Earlier in the pandemic, contact tracing data showed us where COVID-19 was Mostly spread. Unfortunately, as our contact tracing efforts have slowed, we don’t have a clear picture of where people are likely to contract omicron and its sub variants.
What we do know is that while the virus has evolved to become more transmissible than previous variants, the road The spread of COVID-19 has not changed. “Nothing has changed in terms of how any individual right now, regardless of their daily activity, can catch this virus,” Mark Cameronan infectious disease researcher at Case Western Reserve University, told Half Post.
For this reason, we can assume that there are some hot spots for BA.2 and other omicron sub-variables compared to the others. Here are the common places where COVID-19 is still spreading, according to experts:
Crowded indoor events
So far, we’ve all heard it a million times. COVID-19 spreads in crowded indoor spaces – think: gyms, restaurants, concerts, bars and the like.
Cameron said there is no shortage of anecdotes about how the virus spreads in such events. Large-scale outbreaks have been reported recently Running a four-night fish partyThe White House Correspondents’ Dinnerand the annual Washington Gridiron . Club DinnerBeside employment Cruises And after high school prom.
In crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces, aerosols containing the virus can spread in the air and can be easily inhaled by many.
“Like other COVID variants, BA.2 spreads more easily in crowded indoor sites with limited ventilation,” Bernadette Boden Albaladirector and founding dean of the Public Health Program at the University of California, Irvine.
COVID-19 is also known to spread easily between family members – and roommates – who live together. research The ones published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February show that COVID-19 now has a household transmission rate of about 53%. Transmission is more likely to occur when members of the same household as those who are not wearing a mask or isolate are not vaccinated.
“The ability to pass from person to person in close quarters, it will still happen. Nothing has changed in terms of how we catch this very infectious airborne virus when we are in close proximity to another person,” Cameron said.
The prevalence of households is particularly prominent in condominiums and multifamily homes, Boden-Albala said, confirming that COVID-19 – and all of its strains – can be a disease of inequality.
Nursing homes and combined living facilities
Since the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 has been proven to be tearing apart elderly care facilities. While Recent data From the CDC, boosters significantly help nursing home residents avoid severe outcomes, and nursing homes and other group-living facilities are still vulnerable to major outbreaks.
Seventeen Long-term care homes in Winnipeg, Canada, reported an outbreak last week. a Women’s Prison In Vermont an outbreak occurred in late April, as did a few Long-term care facilities in the state.
“Those, from the beginning and still are, Cameron said.
Close the contacts inside
Andrew NeumerThe main takeaway is that COVID-19 is spreading indoors, said an epidemiologist and demographer who studies infectious diseases at the University of California, Irvine. “Wherever you’re indoors, it’s spreading — anywhere and everywhere,” Neumer said.
Boden-Albala noted that BA.2 is prevalent in places it suspects is habitual: “places such as bars and restaurants where attendees can share food and drinks or intermittently wear their masks – if at all.”
Whether you’re having dinner at a friend’s house, going to a relative for game night, taking a taxi, going to an office or going out to eat, if you’re indoors, there is a risk that you will catch COVID-19. While planes are usually less dangerous due to their robust air filtration systems, people can still catch COVID-19 in flight if they sit near an infected person. Despite the fact that a mask is no longer required on airplanes, Neumer continues to recommend that an N95 mask be worn on an airplane.
The risk of exposure to COVID-19 may be lower now than it was in January, when the country experienced a massive boom, but it is still noticeable because the latest variants are much more contagious.
“These new variants of Omicron are convenient and easily transportable,” Cameron said.
Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but the guidance could change as scientists learn more about the virus. Please Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention For the latest recommendations.
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