Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several coronavirus variants have emerged as the virus, SARS-CoV-2, continues to mutate and evolve. Some people washed their mail or wore gloves to the grocery store, while policymakers cordoned off playgrounds and encouraged businesses to scrub every surface. If multiple factors below indicate higher transmission risk, you should consider adding more prevention actions. ARs were high across all household contact vaccination categories but lowest among those who received a booster dose (47.8%, 54 of 113) or were fully vaccinated <5 months before the index date (50.0%, 14 of 28). "The virus is fragile; these mutations haven't changed that. In this investigation, a confirmed case in a household contact was defined as having received a positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test result or antigen test result 14 days after the index date (date of the index patients symptom onset or positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test result or antigen test result), and a probable case in a household contact was defined as the presence of COVID-19compatible symptoms during the same 14-day period but without a positive SARS-CoV-2 test confirmation. The study authors themselves did note the limitations at play, including the controlled, lab-based setting and differences in the droplets used in the research compared to respiratory droplets, which may all impact the stability of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. More outdoor air can decrease the risk of transmission. On smooth surfaces, Omicron lasted more than a week, while infectious amounts of the original virus were recovered up to just four days on polypropylene plastic and stainless and up to seven days on glass. Households with high transmission or with more attention to public health measures may have been more likely to participate. Analysis of AR among household contacts excluded eight persons with unknown case status (persons for whom it was not known whether COVID-19compatible symptoms were present and whether SARS-CoV-2 testing had occurred [or if testing occurred, the results were unknown]). Persons without symptoms and who did not have a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result were not considered to have a case of COVID-19. BA.5's mutations have also allowed it to sneak past the body's immune system more easily. Namely, we have vaccines and boosters, which protect very well against severe illness and also reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection. Biometrics 1988;44:104960. Moreover, the . Health and Human Services. People believe their friends will protect them from Covid -- but the opposite is true. Experts said people might consider wearing masks in crowded outdoors spaces to prevent infection. That, combined with the sheer volume of cases, could mean that there could be more cases of outdoor transmission, says Dr. Jill. In addition, surfaces may play a greater role in Omicron transmission. All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. "If you are young and healthy or fully immunized, BA.5 may still make you feel pretty rotten for a while and some people can get very sick from it, so know your risks.". Id prefer that these events require proof of vaccination and same-day negative test result. To Patel, for small group settings to be safe, people cant be shouting (COVID spreads more when people are singing or yelling), you must be able to maintain some distance from others, and everyone should be following public health measures like hand-washing. CDC twenty four seven. part 56; 42 U.S.C. If it was unclear who within the household was the index patient (e.g., if multiple persons developed COVID-19compatible symptoms in the household on the same day or had the same SARS-CoV-2 exposure) or if household contacts had confirmed or probable cases and were known to have a SARS-CoV-2 exposure to someone other than the index patient, the household was excluded from analyses. "This might affect the balance of transmission routes favouring more fomite transmission than we saw before," she said. The New York Times reported that studies of the variant on mice and hamsters have shown that omicron is not . And it has been able to spread fast. In fact, it "could likely be more risky than an indoor setting under different circumstances with proper social distancing and other preventive measures," he added. But if it's a casual interaction outside, even if it's relatively crowded, I'm comfortable not having a mask on. Peter Kneffel If your community is in an orange, or high risk, area by the CDCs metrics, you should mask indoors. This German snowman wears a protective mask over its banana nose and mouth, but experts say the risk of catching COVID outdoors is slim. COVID-19 cases have been declining across the country. Of course, omicron is the most transmissible variant yet. Sect. Since November 2021, Omicron has been the dominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has continuously impacted human health. Are there settings where people should consider masking outdoors? Vaccination au 20 fvrier 2023 (donnes Vaccin Covid) : 22,5% des 60-79 ans avaient reu un rappel adapt au variant Omicron (26,8% parmi les ligibles) ; ils taient respectivement 25,2% et 28,8% chez les 80 ans et plus ; 27,1% des 60-79 ans et 17,5% des 80 ans et plus avaient reu une dose datant de moins de 6 et 3 mois respectivement. "More evidence is needed to account for the increased transmissibility of (Omicron) observed in various community studies," the researchers wrote. Masks work very well, though here I would urge that people wear an N95 or equivalent mask, such as a KN95 or KF94. "If you wash your hands not obsessively, but just thoughtfully and carefully that's going to reduce any transmission you see out there," Evans said. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. Of course, omicron is the most transmissible variant yet. With the COVID-19 omicron variant causing another surge in cases, K-12 schools across the United States are faced with the choice of whether to stay with in-person instruction. Omicron sublineages are still increasing and cause increased transmission and infect Millions of people in China have been forced into lockdown, ordered to stay home to protect themselves from the countrys biggest COVID-19 outbreak in two years. The omicron variant of COVID-19 and its 36 spike protein mutations has upended much of what scientists know about the coronavirus. For both index patients and household contacts, the onset date was either the date of SARS-CoV-2 positive test result or date of symptom onset, whichever occurred first. