world, displacing previous variants.
What happens if I get the vaccine without knowing I have COVID-19?
Jan. 14, 202201:21
"It is the virus, along with measles, the most contagious that we have heard of in the recent history of humanity," Sepúlveda said.
2. How to identify the symptoms of omicron?
The main symptoms of an illness caused by omicron are fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, and loss of smell.
They develop gradually over two to three days.
Recovery can take five to 10 days.
This comparison can help you differentiate between the symptoms of omicron and those of the common cold.
Jan. 14, 202200:49
They must be differentiated from the symptoms of a common cold: congestion, runny nose and sneezing.
These develop from one to three days.
Recovery can take seven to 10 days.
And those of the flu: fever, cough, body aches, fatigue and headache.
Symptoms develop abruptly.
Recovery can take three to seven days.
3. What to do if we get infected with omicron?
The most important thing is to prevent the disease, "which can be done with vaccinations, reinforcements and the use of masks," warns Dr. Sepúlveda.
But in case of contagion, "it depends on whether we are vaccinated or not," explains the doctor.
"If we are already vaccinated with two doses of mRNA vaccine and the booster, we can isolate ourselves at home, observe, and it will probably be a clinical episode in a few days."
“It is a dangerous idea”: expert affirms that omicron is not mild and that it is not good to look for contagion
Jan. 14, 202200:57
"But if we are not vaccinated, it can be a deadly disease," he adds.
4. What kind of COVID-19 test should I get and where?
There are two types of COVID-19 tests.
Those that detect the viral load, that is, the presence of the virus in the body.
And those that detect the antibodies that the body created to respond to the virus.
Viral tests include rapid tests and laboratory tests.
Both serve to diagnose an infection.
While rapid tests, such as antigen tests, are easier to administer, laboratory tests such as PCR offer more accurate results, although they take several days.
What are the most effective masks to protect children from COVID-19?
Jan. 14, 202201:12
Antibody tests should not be used to diagnose an infection, but can indicate whether an infection has already occurred.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a guide in Spanish to help you decide which type of test is best for you and where you can get it.
5. Is Omicron less dangerous than the previous variants?
The new variant is more contagious and better evades the immune response than previous variants.
Can I receive different doses of the COVID-19 vaccine?
Jan. 14, 202201:11
"People should not think that it is a mild variant, it can be less severe, that is true, but in unvaccinated people it can still cause severe disease, hospitalization and death," said Sepúlveda.
6. Will ómicron be the last variant of the coronavirus?
Most likely it is not.
As long as a large part of the world's population remains unvaccinated, the virus will continue to mutate.
"It's part of their nature," Sepúlveda explains.
Are we near the end of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Jan. 14, 202200:48
7. What things should we have in the home medical kit?
The CDC advises having the following products: saline drops to relieve irritation in the nose;
alcohol for medical use;
a thermometer to measure the temperature;
an oximeter to measure pulse and oxygenation and a mucous sniffer for the nose, especially for children.
"We are exhausted": head nurse of the main hospital in Miami confesses that they are very tired
Jan. 14, 202204:45
In any case, you should not self-medicate and it is important to consult a doctor.
8. Does Ómicron affect young children more?
Although in general terms children continue to be more resistant to the disease caused by the coronavirus, the high transmissibility of omicron has caused an increase in hospitalizations of minors.
"Yes, it is affecting a younger population, children who have not been vaccinated, under five years of age," Dr. Marcos Mestre, medical director of Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, Florida, told Noticias Telemundo.
The contagious power of the omicron variant is reflected in children with record numbers of infections
Jan. 14, 202202:39
Only one in six children between the ages of 5 and 12 have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, which has put them at greater risk.
Children under 5 years of age are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.
Just last week there were more than 580,000 infections in children, according to data from the CDC.
According to medical experts, as in the cases of adults, inoculation in minors makes the difference between a serious illness and a mild one.
"The children that we have seen who are five and older, who are vaccinated, typically do not need to be admitted. The children of five and older that we have seen in the hospital, 90% of them are not vaccinated," explained Dr. Mestre .
9. How can children be protected during the return to school?
Doctors insist: "The most important thing is that children 5 years and older receive the vaccine."
Is the vaccine against COVID-19 effective in children and what side effects does it have?
Jan. 14, 202201:19
You have to wait three weeks to inject with the second dose of the vaccine and two weeks after that, "children are protected," says Mestre.
At school, they should always wear the mask when they are in closed spaces, adds the doctor.
10. What should parents do with children who have symptoms?
If their children have a cough, fever or difficulty breathing, parents should not send them to school or, in their case, should ask them to return home, recommends Mestre.
These are the signs to know whether to take your child to the hospital if they are infected with COVID-19
Jan. 14, 202201:15
However, parents should check with school authorities for how long they will stay home after they stop showing symptoms.
Experts recommend between five and 10 days of isolation.