With covid-19 cases surging in West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice has advice for state residents from A to D.
A, were in another surge, the governor said today.
B, our hospitals are tasked to the very limit right now. C, the omicron virus is going to spread more and more and faster and faster. D, is your odds are phenomenally in favor if by chance you get this, which there is a high probability you could of not being hospitalized or, God forbid, death, if youre vaccinated.
Justices remarks today came as the states active cases and hospitalizations continue at alarming levels.
West Virginia identified 21,717 current active cases today. The state is registering 18.93 percent daily positivity, meaning almost one of every five people tested is returning a covid-positive result.
The states county alert map shows that all but five counties are at the highest levels signified by the color red. Hancock, Brooke, Tucker, Pocahontas and Jackson are at lower levels than the rest.
Hospitalizations from covid-19 surged to 978 on Sunday, the highest level the state has hit since reaching 1,012 at the height of the delta surge in September.
Were in the midst of another surge that is caused by the omicron variant, said Dr. Clay Marsh, the states leading pandemic adviser, who described the latest sequencing that shows 94 percent of West Virginia cases are now omicron.
It is so infectious that it can even infect people who have been vaccinated but are over four to six months after their primary vaccination series or people who are vaccinated and boosted who are greater than three months after their booster dose.
But Marsh said those vaccines still provide greater protection against very serious cases resulting in hospitalization or death.
Cases have particularly hit West Virginias correctional facilities, where the state identified 559 active cases as of Friday. There are another 190 cases among corrections officers, according to state figures.
Justice announced the death of a correction system worker, 51-year-old Paula Jo Tomblin, who worked at the Lakin Correctional Center. Justice said that is the third death among corrections workers since the start of the pandemic.
I dont like to use words like raging,' Justice said, but weve got an awful lot of inmates and staff in corrections with covid.
The ultimate COVID-19 vaccine will be able to tackle all emerging coronavirus strains, easy to store and quick to manufacture. And yes, there's still time for the stragglers who were beaten to the punch by Pfizer, BioNTech and Modernaat least according to the companies still trying to get in line.
Not to mention, just 60% of the world has been vaccinated, according to the University of Oxfords Our World in Data database. The rates are higher in richer regions like the U.S. and EU, while the need is great in less developed nations.
But the window to contribute to the vaccine fight is closing. A new report from Morningstar sees demand for boosters remaining heavy in 2022 but dissipating over 2023. If a company isn't already filing for authorization, they'd better get on it.
Jean-Francois Toussaint, Ph.D., head of research and development for Sanofi Pasteur, said 20 billion doses of existing vaccines are expected to be available this year. So where does that leave remaining companies, like Toussaints, that have shots in the pipeline?
RELATED:Valneva, Arcturus add to bombardment of booster boasting for COVID-19 shots
Three key opportunities remain for vaccine makers: differentiation, global distribution, and pan-variant shots.
RBC Capital Markets analysts predict that strain-specific boosters are going to be important going forward, but the key is how quickly they can be whipped up in pharmaceutical companies labs. Pfizer has promised they can turn around strain-specific boosters in three months. But even if that's the case, RBC and others aren't sure how relevant the new shots will be to the current omicron wave.
By the time you have an omicron variant, it may have swept through and done its work, and then no ones that interested in being boosted for omicron. Thats backwards-looking. Were caring about whats next, Gritstone CEO Andrew Allen, M.D., Ph.D., said in an interview. His company has a T cell-inducing vaccine in phase 1 development.
Either you have to play whack-a-mole and keep chasing the virus" with updated versions of the current mRNA vaccines, or you go after parts of the virus that "have not changed over many iterations," Allen added.
RELATED:Fierce JPM Week: After 'objectively astonishing' progress on mRNA, biotech looks to tinker with winning formula
That's what Gritstone is trying to do, which Allen calls "future-proofing. This will be key to establishing a strong presence in the vaccine market as we enter the third year of the pandemic, Allen said. First-generation shots go after the spike protein, but targeting that highly mutable portion of the virus means waning efficacy with each new variant. Gritstone's shot aims to attack the spike but also the unchanging parts of SARS-CoV-2 by inducing the bodys T cell response, which helps pad the response against infection.
