Worried About The New Omicron Strain’s Fangs? Hear From Experts

Two new cases in the US supposedly of Omicron infection have raised questions of protecting selves from the new variant. The reported cases are said to have been fully vaccinated. Then what more is needed to guard ourselves against getting infected by the virus? Experts say vaccination is still the answer to this question besides taking protective measures like wearing masks, avoiding crowds, and maintaining social distances.

Worried About The New Omicron Strain’s Fangs?

The need of the hour is vaccination and following other safety measures that had been followed for the past two years. The new strain still has a lot to be researched about and data is lacking whether it is more virulent or more transmissible than the previous Delta strain.

The vaccine companies are busy trying to find out an Omicron-specific vaccine if there can be anything like it at all. But till then, people are required to follow the mask mandates strictly, avoid going to mass gatherings, and improve ventilation. 

Another important way of keeping ourselves out of danger is by regular testing especially when someone is thinking of traveling and going places meeting people. This will not only be helpful for keeping a track of the number of new cases but also prevent the disease from spreading. Even if the person is fully vaccinated but experiencing Covid symptoms, should go for testing immediately. As Dr. Julie Vaishampayan of the Infectious Disease Society of America has noted, that chances of transmission might rise during the upcoming festive season. Hence, precaution should be taken at its utmost.

Although almost all the cases to date are due to the super contagious Delta strain, Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the US National Institutes of Health has pointed that we are again fighting against another unknown enemy. It might be a severe threat like the older strain or something lesser. A lot of research is underway to understand the exact strategy of how this new strain is going to act. Since this is a mutant strain, it can either be more harmful or less. We do not know. So it is better to take cover from this through our vaccines. 

Amidst all this chaos, experts are also suggesting that eligible candidates should even go for booster doses. This can probably add some more protection. As it is quite not known to anyone as to how the variant is likely to react inside our bodies and whether the required amount of antibodies would be elicited or not, giving more to the body can be helpful. The vaccines have been proved to work efficiently against the deadly Delta variant. So they are supposed to provide some sort of protection even against the new strain.

Meanwhile, the schools that had re-opened and started with the usual courses following the Covid rules strictly are again deciding to go for virtual learning in case the numbers start rising again. The schools had been maintaining social distancing and partial masking wherever needed. Even vaccination for children had been provided to protect them from contracting the contagious disease. However, the emergence of Omicron might start with a new setback.

The New World was slowly starting to return to normal life eventually with the masks, vaccinations, and a decline in the death rates. But with the emergence of the new Omicron variant, the world seems to face yet another challenge from the coronavirus. It feels like the pandemic is going to stay for some time now till the vaccine experts, scientists and epidemiologists have some good news for us. Till then, if you are not yet vaccinated, just get your immunizations done.