3 Things to Know About Omicron and How to Stay Safe
3 Things to Know About Omicron and How to Stay Safe Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
Omicron, as it’s called, was first linked to a rise in cases in South Africa and has since been driving a spike in infections in the U.S. and several other countries. Scientists are racing to learn more about the new strain, including whether it can cause more severe disease. Here’s what we know so far about omicron — plus tips for keeping yourself safe as it spreads. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
Finally: . If omicron does turn out to be a more virulent version of the virus, the “last thing we want is a twindemic — an outbreak of COVID and an outbreak of flu at the same time — both hitting our hospitals simultaneously,” Schaffner says.
“I would just say it’s time to redouble your efforts; we're not out of the woods yet,” Ozer says. “I think the emergence of this variant is a sure sign of that, so we just need to keep doing the things that we need to do, which is protecting ourselves and protecting our families [and] those around us.” Editor's Note: This story, originally published on Dec. 15, 2021, has been updated to reflect new information. Rachel Nania writes about health care and health policy for AARP. Previously she was a reporter and editor for WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. A recipient of a Gracie Award and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, she also participated in a dementia fellowship with the National Press Foundation. MORE FROM AARP AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS
3 Things to Know About the Omicron Variant
The latest coronavirus strain is causing alarm Here s how to protect yourself
No-Mad / Getty Images In a matter of days, a new coronavirus variant went from unknown to , putting the world on high alert and snarling global travel and holiday plans in the process.Omicron, as it’s called, was first linked to a rise in cases in South Africa and has since been driving a spike in infections in the U.S. and several other countries. Scientists are racing to learn more about the new strain, including whether it can cause more severe disease. Here’s what we know so far about omicron — plus tips for keeping yourself safe as it spreads. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
A multitude of mutations makes it stand out
Viruses change and evolve as they circulate, so variations of the original version are expected. “You might think of it as a new cousin in the family,” says William Schaffner, M.D., a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Omicron, however, has what top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, M.D., calls “a very unusual constellation of changes" compared to . — the variant that rose to dominance over the summer and is still responsible for roughly a quarter of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. — has about 10 mutations on the all-important spike protein part of the virus, says Egon Ozer, M.D., an assistant professor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution in the Havey Institute for Global Health. Omicron, on the other hand, has more than 30 mutations on the spike protein alone, and around 50 in total. “This is not delta,” Fauci emphasized in a White House news briefing. “It's something different.” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers >Masks vaccines and boosters are key
Public health experts say omicron's arrival in the U.S. doesn't change the best measures of protection — the ones they have been encouraging all along. “I don't think that this changes the fundamentals of what we know works for protecting against transmission of the virus. I don't think that this is necessarily going to make less effective; it's not going to make social distancing less effective. These are the things that are tried and true,” Ozer says. With winter here, it’s also important to avoid poorly ventilated spaces and crowded indoor settings, both of which give the virus more of an opportunity to spread. A , if you haven’t had one already, will enhance your protection against COVID. That’s because the vaccines don’t just zero in on one part of the spike protein, they target multiple parts of it, “and so loss of effectiveness against one part of this spike protein may not affect antibodies that have been developed against other parts,” Ozer says. And what a booster shot does is give those antibodies some extra oomph. With a high enough antibody level, hand in hand with “other elements of the immune response,” Fauci said, “there’s every reason to believe” the vaccines will continue to be able to keep people from getting severely ill from omicron and other variants. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY: 888-720-7489) for assistance in English, Spanish, and many other languages. COVID testing is another action that experts are encouraging with omicron here. Rapid tests can help to quickly identify cases before they spread. And along with other precautionary measures, they can bring peace of mind to people as they gather over the holidays.Finally: . If omicron does turn out to be a more virulent version of the virus, the “last thing we want is a twindemic — an outbreak of COVID and an outbreak of flu at the same time — both hitting our hospitals simultaneously,” Schaffner says.
“I would just say it’s time to redouble your efforts; we're not out of the woods yet,” Ozer says. “I think the emergence of this variant is a sure sign of that, so we just need to keep doing the things that we need to do, which is protecting ourselves and protecting our families [and] those around us.” Editor's Note: This story, originally published on Dec. 15, 2021, has been updated to reflect new information. Rachel Nania writes about health care and health policy for AARP. Previously she was a reporter and editor for WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. A recipient of a Gracie Award and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, she also participated in a dementia fellowship with the National Press Foundation. MORE FROM AARP AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS