Although it is relatively soon to draw firm conclusions, the WHO says in its latest statement that the Omicron variant, now present in 63 countries, appears to be spreading more rapidly than the Delta variant, which is currently still responsible for most of the world's infections. So how can we protect ourselves effectively against this new variant?
The surest way to protect ourselves is, of course, not to change our behaviour and the personal measures that we still follow today anyway: wearing our masks all the time, avoiding confusion and, of course, getting vaccinated with the third dose or even starting the vaccination process with the first dose.
"The Delta mutation is still the real danger 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 variant, he added that "we know what to do."
Because of the recent emergence of the mutation, decoding it and drawing firm conclusions about its infectivity, severity of symptoms and whether it can bypass the body's immunity will take a further period of about a few weeks to investigate.
In the near term, what we need to do is add more layers of protection according to Dr. Julie Vaishampayan of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. This move is considered particularly important as the holiday season is approaching and there will be an increase in population mobility and congregation indoors.
The extra "cushion" of protection is considered the third dose as it provides a steep increase in the body's antibodies. But even if the antibodies do not prove to be as effective against the Omicron mutation as against other variants of the virus, their increased concentration can effectively shield you against the Delta mutation.
In addition to personal protection measures and good indoor ventilation, an equally important measure is continuous self-diagnosis, either by self-testing or by conducting a rapid test. This procedure is recommended both for those with suspicious symptoms and for those who could have been exposed to the virus. Most importantly, it could prevent over-transmission at holiday gatherings, even if all guests are vaccinated.
Moreover, in the context of recording the epidemiological picture of the country and avoiding the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the distribution of free self-diagnostic tests (self test) to those citizens who have not obtained it continues this week.
Source.
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Sourcehttps://cyprustimes.com/ygeianews/koronoios-etsi-tha-prostateytoyme-apo-tin-omikron/
