COVID-19 Surge: What to Know as Coronavirus Cases Rise

2 years ago 359

COVID-19 cases of the omicron variant proceed to summation crossed the state and successful the Bay Area.

Here are answers to often asked questions surrounding coronavirus and the caller surge.

Why are truthful galore vaccinated radical getting COVID-19 lately?

A mates of factors are astatine play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant. Omicron is much apt to infect people, adjacent if it doesn't marque them precise sick, and its surge coincided with the vacation question play successful galore places.

Omicron appears to replicate overmuch much efficiently than erstwhile variants. And if infected radical person precocious microorganism loads, there's a greater likelihood they'll walk it connected to others, particularly the unvaccinated. Vaccinated radical who get the microorganism are much apt to person mild symptoms, if any, since the shots trigger aggregate defenses successful your immune system, making it overmuch much hard for omicron to gaffe past them all.

How overmuch bash boosters support against infection?

While Moderna and Pfizer's laboratory proceedings numbers are precise promising, it's unclear however those results volition construe to warring omicron successful the existent world. But caller studies based connected emerging real-world information amusement that Pfizer's boosters supply roughly 75% protection against symptomatic omicron infection.

In different studies based connected real-world data, that fig rises to 85% protection against terrible illness and hospitalization, according to world-renowned virologist and Columbia University professor Dr. David Ho.

In different words: Even if you trial positive, you're acold little apt to acquisition COVID-19 symptoms — peculiarly those terrible capable to hospitalize oregon termination you — if you're boosted.

"The existent extortion of the vaccine [booster] is mostly against disease, and not against acquisition of infection," Ho says.

Omicron is astir doubly arsenic contagious arsenic delta, according to models and epidemiologists from the U.K., Ho says. And a recent study Ho conducted connected the variant shows that it is "markedly resistant" to the antibodies recovered successful adjacent afloat vaccinated radical who aren't yet boosted.

"[Omicron] is going to rip close done the population," says Ho. "Those who are vaccinated and boosted are mostly going to bash OK, adjacent if infected. Those who are vaccinated and not boosted astir apt volition person it somewhat worse. But I truly fearfulness for those who are not vaccinated."

Which booster should you get, erstwhile volition extortion footwear successful and however agelong volition it last?

Go with an mRNA vaccine, says Ho. Moderna's booster is a higher dosage than Pfizer's, but the results look to beryllium "quite similar," helium says.

With mRNA vaccines, you'll scope highest extortion astir 2 oregon 3 weeks post-booster. The antibodies you'll summation from the booster volition yet wane implicit time, and scientists are inactive moving to larn however agelong your highest extortion volition last.

Ho, 1 of the scientists studying that question, says aboriginal results amusement that your booster's extortion could wane astatine a akin complaint to your 2nd vaccine dose.

"The waning that's been seen truthful acold [after the archetypal 2 changeable regimen], you would suffer fractional your level by 2 months, truthful a fractional beingness of 2 months," helium says.

At immoderate point, Ho says, you'll astir apt request different booster changeable — echoing Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who told CNBC earlier this period that omicron's dispersed could accelerate the request for a 4th shot. But, Ho stresses, it's acold excessively aboriginal to cognize what that other dose's timing volition look like.

What omicron symptoms should punctual you to get tested?

COVID-19 has a wide scope of symptoms, according to the CDC — and if you're experiencing immoderate of them, you should get tested. Omicron's symptoms whitethorn disagree slightly, though, much resembling a harsh cold: runny nose, sneezing, sore pharynx and/or assemblage aches.

Especially fixed omicron's rampant transmissibility, it's amended to beryllium harmless than sorry. Even if you deliberation you conscionable person a cold, see getting a COVID-19 test.

Lines astatine galore investigating clinics are lengthy close now, and immoderate pharmacies are limiting the fig of at-home tests you tin buy at a clip owed to caller surges successful demand, truthful program accordingly.

If you travel into adjacent interaction with idiosyncratic who tests positive, you should besides get tested, adjacent if you're vaccinated oregon boosted, the CDC says. Health experts constituent retired that vaccinated radical whitethorn not trial affirmative for COVID-19 for astatine slightest 3 days post-exposure, and the CDC says it tin instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic 5 to 7 days.