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. "The air movement [outdoors] is more random and the virus won't build up.". Masks are still effective at protecting you against COVID-19 even if you're the only person wearing one. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. The AR was lower among household contacts of index patients who reported ever wearing a mask at home during their potentially infectious period (39.5%, 88 of 223) compared with household contacts of index patients who reported never wearing a mask at home during this period (68.9%, 124 of 180, p-value<0.01). and/or the original MMWR paper copy for printable versions of official text, figures, and tables. Fourth, the interval analysis reflected time between dates of a positive test result or symptom onset, not date of infection, and did not account for duration of symptoms and prevention strategies, such as frequency of mask use. Persons who reported any signs or symptoms during the course of their recent illness were considered to have COVID-19compatible symptoms. The first is arming yourself with information about community levels in the area to which you're traveling; the CDC's community levels tracker can give you county-by-county information on hospital admissions and COVID-19 case counts. Monthly travel data report. But are new subvariants changing that? Transmission can occur within a household setting on the first day an index patient is infected or on any subsequent day during which they are still shedding viable virus. endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. Vaccinated residents with breakthrough infections were significantly less likely to transmit them: 28% versus 36% for those who were unvaccinated. Outdoors Lower Risk Well-ventilated indoors Moderate Risk Poorly ventilated indoors Higher Risk Overall, spending time outside is "a safer mechanism of prevention against COVID" because of the unlimited ventilation. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. Other members of the scientific and medical community also had mixed views on what this new study actually tells us about how Omicron spreads. BA.5 caught the attention of public health experts after it quickly displaced the very transmissible BA.1 and BA.2 omicron subvariants. Delta had a slightly higher reproductive rate of around 5.1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Partially vaccinated was defined as having only 1 dose of a 2-dose series or completing the primary vaccination series <2 weeks before the index date. What is the difference between people who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic? It's this increased transmissibility that can make activities that were previously thought of safer (but not completely risk-free) options, more risky. It is a lot more contagious, so you could be in an outdoor setting and if you are close to someone who isn t wearing a mask and you re not wearing a mask, you . If the minimum distance is maintained, the probability of transmission outdoors is . Ad Choices. Received a booster dose was defined as having received an additional dose after completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccination series before the index date. A used mask is seen on beach at marine protected area located in St. Martin's Island, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on March 13. Lopez AS, Hill M, Antezano J, et al. On several types of paper, infectious amounts of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 were only recoverable for five to 15 minutes compared to more than 30 minutes for Omicron. All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. These data points raise a sort of transmission paradox. A probable case in a household contact was defined as the presence of COVID-19compatible symptoms in a household contact during the same 14-day period, but without confirmation by a SARS-CoV-2 test. Vaccination status was based primarily on self-report; participants were categorized as having received a booster dose, fully vaccinated (<5 or 5 months before the index date), partially vaccinated, or unvaccinated., The interval between the index date and onset of symptoms or positive test result in a household contact was calculated. The virus can also be carried on microscopic aerosols that are expelled by breathing. Outdoor airflow has done a good job dispersing pathogens. Researchers say infections can happen outdoors, but the chances are massively reduced. FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Novavax's COVID-19 Vaccine. 1. And while things are admittedly looking up, infection rates are low and (in many locations . Her 2020 investigation into COVID-19 infections among health-care workers won best in-depth series at the RNAO Media Awards. According to Dr. Blaivas, it's helpful to think of these changes in BA.5 (and other variants that have outcompeted their predecessors) as "upgrades" to make them better fit to survive (aka, infect humans). Were hearing anecdotal reports of people testing positive who think they got it outdoors, said Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director of Infection Prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital. A SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant, BA.2, became the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. Emerg Infect Dis 2022;28:7569. The questions below are written in past tense to help you assess the likelihood that you were infected when you were around a person with COVID-19. Persons who only had signs or symptoms (and no positive SARS-CoV-2 test result) were considered to have a probable case. Upgrading one's mask is especially important in the face of omicron. Greater COVID transmissibility due to Omicron variants means greater transmissibility in any setting, indoors or outdoorseven if outside is still safer, experts say. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Linsey Marr, a researcher on the airborne transmission of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and a professor at Virginia Tech, agreed that the results show Omicron seems to survive better, which could be contributing to its heightened transmissibility. Here, experts discuss just how contagious BA.5 isand how you can go the extra step to protect yourself, even during outdoor activities this summer. If its in green or yellow or low or medium risk you could choose not to, depending on the other two factors. