As living in a COVID-infected world has become the new normal, public sentiment and effort towards protecting themselves and others have slowly been declining. However, the threat of a new super mutant virus has urged governments to once again emphasise the sanitary precautions that should be followed to prevent infection.
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How to avoid infection
In a recent press briefing conducted by the White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci reiterated measures that every individual should take if they want to be spared by the new and reportedly more infectious variant, Omicron. These steps include:
- Getting vaccinated if you haven’t already done so
- Getting your booster vaccine if you're eligible
- Wearing face masks
- Staying away from crowded places and choosing to gather in outdoor spaces rather than indoors
- Maintaining social distancing
- Regularly washing your hands
- Testing for COVID and isolating when appropriate
Dr. Fauci concluded by saying:
These things we have been doing, we need to keep doing them.
Omicron in the US
Latest statistics reveal that the Omicron variant has already been reported in 24 different countries—the latest to be affected is the United States. The first case of Omicron was detected in California on Wednesday (1 December).
According to The New York Times, the patient flew from South Africa to California on the 22 November and was fully vaccinated. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement:
The California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health have confirmed that a recent case of COVID-19 among an individual in California was caused by the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529).
The individual had mild symptoms that are improving, is self-quarantining and has been since testing positive. All close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative.
