John Yang:
Judy, there are actually confirmed instances of Omicron in no less than 36 states.
The CDC estimates the brand new variant represents about 3 % of optimistic U.S. instances.
Dr. Saad Omer is an epidemiologist and the director of the Yale Institute for World Well being.
Dr. Omer, thanks a lot for being with us.
Given what we learn about Omicron, or, possibly extra necessary, what we do not know, how involved ought to folks be about it, and the way — and will we anticipate Omicron to develop into the dominant pressure?
Dr. Saad Omer, Yale Institute for World Well being: So, here is what we all know.
We all know that it’s a extremely infectious pressure. We all know that it evades immunity, particularly by two doses of the vaccines we use, however we additionally know that it responds to a few doses. So folks have higher safety with three doses of vaccine.
What we do not know is how extreme it is going to be. So there are two methods of taking a look at severity. You have a look at severity on the particular person stage. It appears there are very early alerts that there could also be form of no less than the identical or much less severity per an infection. However on the inhabitants stage, if one thing is extra infectious, it is thrice extra infectious and half as extreme, it’ll nonetheless produce extra hospitalizations.
So I am simply providing you with an instance, so there — that, from a public well being perspective, public well being authorities ought to completely be on alert.
From particular person views, now we have plenty of self-efficacy. We are able to — we’re not helpless within the face of this new variant. We are able to get vaccinated and boosted. We are able to take different precautions within the curiosity of public well being and private safety, like testing earlier than gatherings, together with household gatherings, like carrying masks, like having good air flow, et cetera.
