Omicron Infection Chart-New York Times

In less than two months, the omicron variant of coronavirus Spread all over the world Caused A staggering number of new infections..

Omicron currently accounts for more than 99.5 percent of new infections in the United States. According to the estimate From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The country reported as much 800,000 new cases a day In mid-January, it was more than three times more than at any previous time in the pandemic.

Scientists have worked overtime to study Omicron. Many questions remain unanswered, but what we have learned so far is:

Infection and incubation

Omicron moves fast.. It spreads rapidly throughout the population and the infection progresses rapidly in individuals.

The time that elapses between someone’s first exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms is known as the incubation period.

Studies show that the original version of coronavirus and early variants had an incubation period of about 5 days on average. Delta mutants appear to move faster, with an average incubation period of approximately 4 days. Omicron is even faster, with an incubation period of about 3 days. According to a recent CDC study..

Viral load

The amount of virus that accumulates in someone’s body is known as the viral load. It is generally considered to be the most infectious when the viral load is high.

In recent research Of the alpha and delta variants, researchers have found that people tend to peak viral load about 3 days after infection and, on average, clear the virus about 6 days later.

It is not yet known if Omicron will follow the same pattern.of One preliminary surveyResearchers have found that Omicron infections are about a day shorter than Delta infections, resulting in slightly lower peak viral load on average. However, the difference may be due to the high proportion of pre-existing immunity among people infected with Omicron as a result of vaccination or previous infection.Another research team found that among those vaccinated against breakthrough infections, Omicron and Delta Similar levels of infectious virus..

Other data suggest that Omicron may not behave like previous variants.Animal and laboratory studies show that May not be good By infecting the lungs as a delta, but it may replicate faster Upper respiratory tract..

Variants may also have other unique characteristics.In one small study, antibodies produced after Omicron infection Protect from deltaHowever, delta infections provide little protection against Omicron. If the discovery is prolonged, it means that Delta may have a hard time finding a friendly host right away — and Omicron is likely to replace Delta instead of coexisting with it.

Severity

Omicron seems to cause less severe illness than Delta.of One recent studyResearchers have found that people with Omicron infection are less likely to be hospitalized, hospitalized in the ICU, or need a ventilator than people with Delta infection.

One possible reason is that Omicron is less likely to damage the lungs than previous variants. Mutants that grow primarily in the upper respiratory tract can cause less severe illnesses in most people. One sign of reduced severity is that unvaccinated people appear less likely to be hospitalized at Omicron than Delta.

However, the apparent calmness of Omicron may also stem from the fact that it infects far more vaccinated people than Delta. Omicron is adept at avoiding antibodies produced after vaccination, thereby Breakthrough infectionsHowever, vaccinated people are still protected from the most serious illnesses. The booster shot of the mRNA vaccine 90% valid According to the CDC, for hospitalization by Omicron

Still, doctors warned that variants can be mild on average, but some patients, especially those who are not vaccinated or have a weakened immune system, are affected by Omicron infection. It can be serious.And it’s too early to know if Omicron’s breakthrough will result. Long covid..

test

Omicron replicates so quickly and has a very short incubation period, so there is a narrower window for catching the infection before people start to infect it.

Early in the pandemic, he was advised to use a rapid test 5-7 days after possible exposure to the virus. Given the short incubation period of Omicron, many experts now recommend a rapid test 2-4 days after potential exposure. (It is also advisable to have at least two rapid tests about every other day to increase the chances of detecting an infection.)

According to experts, for example, those who are testing to reduce the risk of the virus infecting others at the next meeting should be tested as close as possible to the event itself.

There is still debate as to whether Rapid antigen test may be less sensitive Omicron than other varieties. PCR test More sensitive It means that it is more likely to detect the virus in the early stages of infection than a rapid test, but it takes longer to return results.

New separation rule

Recent CDC Loosen separation guidelines For those who are infected with the virus. Previously, the agency recommended that people who tested positive for the virus be quarantined for 10 days.

The New guidelines Infected people say they can leave quarantine after 5 days if they are asymptomatic or have no symptoms and have no fever. When you are around others, you need to wear a proper mask for another 5 days.

The agency said These changes were prompted Data suggest that viral infections are most likely to occur 1-2 days before and 2-3 days after symptoms appear.

But scientists have pointed out that some people can be infected longer than that, and Some criticized the agency We do not recommend receiving a negative result in a rapid test before the end of the quarantine period.

Authorities then updated the guidelines, stating that those wishing to be tested should have a rapid antigen test “towards the end” of the five-day quarantine period, but could not be formally recommended.