If you're unsure if you should get tested, the CDC's interactive investigating tool can assistance you find an answer.

What are the latest CDC recommendations for isolation, quarantine?

Health officials successful precocious December chopped isolation restrictions for Americans who drawback the coronavirus from 10 to 5 days, and likewise shortened the clip that adjacent contacts request to quarantine.

CDC officials said the guidance is successful keeping with increasing grounds that radical with the coronavirus are astir infectious successful the 2 days earlier and 3 days aft symptoms develop.

Here's a breakdown of the CDC's updated recommendations:

ISOLATION

The isolation rules are for radical who are infected. They are the aforesaid for radical who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, afloat vaccinated oregon boosted.

They say:

The timepiece starts the time you trial positive.
An infected idiosyncratic should spell into isolation for 5 days, alternatively of the antecedently recommended 10.
At the extremity of 5 days, if you person nary symptoms, you tin instrumentality to mean activities but indispensable deterioration a disguise everyplace — adjacent astatine location astir others — for astatine slightest 5 much days.
If you inactive person symptoms aft isolating for 5 days, enactment location until you consciousness amended and past commencement your 5 days of wearing a disguise astatine each times.

QUARANTINE

The quarantine rules are for radical who were successful adjacent interaction with an infected idiosyncratic but not infected themselves.

For quarantine, the timepiece starts the time idiosyncratic is alerted they whitethorn person been exposed to the virus.

Previously, the CDC said radical who were not afloat vaccinated and who came successful adjacent interaction with an infected idiosyncratic should enactment location for astatine slightest 10 days.

Now the bureau is saying lone radical who got booster shots tin skip quarantine if they deterioration masks successful each settings for astatine slightest 10 days.

That’s a change. Previously, radical who were afloat vaccinated — which the CDC has defined arsenic having 2 doses of the Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccines, oregon 1 dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — could beryllium exempt from quarantine.

Now, radical who got their archetypal shots but not boosters are successful the aforesaid concern arsenic those who are partially vaccinated oregon are not vaccinated astatine all: They tin halt quarantine aft 5 days if they deterioration masks successful each settings for 5 days afterward.

What should I cognize astir kids and the coronavirus?

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, pediatric COVID-19 adept and doc astatine Stanford, successful the video beneath discusses the coronavirus surge with kids and young teens.

NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai spoke to Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, pediatric COVID adept and doc astatine Stanford, astir the coronavirus surge with kids and young teens.

Are the COVID-19 vaccines harmless for children?

Many parents person expressed interest astir the velocity astatine which the COVID-19 vaccines were developed and the processes utilized to show their progress.

Some bully news, then: The COVID-19 vaccines are taxable to the astir intensive information monitoring successful U.S. history, says Dr. Lee Savio Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. And connected Oct. 26, the FDA reported that it recovered zero deaths oregon "significant adverse events" successful Pfizer's aboriginal COVID-19 vaccine trials for kids.

"When you way connected that process, you recognize however galore checkpoints determination are to truly marque definite that the information is being looked astatine very, very, precise carefully," Beers says.

As for the mRNA exertion down Pfizer's and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines, Dr. Ross Kedl, a prof of immunology and microbiology astatine the University of Colorado School of Medicine, says it's not really marque new: It's been nether improvement for decades. For galore years, the occupation was outgo — mRNA vaccines were considered too costly to manufacture and hard to scale.

Get much answers to questions astir COVID-19 vaccines for young kids from Beers, Kedl and different wellness experts here.

Kids who get the COVID vaccine should beryllium capable to spell maskless successful school, says Dr. Alok Patel. "I can't hold to spot those kids with their bright, smiling shining faces again," Patel says. He answers each our questions astir the COVID vaccines being approved for medication to children.

How are schools reporting coronavirus cases?

Public schools crossed the Bay Area are providing updates connected immoderate coronavirus cases reported connected field done a COVID-19 dashboard. It is portion of the California Department of Health's guidance on COVID-19 lawsuit reporting by schools.

View our COVID-19 dashboards leafage for afloat details.