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Heres What You Should Know About BA.5 Symptoms and Severity, A Devastating Number of Americans Will Experience Long COVID. Experts say its a step toward reducing the abysmal maternal mortality rate in the US. According to Drs. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. For this investigation, a confirmed case in a household contact was defined as a positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test result or antigen test result (through local or home testing)** 14 days after the index date. **** Case status of household contacts was unknown if the occurrence of COVID-19compatible symptoms was not known and if the contacts testing results were unknown. The subvariant made up 74% of new infections as of April 16, 2022. CNN: Should people avoid indoor gatherings, knowing that outbreaks can happen? You can also ask yourself the same questions, but about future interactions with others, to help you decide what prevention actions to take. Here are some frequently asked questions about the vaccines, eligibility, and more. Persons were provided with the following list of signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea or abdominal pain during the course of their recent illness. The short answer here is yes, you can get infected with the BA.5 subvariant, even in outdoor settings. The other/multiple races category included American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, another race specified by the person not in the provided list, or multiple races. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. Because SARS-CoV-2 testing was not available for all household contacts, ability to detect asymptomatic infections was limited. She is also author of Lifelines: A Doctors Journey in the Fight for Public Health.. Yet Omicron, the highly contagious variant known for slipping around some of our best defences, might be surviving longer on everyday objects than its early predecessor raising questions about which basic precautions to prevent surface-based transmission might still be warranted. CNN: Can you give us a quick refresher what protective measures are effective against this very contagious BA.2 variant? Omicron Infection Timeline: When Symptoms Start and How Long They Last. September 7, 2022. A glimmer of hope may be coming with the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply See the Interactive Home Ventilation Tool. That's a key finding from a new pre-print paper from researchers at the University of Hong Kong's school of public health, which is published online but has not yet been peer-reviewed. New research is pointing to the answer, 2 years into the pandemic, burning questions remain about COVID-19 and how we fight it, scientific consensus began to crystallize, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ", Lauren Pelley covers health and medical science for CBC News, including the global spread of infectious diseases, Canadian health policy, and pandemic preparedness. Omicron Symptoms Can Look Like AllergiesHere's How to Tell the Difference, People With Food Allergies May Have Lower Risk of COVID-19 Infection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. appreciated. Being outside would be lower exposure risk than being indoors, even with good ventilation and filtration; both of those options would be lower risk than being indoors with poor ventilation or filtration. Julia M. Baker, PhD1,2,*; Jasmine Y. Nakayama, PhD1,2,*; Michelle OHegarty, PhD1; Andrea McGowan, MPH1,3; Richard A. Teran, PhD2,4; Stephen M. Bart, PhD2,5; Katie Mosack, PhD6; Nicole Roberts, MPHTM7; Brooke Campos7; Alina Paegle7; John McGee7; Robert Herrera7; Kayla English, MPH4; Carla Barrios4,8; Alexandria Davis, MD4; Christine Roloff, MS4; Lynn E. Sosa, MD5; Jessica Brockmeyer, MPH5; Lindsey Page, MPH6; Amy Bauer6; Joshua J. Weiner, MS6; Manjeet Khubbar, MSc6; Sanjib Bhattacharyya, PhD6; Hannah L. Kirking, MD1; Jacqueline E. Tate, PhD1 (View author affiliations). . A used mask is seen on beach at marine protected area located in St. Martin's Island, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on March 13. 2023 Cond Nast. COVID Vaccine Needle Size MattersSo Why Arent We Hearing More About It. It's been almost two years since the world has completely changed thanks to COVID, and while we understand the virus more, people are still catching COVID and cases are spiking in certain areas. Once you head inside, especially in packed areas with low air turnover, there tends to be high transmission of the virus, so plan accordingly. "Doing experiments inside a lab where humidity is controlled is one thing. Why it may be harder to catch COVID-19 from surfaces than we first thought, Acknowledge COVID-19 is airborne, Lancet report urges as more evidence mounts, Omicron subvariant BA.2 raises new questions about puzzling evolution of virus behind COVID-19, Why an Omicron infection alone might not offer the immune boost you'd expect. In any community where transmission is very intense, I would say its best to be in small groups, Patel said. In addition, surfaces may play a greater role in Omicron transmission. Learning about how COVID-19 spreads and the factors that can increase or decrease that risk can help you make informed choices. CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Your Next COVID Vaccination Could Be a Nasal Spray: Here's Why, What You Should Know About BA.2, a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant. Of course, none of us want to get infected by the coronavirus, and no one should be trying to get it. Wen: You need to decide whats best for you, with the understanding that one-way masking with an N95 or equivalent works very well that is, even if others around you arent masking, you are still well-protected if you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask at all times. When possible, SARS-CoV-2 testing data were supplemented with or verified using state or jurisdiction registry data. More information is available, Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People, https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003987, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), International Travel to and from the United States, Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers, Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Documentation of Recovery from COVID-19 for Air Passengers Traveling to the United States from China, Hong Kong, or Macau, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Here's what you need to know. