Weissenbach and Blaivas, there are some key steps you can take to minimize your risk during outdoor events among the rise of BA.5 cases. 2023 Cond Nast. . 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 information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Dr. Beaulieu explains, "Omicron can also spread by shaking an infected person's hands and by touching your nose, mouth or eyes with unwashed hands. CDC twenty four seven. The subvariant made up 74% of new infections as of April 16, 2022. 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. That will reduce not only this coronavirus transmission but other respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens, too. Testing revealed bacterial contamination in some bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears. It's also important to say that outdoor gatherings were never completely risk-freethey were just less risky. Based on the data from the Gauteng province alone, the Omicron variant transmissibility compared to SARS-CoV-2 ancestral and Delta variant were 100.3% and 36.5%, respectively. Accessed February 23, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:14652. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Of course, omicron is the most transmissible variant yet. To receive email updates about COVID-19, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. So far, however, BA.5 does not appear to be any more severe than other previous variants or subvariants, said Dr. Blaivas. 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. 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. "We've been so focused on airborne transmission and masks that, maybe, we've kind of neglected to wash our hands," Marr said. 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. Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to The COVID-19 subvariant of Omicron, BA.5, is spreading quickly in the U.S. . A total of 3,558 persons were considered potentially eligible for participation in the investigation, among whom jurisdictions attempted to contact 1,461 (41.1%). Upgrading one's mask is especially important in the face of omicron. If an outdoor event is crowded, especially with singing or yellingperhaps a concert or protestmasking is a good idea, she advised. Interferon lambda, an injectable drug in development, is already being compared to Paxlovid. All variants and subvariants have changes in their genetic code, compared to the original virus they came from. The outdoors were originally believed to be the safest setting for social gatherings at the height of the pandemic, but you may be wondering if thats still the case with BA.5. 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. Saving Lives, Protecting People, Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the, The White House announced that vaccines will be required for international travelers coming into the United States, with an effective date of November 8, 2021. (Of course, football games have been postponed this season because of COVID outbreaks, but the study's authors believe that players were more likely spreading it in locker rooms and other shared indoor spaces.). "Certainly I don't want to see people going back to wiping their groceries down with disinfectants and leaving things sitting for days on end in the hope that what virus might be there isn't going to infect them. SELF may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. 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. it all depends on the context, the space and the type of activity. There isnt a tried-and-true rule. If you are high-risk or have close contact with someone who is high risk, wear a mask indoors, even if you're just running inside to use the restroom or grab something quickly from a store. 5 Norovirus Symptoms That Can Hit You Really, Really Hard, This Simple Morning Habit Can Help You Sleep Way Better at Night, Jane Fonda Shared Her Simplest Tip for Fighting Depression as You Get Older, CDC Warns Against OTC Eye Drops Linked to 50 Infections in 11 States. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. But as the months passed, scientific consensus began to crystallize, suggesting some of those precautions might be missing the bigger picture of how the SARS-CoV-2 virus transmits. Transmission occurred within 67.8% (124 of 183) of households, and the overall AR among household contacts with known status was 52.7% (227 of 431) (Figure 2). Heres how that might affect crucial funding, access to tests, and case counts. Household contacts were defined as any persons who spent one or more overnights in the residence with the index patient during their potentially infectious period. 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. "More evidence is needed to account for the increased transmissibility of (Omicron) observed in various community studies," the researchers wrote. How Well Do Rapid COVID Tests Detect Omicron and Its Subvariants? But BA.5s heightened transmissibility will ultimately lead to more indoor and outdoor spread. Outdoor activities are inherently safer than indoor gatherings, Dr. Marr says. Saving Lives, Protecting People, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.27.21268278v1, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.09.22268984v1, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.16.21262121v2, https://www.ustravel.org/research/monthly-travel-data-report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. ** Persons provided retrospective information about any SARS-CoV-2 testing that they chose and were able to perform. It's also not clear exactly how much virus is needed for a productive SARS-CoV-2 infection, Banerjay said, with more research needed. Corresponding authors: Julia M. Baker, nwk0@cdc.gov; Jasmine Y. Nakayama, qdt2@cdc.gov. Hong Kong's mask mandate was implemented in July 2020, with only people visiting national parks or doing strenuous physical activities exempt from wearing face coverings outdoors. Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. Wind speeds of less than 5.5 miles per hour (mph) seemed to . 