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December 06, 2021 03:04 PM

How can I protect myself from the new omicron variant?

Associated Press
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    The same way you guard against COVID-19 caused by any other variant: Get vaccinated if you haven't yet, get a booster if you're eligible and step up other precautions you may have relaxed, like wearing a mask and avoiding crowds.

    WHO says measures used against delta should work for omicron

    For all the attention omicron is getting, the overwhelming cause of infections and deaths in many places remains the extra-contagious delta variant.

    As omicron looms, U.S. is still battling the delta wave

    "Delta is the real risk right now. Omicron is an uncertain threat," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, told The Associated Press. Regardless of the coronavirus type, Collins said "we do know what to do."

    It will take a few weeks to learn key aspects about this latest variant, including whether it's more contagious, causes more severe illness or evades immunity -- and if so, how by much.

    Mysteries of omicron variant could take weeks to untangle

    In the meantime, "what we need to do is add more layers of protection," says Dr. Julie Vaishampayan of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. That's especially important with holiday travel and gatherings around the corner.

    A booster shot is one of those layers. The added dose triggers a big jump in virus-fighting antibodies. Even if the antibodies don't prove quite as effective against omicron as they are against other variants, simply having more of them might compensate -- in addition to bolstering protection against delta.

    Not a Modern Healthcare subscriber? Sign up today.

    In addition to masking, avoiding crowds and improving ventilation, testing is another protective step. That's recommended for anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms or was potentially exposed to the virus. But it also could help ensure safety before holiday gatherings, even if everyone attending has been vaccinated, Vaishampayan says.

    Related Articles
    Fauci says early reports encouraging about omicron variant
    Contact tracing revs up in some states as omicron reaches U.S.
    More omicron detected as hospitals strain under delta surge
    Study suggests past COVID infection may not fend off omicron
    1st U.S. case of COVID omicron variant identified, Dr. Fauci says
    Omicron and other COVID variants: What you need to know
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      • Current News
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      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
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      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Blogs
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      • From the Editor
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        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • 40 Under 40
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - AI and Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
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      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
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      • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
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