A new study out of Hong Kong suggests Omicron 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. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. hide caption. Roberts stressed that COVID spread outdoors is much less common than spread indoors, but nothing is perfect. Generally speaking, the same factors that influence your risk of infection indoors, also apply to outdoor settings. 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. Overall, spending time outside is a safer mechanism of prevention against COVID because of the unlimited ventilation. The emergence of BA.5 and other highly contagious omicron subvariants is definitely concerning, experts said. All Rights Reserved. As statistics show, the highest rate of COVID-19 transmission occurs in indoor settings. "That gentle breeze outdoors is generally safer" than indoors, he says. We conducted a test-negative case-control study and recruited the test-positive cases and test-negative controls in the outbreak caused by . Testing revealed bacterial contamination in some bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears. A used mask is seen on beach at marine protected area located in St. Martin's Island, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on March 13. Accessed February 23, 2022. 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. "We've been so focused on airborne transmission and masks that, maybe, we've kind of neglected to wash our hands," Marr said. On February 25, 2022, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release. "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.". Of those with known SARS-CoV-2 infection history, eleven (6.1%) of 181 index patients and nine (4.7%) of 192 household contacts with confirmed or probable COVID-19 reported a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. "Being outdoors in the outside air absolutely protects us from less transmissible viruses," Sharon Nachman, MD, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, told Health. And it has been able to spread fast. Higher outdoor wind speeds on warmer days were associated with up to a 45% lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in social gatherings. BOSTON -- As Omicron cases are sweeping the nation, some experts are warning that being outdoors may not provide as much protection as before. Discovery Company. 2023 Cond Nast. 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 you are attending an outdoor gatheringeven when community levels are medium or lowyou should still be cautious about masking and social distancing, especially in large crowds. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt like thevirus was everywhere and on everything. Vaccination status was not always verified, and the analysis did not account for potential variations in prevention practices (e.g., frequency of mask use). People in the US wont face a shutdown like the one currently in place in Shanghai, where no one is allowed to leave their residential compounds, Covid testing is mandatory and food supplies are running low. 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. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The XBB.1.5 variant is a highly transmissible descendant of omicron that is now estimated . Someone who coughed onto their hand and then touched a door could seed virus there and transmit it to you if you touch. When an . Omicron transmission occurred in 124 (67.8%) of 183 households. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Outdoor settings remain safer than indoor gatherings, from a Covid transmission standpoint. Overall, engaging in outdoor activities is less risky than going to indoor venues. 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. The small sample size, especially for certain stratum-specific ARs, may limit overall generalizability of the results. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), BA.5 accounts for 65% of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S.; in just two months, the subvariant managed to outcompete BA.2 and BA.2.12.1the two previously dominant subvariants. How to Have a Sick Day When You Cant Actually Call Off Work. of pages found at these sites. Lopez AS, Hill M, Antezano J, et al. 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. Most. Regular sanitization of toys and other items in daycares and schools where children are at play may also be helpful, he said, given how often kids put items directly in their mouths. All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. cases are rising modestly in the Northeast, Philadelphia has reinstituted an indoor mask mandate, BA.2 is a subvariant of the Omicron variant. Department of Health and Human Services. Other members of the scientific and medical community also had mixed views on what this new study actually tells us about how Omicron spreads. Among 439 household contacts, cases were identified in 227 (51.7%), including 178 (40.5%) confirmed and 49 (11.2%) probable cases; among the remaining household contacts, 204 (46.5%) were classified as nonCOVID-19 patients and eight (1.8%) as having unknown status. 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. We used to say it would take about 15 minutes of close contact to catch the virus if around from someone who was infected. Don't they both mean someone without symptoms? Just keep in mind that risk is a continuum. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. No, thankfully. Upgrading one's mask is especially important in the face of omicron. "More evidence is needed to account for the increased transmissibility of (Omicron) observed in various community studies," the researchers wrote. All variants and subvariants have changes in their genetic code, compared to the original virus they came from. Overall, the ECDC said this makes more frequent breakthrough infections and reinfections possible with BA.4 and BA.5. Iuliano AD, Brunkard JM, Boehmer TK, et al. But others, such as the genetic changes in the delta variant, can make the coronavirus . First published on July 11, 2022 / 5:37 PM. Should You Be Worried About Outdoor Transmission During the BA.5 Surge? Abbreviations: Full = fully vaccinated; HC = household contact; IP = index patient; Partial = partially vaccinated; Unvacc = unvaccinated. "The risk outside is going to be substantially less. The COVID Public Health Emergency Is Ending Soon. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Some persons who were fully vaccinated had unknown dates for completion of their primary vaccination series. How can I reduce my risk of getting COVID-19? Dr. Leana Wen: BA.2 is a subvariant of the Omicron variant. Not Washing Hands Frequently. 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. Requiring face coverings in outdoor school settings is now a local decision. Third, how important is it to you to continue to avoid Covid-19? 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 . A used mask is seen on beach at marine protected area located in St. Martin's Island, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on March 13. You can review and change the way we collect information below. If you're immunocompromised yourself, Lighter adds, wear a face mask indoors or in a particularly . 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. Experts are still learning about COVID-19. All rights reserved. Similarly, the AR was lower among household contacts of index patients who ever wore a mask at home during their potentially infectious period (39.5%, 88 of 223) compared with those of index patients who never wore a mask at home (68.9%, 124 of 180) (p-value <0.01). Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. Omicron contains troubling characteristics that might make it more transmissible particularly among people who have already gotten and recovered from Covid, according to the WHO. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. "These 'upgrades' in viral performance mean the virus can spread more quickly than prior variants.". 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Upping the ante is the fact that recent subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5 are the most immune-evasive yet, with the ability to dodge antibodies from both vaccines and prior infection. 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. mmwrq@cdc.gov. This age group is currently not eligible for vaccination and is a population in which some prevention strategies, such as isolation and mask use, might be difficult or impractical to implement. Lane . 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. A variety of newsletters you'll love, delivered straight to you. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:17314. Having COVID more than once can increase your risk of hospitalization and long COVID. Beta, Delta, and Omicron, to name a few. And therefore anonymous / 5:37 PM from a COVID transmission standpoint spread outdoors is generally safer '' than indoors he... 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