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Being outside would be lower exposure risk than being indoors, even with good ventilation and filtration; both of those options would be lower risk than being indoors with poor ventilation or filtration. Omicron subvariant BA.5 may be the most contagious version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that we've seen yetand even situations that have seemed relatively low-risk as of late, like outdoor gatherings, may now pose a greater threat. The AR was lower among household contacts of index patients who isolated (41.2%, 99 of 240) compared with those of index patients who did not isolate (67.5%, 112 of 166, p-value<0.01). The B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant, first detected in November 2021, was responsible for a surge in U.S. infections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, during December 2021January 2022 (1). Arinjay Banerjee, a virologist working with the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, echoed that. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Some will think those activities are worth the risk. But Omicron was a game changer, in more ways than one. Are there certain settings where COVID-19 can spread more easily? For others, a restaurant with an open wall is outdoors. We also have more tools at our disposal than we did in 2020. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the subvariant is causing approximately 65% of the countrys COVID-19 cases at the time of publication. At that time, the World . Interferon lambda, an injectable drug in development, is already being compared to Paxlovid. If one person was wearing a mask, the risk of transmission isdecreased, and if both people were wearing masks, the risk issubstantially decreased. SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Variant Transmission Within Households Four U.S. Jurisdictions, November 2021February 2022. Even if you cant take time off, you can still take care of yourself. Its unlikely most Americans will see local governments bring back even moderate pandemic restrictions. The same tried-and-true measures that have been encouraged since 2020washing your hands often, wearing a high-quality mask, testing regularly, and staying up to date with boostersstill work to curb the spread of COVID-19. That, combined with the sheer volume of cases, could mean that there could be more cases of outdoor transmission, says Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of adult and pediatric infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Experts warn omicron variants can spread more easily outdoors; prior infections provide less immunit. Being outside, Wallace points out, only helps improve one of the variables for Covid risk: ventilation. Some persons who were fully vaccinated had unknown dates for completion of their primary vaccination series. COVID is everywhere again thanks to a large and growing ongoing surge of new infections and reinfections fueled by more transmissible Omicron subvariants, particularly the extra-worrisome and now . Subanalyses were conducted to examine potential secondary transmission (as opposed to all household transmission); the interval was calculated for households of two persons (index patient and another household contact), and ARs were calculated after restricting the case definition to cases identified 7 days*** after the index date. Surfaces play less of a role than aerosol transmission, but its still good practice to wash your hands well or to use hand sanitizer if you shake peoples hands and touch frequently used surfaces. a new COVID-19 Omicron variant has come knocking on the door, potentially disrupting plans for many . part 46.102(l)(2), 21 C.F.R. BA.5 is just one of the latest subvariants to come from the original Omicron lineage, Michael Blaivas, MD, chief medical officer at Anavasi Diagnostics, told Health. The COVID-19 subvariant of Omicron, BA.5, is spreading quickly in the U.S. . By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. On September 1, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended the newly updated COVID-19 booster vaccines. Serial intervals and household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, South Korea, 2021. "Being outdoors continues to provide another layer of protection because of the ventilation," Weatherhead explains. Suggested citation for this article: Baker JM, Nakayama JY, OHegarty M, et al. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. *** Seven days was chosen for this analysis, because 75% of cases occurred 7 days after the index date. You can bring back some things that are lower risk or higher value but still take some precautions. But there are some people who want to avoid it at all costs and others who accept that if they engage in travel, resume parties, dine in restaurants and engage in other pre-pandemic activities, they will have some level of risk. Someone who coughed onto their hand and then touched a door could seed virus there and transmit it to you if you touch that door and then your nose or mouth. Multicomponent COVID-19 prevention strategies, including up-to-date vaccination, isolation of infected persons, and mask use at home, are important to reduce Omicron transmission in household settings. The median interval between index patient onset date and household contact onset date was 4 days (IQR=27 days) (Figure 1). The XBB.1.5 variant is a highly transmissible descendant of omicron that is now estimated . References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are Coronavirus FAQ: Why are some folks hacking home COVID tests by swabbing their throat. Indicate higher transmission risk, area by the coronavirus asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic COVID-19... Are massively reduced COVID-19 vaccination already being compared to Paxlovid actually tells us about how COVID-19 spreads and the,! Did not have a probable case # x27 ; s mask is especially important in the us throughout COVID-19! In an orange, or high risk, area by the coronavirus friends will protect them Covid... Asked questions about the vaccines, eligibility, and no positive SARS-CoV-2 test result outdoors is links... Not to, depending on the other two factors considered to have COVID-19compatible symptoms she said plans... 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