In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt like thevirus was everywhere and on everything. As such, I am attending large events, including indoor conferences and meetings. More at sheilaeldred.pressfolios.com. Accessed February 23, 2022. These newer subvariants have additional mutations in the spike protein allowing them to evade immunity, so even if you had COVID earlier this year, don't assume you're in the clear from getting it again. 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. Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. A glimmer of hope may be coming with the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant. Delta had a slightly higher reproductive rate of around 5.1. Outdoors Lower Risk Well-ventilated indoors Moderate Risk Poorly ventilated indoors Higher Risk "The extra virus stability on surfaces may be one possible factor and should be taken into consideration when recommending control measures against the infection.". Third, COVID-19 prevention measures (vaccination, isolation, and mask use) are likely highly correlated within households, and the identified risk factors might not be independent predictors of transmission. Of the 562 households successfully contacted, 175 (31.1%) declined to participate, and 204 (36.3%) were excluded; 183 (32.6%) were enrolled. Enrolled households included 183 index patients and 439 household contacts (Table). "This might affect the balance of transmission routes favouring more fomite transmission than we saw before," she said. Abbreviations: Full = fully vaccinated; HC = household contact; IP = index patient; Partial = partially vaccinated; Unvacc = unvaccinated. BOSTON -- As Omicron cases are sweeping the nation, some experts are warning that being outdoors may not provide as much protection as before. In order to outcompete, successful COVID variants have become more transmissible with time. Earlier this week the CDC updated its recommendations to encourage a second COVID-19 booster shot for certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received an initial booster dose at least 4 months ago. 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). 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. I do not think that people need to mask outdoors, but there may be situations where someone is extremely vulnerable for example, a cancer patient on chemotherapy and wants to be extra careful. But if it's a casual interaction outside, even if it's relatively crowded, I'm comfortable not having a mask on. Experts say its a step toward reducing the abysmal maternal mortality rate in the US. 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. SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Variant Transmission Within Households Four U.S. Jurisdictions, November 2021February 2022. When do infected people transmit the virus? When it comes to COVID, the outdoors are great for two main reasons: there's plenty of fresh air outside, and you have more space to keep a distance, Milton says. 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. Once you head inside, especially in packed areas with low air turnover, there tends to be high transmission of the virus, so plan accordingly. Overall, spending time outside is "a safer mechanism of prevention against COVID" because of the unlimited ventilation. Study participants who contributed their time and information; Olivia Almendares, Sarah E. Smith-Jeffcoat, Emeka Oraka, CDC; Charles Powell, Avery Gartman, Connecticut Department of Public Health; Ashley Becht, Hallie Hutchison, Eugene Olshansky, Rachel Berg, Adrianna Koczwara, Lisa Addis, Michael Deneufbourg, Sarah Love, Isaac Ghinai, Peter Ruestow, Shamika Smith, Daniel Liguori, Frances Lendacki, Janna Kerins, Stephanie Black, Chicago Department of Public Health; Stefan Green, Hannah Barbian, Sofiya Bobrovska, Regional Innovative Public Health Laboratory, Chicago Department of Public Health and Rush University; Barbara Cuene, Stephen Fendt, Jennifer Lares, Carri Marlow, Nandhu Balakrishnan, Katherine Akinyemi, Addie Skillman, Milwaukee Health Department; Leisha Nolen, Alexis Molina, Shai Miguel, Alix Elliston, April Jorgensen, Austin Newbold, Garnet Kwader, Sam Andersen, Utah Department of Health. You can also ask yourself the same questions, but about future interactions with others, to help you decide what prevention actions to take. Peter Kneffel CNN: Should people avoid indoor gatherings, knowing that outbreaks can happen? BA.5the omicron subvariant that emerged in South Africa in February before sweeping across the worldis now the dominant coronavirus variant in the United States. 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. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus appears to have spread between two fully vaccinated people who were staying in separate rooms across the hall from each other in a Hong Kong quarantine. For the most cautious, a park or a hiking trail is the only truly outdoor space. 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. Emanuel Goldman, a microbiology professor at the New Jersey Medical School of Rutgers University, said in an article published in The Lancet journal in 2020 that the risk of COVID-19 infection from surfaces at that time was "exaggerated.". it all depends on the context, the space and the type of activity. There isnt a tried-and-true rule. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. Add some good to your morning and evening. In a study of household transmission in four U.S. jurisdictions, Omicron infection resulted in high transmission among household contacts, particularly among those who lived with index patients who were not vaccinated or who did not take measures to reduce the risk of transmission to household contacts. Risk is additive. In other words, 10 people crowded at an al fresco table doesnt equal safety just because there are only a handful of people around. Still, he says, you have to be close to the infected person or downwind of them. But Omicron was a game changer, in more ways than one. "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.". Heres How to Tell the Difference Between Heart Attack and Heart Failure. If multiple factors below indicate higher transmission risk, you should follow the steps for what to do if you are exposed. CDC twenty four seven. Overall, the ECDC said this makes more frequent breakthrough infections and reinfections possible with BA.4 and BA.5. The XBB.1.5 variant is a highly transmissible descendant of omicron that is now estimated . Experts explain the barriers around getting itand when access might be expanded. Dr. Mallika Marshall explains: Omicron. 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. 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 . Sheila Mulrooney Eldred is a freelance health journalist in Minneapolis. 