The variant has implications for rapid testing and antibody treatments.
Fortunately, omicron seems less likely than previous versions of the coronavirus to cause deep lung infections that lead to serious complications, such as admissions to intensive care units, intubation and death. But the surge of cases means that vulnerable people, including the unvaccinated, immunocompromised, elderly and those with underlying health conditions, are still landing in hospital beds.
At the workplaces, “omicron outbreaks looked really different than delta outbreaks were looking before,” she says. “While daily PCR testing previous to omicron worked really well to pick up cases before they were infectious, we started noticing [with omicron] that people were slipping through the cracks. Transmissions were happening faster. People were becoming infectious faster and spreading it to other people.
Adamson’s group found that on the first two days of infection, PCR tests, which detect viral RNA, diagnosed infections that the rapid antigen tests didn’t. That’s not unusual. In fact, in previous COVID-19 outbreaks with other variants, Adamson relied on PCR tests to catch infections before they became contagious.
One of the characteristics emerging about omicron specifically is where it lives in the body. Compared with previous variants, omicron seems to be more abundant in some upper respiratory areas, such as the throat, than in the nose, at least in the early days of an infection. That locale means that a nose swab may be missing omicron early on, before viral levels are high.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Questions surround the COVID-19 omicron variant's relationship with long-haul COVIDLong-haul COVID is described as having symptoms more than months after an initial infection.
Leer más »
WHO body says COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated for OmicronA World Health Organization technical body said on Tuesday that current COVID-19 vaccines may need to be reworked to ensure they are effective against Omicron and future variants of the coronavirus.
Leer más »
Omicron testing: Are throat swabs better at detecting the COVID-19 variant than rapid tests?There is a growing debate on whether people testing for omicron should swab their throats.
Leer más »
WHO body says COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated for omicronA World Health Organization technical body said on Tuesday that current COVID-19 vaccines may need to be reworked to ensure they are effective against omicron and future variants of the coronavirus.
Leer más »
'State of crisis': Indiana COVID-19 hospitalizations hit new peak amid omicron“Indiana hospitals are overwhelmed with the highest number of patients on record and have reached a state of crisis with dwindling capacity left to care for patients,” said Brian Tabor, president of the Indiana Hospital Association.
Leer más »
COVID-19 live updates: 91% less risk of death with omicron: StudyAs the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 842,000 Americans.
Leer más »