Omicron

In this editorial, Pooja Patel describes the COVID-19 Omicron variant and its rising effects in the world and within our own community.

Omicron and CDC guidelines updates

By Pooja Patel

Welcome back, Scroll readers. New month, new issue and, sadly, new viruses. As we started the year 2022, we were hoping to leave COVID and all the variants behind. Unfortunately, as the new year rolled in, so did the new Omicron variant, which has already caused many disruptions to this year, as you may have heard. So let's dig into what this virus is and how we can be safe and take proper precautions to avoid getting infected.

what is omicron?

Omicron is a new variant that has way more mutations than any others that researchers have discovered. According to the CDC, Omicron likely spreads more easily than the original COVID-19 virus and it appears to be more contagious than the Delta variant. Regardless of your vaccination status, Omicron can be spread more quickly and it is becoming the dominant virus in the world very rapidly.

Who is the most vulnerable?

Most Omicron cases have occurred in relatively “young, healthy people,” according to the UC Davis research program. Older people are also at high risk of getting the virus, but what is different in this variant is that it is attacking younger people's immune system, rather than only the older age groups. Josephine county has seen the highest peak in the past few weeks, getting roughly 100 cases over a 7-day average. In the week of Jan. 10, 2022, 304 individuals were absent, across 11 buildings throughout the Grants Pass School District.

symptoms

Dr. Katherine Poehling, an infectious disease specialist and vaccinologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist said that these appear to be the prominent symptoms of Omicron: cough, fatigue or tiredness, congestion and runny nose, sore throat, and headaches. NBC News adds that “Unlike in previous variants, the loss of taste and smell seems to be uncommon, doctors say.” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical center also states that “It is clear that if you’re vaccinated, particularly if you’ve had a booster, omicron tends to produce milder infections.” If you are not vaccinated or boosted, it is highly recommended that you consider getting it done soon. Vaccines are proven to be safe by many medical experts and other authorities around the world. The best way to help prevent the spreading of these viruses is to get vaccinated and keep wearing masks to keep our lives going without another lockdown. Pfizer announced results of a laboratory study showing that three doses of its COVID-19 vaccines offer better protection against the Omicron variant and Moderna has released preliminary data showing similar results for its third dose. If anytime, now is the time to get vaccinated and booster and soon and possible as supported by many medical professionals across globally.

Covid 19 Omicron Symptoms Template

the severity of omicron

Aitor Diago/Getty Images

Compared to other variants, Omicron has been proven to be less severe in the lungs, but it can replicate faster higher up in the respiratory tract. “In this way, Omicron may act more like bronchitis than pneumonia,” said Dr. Hugh Cassiere. A small study from the CDC found that people who have COVID and are later reinfected with Omicron may experience fewer symptoms than they did during their initial bout with the virus. Because of this, people who have any cold symptoms or flu-like symptoms should get tested for assurance and accurate results. Symptoms appear to last three to five days for most patients, but symptoms are likely to last longer, up to 10 to 12 days, when there are no vaccinations present in human bodies. People with long-term symptoms can experience crushing fatigue, irregular heart rhythms, and other issues months after their first initial COVID infection. It has been advised that anyone who has been in contact with an infected individual should get tested about 72 hours after the exposure according to NBC.

cdc guidelines

So what exactly do we do if we are exposed to someone who has tested positive or has tested positive ourselves? New guidelines released by the CDC over the past few weeks outline which precautions should be taken.

If you were exposed to COVID-19 and are not vaccinated, it is recommended that you be quarantined for at least five days, and even if you do not develop symptoms, you should get tested at least five days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19. After quarantine, continue to watch for symptoms until ten days have passed and, if any do develop, isolate immediately and stay home until test results arrive again.

If you were exposed to COVID-19 and are vaccinated, you do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms, but it is still recommended to get tested at least 5 days afterward.

If you tested positive for Covid-19 or have symptoms, regardless of your vaccination status, stay home for five days and isolate yourself from others in your home. If you have had symptoms, end isolation after five full days and when you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the usage of fever-reducing medications) and your symptoms are improving.

If you did not have symptoms, then end isolation after five full days away from your positive test. If, even after the five day isolation period, you are still ill with COVID-19, then isolate for ten more days.

If you had close contact with someone with COVID-19 and you are up to date with your vaccines or had a confirmed COVID-19 test within the previous 90 days, then you do not need to quarantine. However, you should still continue to observe your symptoms and wear a well-fitting mask around others.

That's all I have for you, Scroll readers. As we attempt to go along with our normal lives again, we need to continue caring for and protecting our community from these rising variants. The best way to ensure our normal lives continue is by wearing masks properly. Please get vaccinated and boosted, if you have not done so already, and encourage others to do the same. See you next month, fellow reader!

A man is swabbed for Covid-19 at a walk-up testing site at Farragut Square in Washington, DC, on December 23. He said he was being tested just as a precaution ahead of the holidays. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

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