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. July 11, 2022 / 5:37 PM Lynn E. Sosa reports being a past Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists STD Subcommittee chair. Patel stressed that if youre going to crowded outdoor events like weddings, sports games and entertainment events, you should follow health precautions while we wait on data about the current subvariants spread outdoors. The outdoors have always been a sanctuaryeven more so since the advent of the pandemic. She is also author of Lifelines: A Doctors Journey in the Fight for Public Health.. "Being outdoors continues to provide another layer of protection because of the ventilation," Weatherhead explains. endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. Some persons who were fully vaccinated had unknown dates for completion of their primary vaccination series. Terms & Conditions. But Marr stressed the study's conditions don't reflect real-world scenarios. 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. Dr. Mallika Marshall explains: Omicron. . ARs were consistently high across household contact and index patient age groups, including those aged 04 years. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. 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. Forbes: "Outdoor Wedding: 6 Fully Vaccinated Infected With Covid-19 Delta Variant.". Published on December 6, 2021. And in a study of 64 college football games during the 2020 season involving 1,190 athletes, researchers at Texas A&M University found zero spread of COVID during game play based on three postgame PCR tests over the course of a week likely because of the outdoor setting and short duration of close contact, experts say. The small sample size, especially for certain stratum-specific ARs, may limit overall generalizability of the results. If you start tweaking with that where either theres some sort of open wall and theyre calling it outdoors or [youre in] a jam-packed outdoor setting where [you] cant appropriately distance from others I think that would give me more pause, he noted. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several coronavirus variants have emerged as the virus, SARS-CoV-2, continues to mutate and evolve. 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. All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. She also suggested making sure guests are vaccinated, have recently tested negative, and are symptom-free. Its safer than indoorsbut there are still some risks to keep in mind as COVID cases spike again. Outdoor settings remain safer than indoor gatherings, from a Covid transmission standpoint. Among the 204 excluded households, 143 did not meet eligibility criteria, 47 were excluded because the index patient could not be identified, 11 were excluded because household contacts had confirmed or probable cases and were known to have a SARS-CoV-2 exposure other than exposure to the index patient, and three were excluded when sequencing results (pending at the time of interview) indicated a variant that was not Omicron. the date of publication. However, early evidence suggests that the vast majority of people with some immunity, either from prior COVID infection or vaccination, will continue to be protected from severe illness, according to preliminary research. Right now were waiting on additional data to confirm that COVID transmission is occurring outdoors.. But he warned the public not to panic, and avoid resorting to heavy-handed precautions. It also helps to evaporate the liquid droplets in which it is. 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. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed. Omicron transmission occurred in 124 (67.8%) of 183 households. "These 'upgrades' in viral performance mean the virus can spread more quickly than prior variants.". How to Protect Yourself During Outdoor Events, CDC Stops Reporting COVID-19 Cases on Cruise ShipsHere's How You Can Still Stay Safe, COVID-19 Boosters Are Being Updated To Target Omicron SubvariantsHere's Why, What to Know About COVID Reinfections as BA.5 Cases Continue to Rise, Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 Symptoms: What To Know, BA.2.75 Is the Newest Omicron SubvariantHere's What We Know So Far. 241(d); 5 U.S.C. "Most people that get it outdoors are still getting into groups with friends, neighbors and family when outdoors and that is a good way to spread infection when it is present," he said. How Omicron spreads so fast is the question of the moment. Yes, you can get BA.5 outdoors, but you could also contract other COVID variants outside, says Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New. In other words, 10 people crowded at an al fresco table doesnt equal safety just because there are only a handful of people around. No, thankfully. Someone coughing and sneezing will exhale droplets that can transmit the virus. See what it's like. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. Should you get your second booster shot now? Risk is also lower if the mask or respirator is a type that offers greater protection. Given how quickly information about omicron is changing, we decided to reach out to Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, to . 3501 et seq. 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. It appears to be even more contagious than Omicron. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Outdoor transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses is possible, but the odds are much lower than indoor transmission, according to a recent study."We wanted to better. And, if you dont feel well, stay home. Persons with sequence-confirmed Omicron infection and their household contacts were interviewed. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Sect. 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). And while things are admittedly looking up, infection rates are low and (in many locations . A SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant, BA.2, became the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. "If you're standing outside, shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of unmasked strangers [for an extended period of time], it certainly has the potential to mimic a cramped, indoor setting," said Dr. Weissenbach. Greater transmissibility means greater transmissibility in any setting, indoors or outdoorseven if outside is still safer, Maimuna Majumder, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a computational epidemiologist at Boston Childrens Hospital, recently told NPR. That offers greater protection ( mph ) seemed to sample size, especially with singing or yellingperhaps concert. 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