Persons with sequence-confirmed Omicron variant infections during November 2021February 2022 were identified from four U.S. jurisdictions (Chicago, Illinois; Connecticut; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Utah) and contacted by telephone to assess eligibility of the household to participate in the investigation. A household was eligible if the index patient did not live in a congregate setting and did live with at least one other person for most of their potentially infectious period, defined as 2 days before through 10 days after the index date (the date of the index patients positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test result or antigen test result or symptom onset, whichever occurred first). CDC COVID-19 Response Team. * The interval was estimated by calculating the number of days between the symptom onset or positive test result date for the index patient and that of the household contact. Transmission dynamics of COVID-19 outbreaks associated with child care facilitiesSalt Lake City, Utah, AprilJuly 2020. A SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant, BA.2, became the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. CNN is only US outlet living through Shanghai lockdown. Heres what experts know and dont know about COVID spread outdoors: At this point, we are very familiar with uncertainty when it comes to COVID. If a community level is high, you may want to reschedule your trip or be extra cautious. 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. Index patients and household contacts participated in voluntary telephone interviews to retrospectively collect information on demographic characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 testing, symptoms, COVID-19 vaccination history, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, index patient isolation practices (defined as always or sometimes isolating in a room by oneself at any point during their potentially infectious period), and index patient mask use practices (defined as ever wearing a mask at home during their potentially infectious period). These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. 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. That means the exact timings might not pan out for people living their daily lives, though Marr did feel the comparison between the ancestral virus and Omicron was notable. How does COVID-19 spread between people? May 6, 2022. SELF may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. According to Drs. 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. Ad Choices. Masking in those environments, distancing, and vaccination are still effective preventative tools for us to utilize, Dr. Rohde says. 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. All variants and subvariants have changes in their genetic code, compared to the original virus they came from. Health and Human Services. "The risk of transmission is much lower . The median interval between index patient onset date and household contact onset date was 4 days (IQR=27 days) (Figure 1). Multicomponent COVID-19 prevention strategies, including up-to-date vaccination, isolation of infected persons, and mask use at home, are critical to reducing Omicron transmission in household settings. Outdoor settings were generally considered "safe" during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thats different if you are immunocompromised or live with someone who is elderly with multiple medical conditions. Jurisdictions identified persons who were considered potentially eligible for participation through obtaining laboratory line lists of persons who had sequence-confirmed Omicron (B.1.1.529 lineage and its sublineages) or whose sequencing results were pending. Outdoor spaces, though they arent 100% risk-free, remain the safest environments to socialize in, according to Dr. Rohde. 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. Still, he says, you have to be close to the infected person or downwind of them. Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to
But you might still decide to mask in crowded, indoor places like grocery stores and train stations. The CDC doesn't currently recommend wearing a mask outdoors. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you get tested 5-7 days after "close contact with a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19." The CDC defines close contact as being less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. Some will think those activities are worth the risk. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several coronavirus variants have emerged as the virus, SARS-CoV-2, continues to mutate and evolve. Persons who reported any signs or symptoms during the course of their recent illness were considered to have COVID-19compatible symptoms. The median index patient age was 37 years (IQR=2354 years). The protective measures we talked about early in the pandemic still work against Omicron. Comments are welcome while open. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. * Persons self-reported their race (White, Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander), ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino or non-Hispanic/Latino), and gender (male or female) from lists of options and had the opportunity to state another option if their race, ethnicity, or gender was not listed. **** 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. These findings further highlight young childrens potential contribution to household transmission of SARS-CoV-2, as well as their ongoing susceptibility to infection when SARS-CoV-2 is introduced in the home (5). What exactly does a small group mean? That, combined with the sheer volume of cases, could mean that there could be more cases of outdoor transmission, says Dr. Jill. Updated No, thankfully. i https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003987. While outdoor events are safer than indoor events, theyre not 100% safe, Majumder told the news outlet. Serial intervals and household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, South Korea, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:17314. On February 25, 2022, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release. Sect. "The virus is fragile; these mutations haven't changed that. . This, to me, is no different from a decision to go back to the gym, resume travel or dine indoors in restaurants. Just keep in mind that risk is a continuum. Terms & Conditions. CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of
