"You're still going to get many folks who will get sick and end up in the hospital when you say 'less severe.'"
Experts believe they've never seen a coronavirus variety as transmissible as the Omicron type, which is now the most common in the United States. What can you do to keep yourself safe, especially during the holidays? Dr. Anthony Fauci, the President's principal medical advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke on CNN's New Day a few hours before President Biden was slated to speak to the nation about Omicron. He advised on what to anticipate next and how to keep safe. Continue reading to learn about all five pieces of life-saving advice.
1. According to Dr. Fauci, this is how frequently we should test ourselves as a precaution.
How often should you put yourself to the test? "It truly depends on the situation," Dr. Fauci explained. "For example, if you are going to a dinner function and are vaccinated and boosted, but you want to go the extra step, the extra mile, to ensure that the people you are in a setting with, hopefully, all of them are vaccinated and boosted, you should do that [and get tested]. This is something that many families do. When guests, for example, arrive from out of town, even if they are boosted, they gather in the home to do one of those quick tests that may give you a result in 15 minutes or less. You should also be tested a few days later if you're in a circumstance where you may have been exposed to someone."
2. Dr. Fauci stated that free tests would be available soon, but getting vaccinated and boosted is more critical.
"While testing and masking are crucial, the most critical thing people can do is be vaccinated," Dr. Fauci stated. And, if you're entirely vaccinated, to be boosted. That is the primary line of defense. Testing is a necessary complement to this." He admitted that there weren't enough tests to go around in the past, but now there are. "Part of the President's plan... is to dramatically increase the availability of testing by setting up about 20,000 testing sites and getting a half-billion tests very quickly, literally within the next few days, so that you can get anywhere from 200 million to a half-billion tests per month. As a result, we will be able to provide all of the tests that consumers require very soon."
3. Dr. Fauci Said We Should Worry About Hospitalizations and Deaths
"We get the impression that the focus will change from the number of instances to the number of "infections to the severity of infections." What is the significance of this?" inquired the host. "If you have a situation where there are infections, particularly breakthrough infections, which there will be," Dr. Fauci explained, "it's crucial because you can get a little bit of a misrepresentation of the severity and impact." That's something we've seen with Delta. Because of Omicron's exceptional ability to pass from person to person, we're likely to see more of it. However, if you are infected at a higher rate, the lack of effect on severity may be significant. So, if you genuinely want to know who gets sick and who doesn't, who needs hospitalization and who doesn't, it's much more necessary to look at who gets ill and who doesn't... It's far more critical to focus on hospitalizations if you have many infections with low severity."
4. Here Are Some Tips for Keeping Safe This Holiday Season
"If people are vaccinated and boosted and do the things that I said," Dr. Fauci said, he's OK with people gathering after traveling. "You want to be prudent and always be extra special care because you're dealing with an unprecedented situation of a virus that has an extraordinary ability to transmit," he said. "When you fly to see vaccinated and boosted relatives, for example, you don't go to an airport, don't wear a mask, and are in an indoor gathering setting. That's what I mean when I say be cautious. However, you may feel more at ease during your holiday celebration if you are in the company of others who have been vaccinated and have had their immune systems strengthened."
5. Even if You've Heard Omicron Maybe "Less Severe," Dr. Fauci Says It's "Important You Don't Get Infected."
"I warn against believing Omicron won't be that horrible," Dr. Fauci added, "because even if it may be, and I believe it may be knowing from what we're seeing in South Africa, it may turn out to be overall Omicron being somewhat less severe, everything is relative." When you say 'less severe,' you're still going to get many sick people who will end up in the hospital. There may be fewer of them in comparison to other types, but that doesn't imply you're entirely immune to severe sickness. So, it's not a good idea to be casual about it and say things like, "Who cares if I get infected?" Not only for your health and the health of others around you but also because you don't want to be a vehicle for spreading it to others. So, there are several arguments against thinking, "Well, who cares if I get sick." It is critical that you do not become infected."
6. How to Stay Safe While Traveling
Follow the public health basics to help end the pandemic, no matter where you live: get vaccinated or boosted as soon as possible; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you aren't sheltering with (especially in bars); and practice good hand hygiene.