The answer depends a lot on who you listen to.
The US authorities want to vaccinate Americans to live their lives.
President Joe Biden, while acknowledging the expectation of an increase in Omicron variant cases, has sought to reassure Americans — who have been vaccinated and boosted, that is — to go ahead and celebrate their holidays.
“If you are vaccinated and follow the precautions we know, you should feel comfortable celebrating the holidays as you plan,” he said during a speech from the White House on Tuesday. “You know, you did the right thing. Enjoy the holiday season.”
Global health officials sounded quite differently.
He said that despite some reports, it’s too early to say Omicron will cause less serious illness than previous strains of the coronavirus.
“We are concerned that people are dismissing Omicron as being moderate,” Tedros said. “Sure, we have now learned that we are underestimating this virus on our own.”
On the other hand, Biden had two messages. He said vaccinators should wear masks, be careful and carry on. Unvaccinated people have a different reality.
“Omicron is serious business and potentially fatal to unvaccinated people,” Biden said.
Elements of Biden’s new Covid-19 plan:
- He announced further involvement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to open new vaccination sites.
- The department said it will provide 500 million at-home Covid-19 tests starting next month.
- And there will be greater involvement by the National Guard when there is a need to help state health systems.
The division over how to deal with Omicron extends far beyond politicians and public health professionals.
Hockey season is on hold until after Christmas.
He will play the NBA.
But experts say vaccinated people can go on with their lives. Several doctors who appeared on CNN Tuesday said they will be celebrating the winter holidays with loved ones.
“I’m not going to cancel vacation plans,” said retired Admiral Brett Giroir, the former assistant secretary of health and human services for health. He said families with severely immunocompromised individuals or those over the age of 85 should think again.
“We have immunocompromised people in our family. We are careful. We make sure we don’t expose them or risk them. It’s an individual decision. I missed Christmas last year.”
“If I had to, I wouldn’t have a problem getting on a plane,” he told CNBC. “I got vaccinated, and I got boosted. I know we have to wear a mask on a plane.”
Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive assistant dean of the Emory University School of Medicine, said he will be running rapid tests by Christmas this year.
“We will make sure that no one who attends shows any symptoms even though he might say it’s just a cold,” he said. “And then we’ll test everyone.” It will also keep the windows open.
While most experts warn of a massive wave of Omicron infections on the horizon, there is additional disagreement about what that will mean for the people who get it and the health care system.
New York has had the most well-known Omicron case in the US so far, but it has yet to see a similar increase in hospital admissions, although hospital patient numbers tend to lag case numbers by a few weeks.
In Texas, the United States recorded its first confirmed death linked to Omicron, in an unvaccinated man who had previously had Covid-19.
According to a press release from Harris County Public Health, “the individual was at a higher risk of developing serious complications from Covid-19 due to their non-immune status and had underlying health conditions.”
Tedros, of the World Health Organization, said everyone needs to be vigilant no matter how severe the disease is.
Research is still ongoing, but some early studies suggested that Omicron could sneak into earlier vaccines but could cause milder disease.
“Even if Omicron causes less serious disease, the massive number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” Tedros said.
US epidemiologists are suggesting that the health system can be tested if vaccinated and boosted health workers become infected in large numbers and are forced to stay home.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced an attempt Tuesday to require health care workers to get a booster dose.
Fauci suggested that health care workers who test positive be allowed to return to work before the recommended 10-day isolation period if they have been vaccinated, without symptoms, and wear an N95 mask.
Others, such as Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, have different ideas. He suggested giving health care workers a second booster dose, essentially a fourth dose of the vaccine.
“It will restore that level of virus-fighting antibodies and keep them protected for a short period of time. For a few months on an omicron increase,” he said on CNN on Tuesday.
The idea of a shorter isolation period for vaccinated people with penetrating infections has been pushed into areas outside of health care.
Many Americans move around the country. More than 2 million have flown in each of the past five days, according to the Transportation Security Administration. They are ready, despite Omicron, to go on with that.
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