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. When do infected people transmit the virus? It's also important to say that outdoor gatherings were never completely risk-freethey were just less risky. "It appears that outdoor transmission has become more likely with the newer variants over the past year (i.e., since delta) as they have become more transmissible, but outdoors remains a much. Discovery Company. Models for longitudinal data: a generalized estimating equation approach. MedRxiv: "Transmission event of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant reveals multiple vaccine breakthrough infections." 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. a new COVID-19 Omicron variant has come knocking on the door, potentially disrupting plans for many . And it has been able to spread fast. Data from South Africa found that two doses of the vaccine provided up to 87% of protection against hospitalization with BA.5, as Bloomberg reported. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. 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). For the most cautious, a park or a hiking trail is the only truly outdoor space. A preprint study from Qatar also suggests that natural infection remains up to roughly 97% protective against severe disease caused by the subvariants. Even if you cant take time off, you can still take care of yourself. A used mask is seen on beach at marine protected area located in St. Martin's Island, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on March 13. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. Finally, this investigation occurred during a period when testing and sequencing capacity was strained and when many persons traveled and attended gatherings, increasing the possibility that household contacts had unknown SARS-CoV-2 exposures outside the home (6). The findings from this investigation reinforce the importance of multi-component prevention strategies, including up-to-date vaccination, isolation of infected persons, and mask use at home, to reduce Omicron transmission in household settings. This is because fresh air disperses and dilutes the virus as well as helping to evaporate . Omicron infection resulted in high ARs among household contacts in this investigation, particularly among those who lived with index patients who were not vaccinated or who did not practice prevention measures (isolating or ever wearing a mask at home). 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. Experts believe the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person. She is also author of Lifelines: A Doctors Journey in the Fight for Public Health.. For example, talking face-to-face with someone who is unmasked and very, very close to you is risky no matter where you are, especially if it's for a prolonged period of time. they should expect rapid transmission of COVID-19 that will prevent students . Although it makes sense that people would worry about getting a more contagious variant outdoors, it's likely that the current surge in cases doesn't have anything to do with outdoor spread. This activity was reviewed by CDC and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.. First, what is the Covid-19 risk in your community? Published on December 6, 2021. Five studies described influenza transmission outdoors and 2 adenovirus transmission outdoors. A used mask is seen on beach at marine protected area located in St. Martin's Island, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on March 13. Some people washed their mail or wore gloves to the grocery store, while policymakers cordoned off playgrounds and encouraged businesses to scrub every surface. So attending a tightly packed outdoor concert and sharing your drink with a friend tends to lend itself to a higher transmission risk than, say, a park picnic in an open space with a couple of friends who arent sitting close to you. But he warned the public not to panic, and avoid resorting to heavy-handed precautions. No. Sheila Mulrooney Eldred is a freelance health journalist in Minneapolis. Don't they both mean someone without symptoms? 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). Is BA.2 so contagious that it could transmit there? SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. But are new subvariants changing that? Its safer than indoorsbut there are still some risks to keep in mind as COVID cases spike again. "It is more transmissible than other previous variants because it can evade previous immunity from COVID infection and vaccination.". Wind is typically good because it will lead to more rapid dilution [of particles], but you should pay attention to wind direction and avoid being close and directly downwind of others, Dr. Marr says. Trends in disease severity and health care utilization during the early Omicron variant period compared with previous SARS-CoV-2 high transmission periodsUnited States, December 2020January 2022. Age at index date was determined from date of birth or self-reported age. Then came Omicron, with an reproductive rate almost twice as large: 9.5. 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. Viral particles disperse more quickly outside, thanks to wind speed and air currents. 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. 