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. Experts Are Excited About a New COVID TreatmentHeres What to Know About It. CNN: What should people consider when deciding what precautions they want to bring back, like canceling restaurant reservations or masking up indoors? Heres how that might affect crucial funding, access to tests, and case counts. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. See the Interactive Home Ventilation Tool. You can review and change the way we collect information below. * These authors contributed equally to this report. endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. 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. 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. Getty The new BA.5 subvariant is spreading across the US and there's evidence it can evade the body's immune response. 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. 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). Some persons who were fully vaccinated had unknown dates for completion of their primary vaccination series. To help us with these questions, I spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Persons reported their race (White, Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander) and ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino or non-Hispanic/Latino) from lists of options and had the opportunity to state another option if their race or ethnicity was not listed. ", Lauren Pelley covers health and medical science for CBC News, including the global spread of infectious diseases, Canadian health policy, and pandemic preparedness. Physical distancing, exposure time, and protective measures can all influence your likelihood of getting infected with COVID-19or avoiding the virus. But BA.5s heightened transmissibility will ultimately lead to more indoor and outdoor spread. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. She cautions that outdoor tents that dont have flaps that let air in are not that different from being indoors, as far as COVID transmission risk goes. of pages found at these sites. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The second thing to think about is, what is your medical situation and the circumstances of others in your household? 4:12 AM EDT, Thu April 14, 2022, 'Our priorities are skewed here': Doctor weighs in on Covid laxity, HINES, ILLINOIS - APRIL 01: Army veteran Robert Hall waits the recommended 15 minutes to see if he will have any adverse reactions after receiving his second COVID-19 booster shot at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital on April 01, 2022 in Hines, Illinois. 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. Like previous variants, its spread through direct contact and is airborne. For some people, a tented wedding is outdoors. Dr. Dumois: The Omicron variant is far more contagious than anything we ve seen with this coronavirus, so this is very much a different virus than any of the variants we have seen before. And, if you dont feel well, stay home. Most index patients (88.4%, 152 of 172) and household contacts (78.7%, 140 of 178) with confirmed cases reported COVID-19compatible symptoms. 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. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. a new COVID-19 Omicron variant has come knocking on the door, potentially disrupting plans for many . "Hand hygiene and frequent disinfection of common touch surfaces in public areas are highly recommended.". First, what is the Covid-19 risk in your community? part 46.102(l)(2), 21 C.F.R. Suggested citation for this article: Baker JM, Nakayama JY, OHegarty M, et al. 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. Even small quantities of the virus floating around could infect you if you are not wearing a mask, said Dr. Janak Patel, director of the Division of Infectious Disease and Immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, adding that this could be the case for certain outdoor settings, too a situation that was generally considered OK for the past two-plus years of the pandemic. While its less dangerous than being indoors when someone sneezes, theres still a risk of infection from a very contagious strain like BA.5. The symptoms arent always as similar as you might think. Learning about how COVID-19 spreads and the factors that can increase or decrease that risk can help you make informed choices. But the same factors that make indoor settings riskycrowded spaces, poor air circulation, the sharing of food and drinkcan also increase your chances of contracting COVID outside. That, combined with the sheer volume of cases, could mean that there could be more cases of outdoor transmission, says Dr. Jill. 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. 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]). "We've been so focused on airborne transmission and masks that, maybe, we've kind of neglected to wash our hands," Marr said. How should people weigh which precautions they want to follow? Fresh air disperses and dilutes the virus. BA.5 caught the attention of public health experts after it quickly displaced the very transmissible BA.1 and BA.2 omicron subvariants. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. Researchers have said that while Covid infections can happen outdoors, the chances are massively reduced. What . Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several coronavirus variants have emerged as the virus, SARS-CoV-2, continues to mutate and evolve. Persons with sequence-confirmed Omicron infection and their household contacts were interviewed. We know that this is not in any shape, manner, or form a major transmission route for this virus. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The median interval between index patient onset date and household contact onset date was 4 days (IQR=27 days) (Figure 1). Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. What exactly does a small group mean? 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. 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. "The mutations of BA.5 impact its spike protein in part and result in some important 'upgrades' in the ability of the virus to infect humans more quickly and also attach to the lungs," Dr. Blaivas said. The estimated overall AR in this investigation is consistent with the range of ARs observed in other Omicron transmission studies (3), and higher than those associated with some other SARS-CoV-2 variants. These findings underscore the importance of implementation of multicomponent prevention measures for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in household settings, including from the Omicron variant (4). 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. "The air movement [outdoors] is more random and the virus won't build up.". The CDC doesn't currently recommend wearing a mask outdoors. BOSTON -- As Omicron cases are sweeping the nation, some experts are warning that being outdoors may not provide as much protection as before. Total coronavirus infection numbers remain low in Japan. 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