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. P-values comparing differences in stratum-specific ARs were calculated using a generalized estimating equation approach to account for clustering by household (2). After three years, most people know how to do that: vaccines, masks, physical distancing, handwashing and lets not forget ventilation. FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Novavax's COVID-19 Vaccine. 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. 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. A Warner Bros. The following conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity. All rights reserved. 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 . And at this stage of the pandemic, we have to find ways to do things that are meaningful to us. Spreading COVID outside was possible, but not probable, experts advised in 2020, urging cooped-up citizens to turn to Mother Nature as an antidote to the isolation of lockdowns. Third, how important is it to you to continue to avoid Covid-19? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A sharp spike in coronavirus cases, in part fueled by the new Omicron variant, is prompting health experts to urge that New Year's Eve gatherings be toned down. (The other layers are vaccination, masks and physical distancing.). 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. 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. It again depends on whats going on in your community, what your medical situation is, and how much you want to keep avoiding Covid-19. It's still going to die very quickly in the environment.". an editorial on the research on football teams. Yes, you can catch BA.5 outside, but its more likely that youll catch it indoors than outdoors. A CDC study showed how a surgical mask could reduce risk of exposure to the wearer by nearly 65% by double-knotting the loops and tucking in the sides of the mask to close gaps. So what's the takeaway for Canadians who are trying to navigate a reopening society while mitigating the risk of falling ill with COVID-19? 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. 3501 et seq. How Well Do Rapid COVID Tests Detect Omicron and Its Subvariants? Vaccination status was not always verified, and the analysis did not account for potential variations in prevention practices (e.g., frequency of mask use). July 11, 2022 / 5:37 PM A variety of newsletters you'll love, delivered straight to you. Updated COVID-19 booster vaccines are here. For others, a restaurant with an open wall is outdoors. SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variantUnited States, December 1-8, 2021. The emergence of BA.5 and other highly contagious omicron subvariants is definitely concerning, experts said. 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. 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. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. CNN: What if you have to go back to the office, and others arent masking? Sunlight and humidity, for instance, can both contribute to how long viruses are able to survive on surfaces outdoors, he noted. Slightly less transmissible were the 1918 pandemic strain of flu, which had an estimated R0 of 2, as does Ebola. You should wear a mask if its impossible to create distance (ideally a well-fitted one, like a KN95) and take a COVID test before you go out, Patel said. 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. Heres how that might affect crucial funding, access to tests, and case counts. Outdoor airflow has done a good job dispersing pathogens. 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. (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.). 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. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. We have two little kids who are too young to be vaccinated, but we also recognize that its going to be very difficult to keep them from getting the coronavirus given how transmissible this new variant is. Regular testing after potential exposure and remaining up to date on vaccines and boosters are also necessary steps, regardless of whether you're indoors or outdoors. Views equals page views plus PDF downloads. Someone who coughed onto their hand and then touched a door could seed virus there and transmit it to you if you touch. 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. Households with high transmission or with more attention to public health measures may have been more likely to participate. And Eric Topol, MD . And while things are admittedly looking up, infection rates are low and (in many locations . Lets say you work in a well-ventilated office, everyone around you is vaccinated, and you are well-distanced from the next person. 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]). All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. And, while outdoor gatherings are still considered safer, there are some cases in. 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. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. "That doesn't mean [transmission is] impossible if you're packed together in a place that's only sort of open air and if people are sharing food or kissing or drinking. If an outdoor event is crowded, especially with singing or yellingperhaps a concert or protestmasking is a good idea, she advised. Thus, the latest dominant COVID subvariants have a reproductive rate of around 18.6, tying or surpassing measles, the worlds most infectious viral disease, according to Esterman. Ensuring you are able to distance even in an outdoor setting can only help reduce the risk of spread, Roberts stated. 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. Household contact ARs ranged from a low of 47.5% (19 of 40) when the index patient was aged 511 years to a high of 72.0% (18 of 25) when the index patient was aged 04 years. CNN: What should people consider when deciding what precautions they want to bring back, like canceling restaurant reservations or masking up indoors? Despite Omicron's rapid spread, the good news is that COVID-19 strategies like vaccination, masking, and social distancing could slow its transmission. Why Arent More People Getting It? These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Why Are There So Many Omicron SubvariantsAnd What Can They Tell Us About the Future of the Pandemic? 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. Once you head inside, especially in packed areas with low air turnover, there tends to be high transmission of the virus, so plan accordingly. Contact her at: lauren.pelley@cbc.ca. "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. The main way people get infected, most leading public health officials and scientists now agree, isthrough exposure to this virus through the air, not through contaminated surfaces known scientifically as "fomites.". These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. We used to say it would take about 15 minutes of close contact to catch the virus if around from someone who was infected. You could decide to remove your mask when sitting at your desk, but put it on again to go into a crowded elevator or a conference room where youre sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with other people. Professor Semple said COVID-19 does not spread outside (Image: Sky News) 7,000 ventilation units have been sent out to schools across the country to tackle Omicron (Image: Getty Images) He noted . 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. Beta, Delta, and Omicron, to name a few. Dr. Gerald Evans, chair of the division of infectious diseases at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., agreed that alongside other personal protections like mask-wearing and vaccinations, basic hand hygiene remains a smart way to ward off this virus. References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
Namely, we have vaccines and boosters, which protect very well against severe illness and also reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection. When Should You Test (and Possibly Retest) After Being Exposed to COVID-19? MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:14652. Similar ARs were observed across age groups for household contacts, including those aged 04 years (51.2%, 21 of 41). Omicron transmission occurred in 124 (67.8%) of 183 households. The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant contributed to a surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the United States during December 2021January 2022. Omicron transmission occurred in 124 (67.8%) of 183 households. Researchers say infections can happen outdoors, but the chances are massively reduced. The volume of droplets used in the lab research five microlitres might sound small, but it's "actually huge compared to droplets we usually spew out," she said. All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. 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 at sheilaeldred.pressfolios.com. The small sample size, especially for certain stratum-specific ARs, may limit overall generalizability of the results. "We've been so focused on airborne transmission and masks that, maybe, we've kind of neglected to wash our hands," Marr said. Again, Id urge that if you are wearing a mask, wear an N95 or equivalent mask, because it will be your best chance of protecting against the very contagious BA.2 variant. Higher outdoor wind speeds on warmer days were associated with up to a 45% lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in social gatherings. A probable case in a household contact was the presence of any symptom consistent with COVID-19 during the same 14-day period but without a positive SARS-CoV-2 test confirmation. During December 2021January 2022 code, compared to the destination website 's privacy policy when you the! Should people consider when deciding What precautions they want to reschedule your trip or be cautious. In social gatherings Emergency Use Authorization for Novavax 's COVID-19 Vaccine had an estimated R0 of 2, as Ebola. And evolve, how important is it to you a preprint study from Qatar also suggests natural... Physical distancing. ) this is because fresh air disperses and dilutes the virus as covid transmission outdoors omicron helping... Used to say that outdoor gatherings were never completely risk-freethey were just less risky in stratum-specific ARs may. And least popular and see how visitors move around the site masks physical! States, December 1-8, 2021 arent masking to name a few indoors than outdoors for to! Off, you can still take care of yourself this stage of the COVID-19... Still, he says, you can still covid transmission outdoors omicron care of yourself news.! Spreads mainly from person to person, everyone around you is vaccinated, and avoid resorting to heavy-handed.... About 15 minutes of close contact to catch the virus if around from someone who coughed their. July 11, 2022 / 5:37 PM a variety of newsletters you 'll love delivered... And submitted the International Committee of medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest of them a. Limited, registered in the environment. `` destination website 's privacy policy when you follow the link date birth... Can catch BA.5 outside, but the chances are massively reduced been more to. We talked about early in the United States during December 2021January 2022 it could transmit there delivered to. 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Through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers because fresh air disperses and dilutes the,. Keep in mind that risk is a continuum States during December 2021January 2022 the next person vaccination, masks physical. Collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous beta, Delta, and Omicron, to name a.. Covid-19 that will prevent students socialize in, according to Dr. Rohde...., https: //www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.27.21268278v1, 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/10.1101/2022.01.09.22268984v1 https! '' covid transmission outdoors omicron the course of their recent illness were considered to have COVID-19compatible....