COVID-19 is still in the pandemic stage. But once it enters endemic territory, that doesnt mean it stops killing people, Allen said. Companies like Gritstone should look at a pan-coronavirus approach, considering this is the third coronavirus epidemic or pandemic in 20 years, including SARS-CoV in 2003 and MERS-CoV in 2012.
More variants are likely to emerge after omicron, but RBC said natural infection, coupled with widespread vaccination should make the next waves settle into more predictable seasonal patterns much like the flu. But thats only if infection with omicron builds immunity to whatever strain emerges next, and the science is still unclear on that one, according to an RBC note.
RELATED:Sanofi, GSK push COVID-19 vaccine data into 2022. Will strong booster data hold their place in line?
Of course, what we worry about is that well end up with a transmissible and more dangerous virus circulating. Given recent history, nobody can tell you thats not going to happen. You have to be concerned about that, Allen warned.
Allen says scalability is going to be crucial to next-generation vaccines. Many pockets of the world have yet to receive any shots. As we all know, global protection actually protects us all, he said. In parts of the world that are already highly inoculated, biopharmas looking to enter the vaccine market will have to test their jabs as boosters, he said.
Many are already doing that, likeSanofi/GSK,Valneva and Arcturus, which have all pivoted to testing their shots after primary vaccination with one of the authorized or approved shots.Gritstones vaccine is in testing as a booster for people 60 years or older in the U.K. who received two doses of the AstraZeneca jab. Additional studies will test the vaccine in people who are immunocompromised and those with HIV.
Lets be clear, if youre doing any vaccine trial now in North America or Western Europe, you need the boosting study. Everybody who wants to have a vaccine, has had one, and therefore were boosting behind existing products," Allen said.
RELATED:Novavax completes UK filing for COVID-19 vaccine but pushes FDA ask to end of year
Morningstar sees the booster market finally becoming competitive in 2022, after Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna have dominated in the U.S. Other markets, including China, have been tapped by inactivated virus vaccines from Sinovac and Sinopharm and AstraZenecas adenoviral vector vaccine, according to Morningstar.
Research out of Israel, where a fourth-dose booster is in testing, suggests a limited impact on infections compared to a three-dose schedule. This means strain-specific boosters for future variants are needed. And, most importantly, those boosters should be pan-variant, according to RBC.
Despite regulators' openness to emergency authorizations for vaccines, the road to gettinga new shot authorized or conditionally approved in majority-vaccinated regions like the U.S. and EU remains difficult. This is evidenced by Novavaxs struggles with its protein-based jab.
Novavax originally wanted to ask the FDA for authorization by May 2021, and many delays later, the Maryland biotech nowanticipates a U.S. request this month after getting green lights in Australia, South Korea and India in the past four weeks.
RELATED:Gritstone adds COVID-19 to the pipeline with NIAID-supported vaccine
Elsewhere, Medicago askedCanadian regulators to approve its plant-based jab last month. Valneva expects potential regulatory approvals this quarter for its inactivated vaccine.
The World Health Organization is conducting plenty of research on a number of vaccine candidates, which offers an opportunity for companies still trying to get in the game. The organization reports 140 vaccines in clinical development and 194 in pre-clinical development as of Jan. 18.
The final attribute, differentiation, could also be important. The mRNA shots have clearly cornered the larger markets. While distribution around the world has improved since the early days of the pandemic when storage was a concern, there's still room for more stable vaccines using more traditional technologies.
Companies with mRNA shots in the pipeline could see some uptake if they're able to improve on delivery. Sanofi, which is eyeing mRNA technology for future vaccines, such as influenza and RSV, wants to improve on tolerability in the next generation as well. The existing mRNA vaccines are known to cause many recipients to feel sick the day after. This is fine in the context of a global pandemic, according toToussaint, but next-generation mRNA shots need to improve on those side effects.
Capricor Therapeutics is making a next-gen mRNA vaccine that is delivered using an exosome, an extracellular vesicle, rather than lipid nanoparticles with the aim of averting weight loss and heart inflammation concerns, said Linda Marbn, Ph.D., CEO and president, in an interview. The jab is meant to induce B-cell and T-cell responses by going after both the mutating spike protein and the nucleocapsid protein, which is mutated in omicron but not other variants, the CEO said. The biotech anticipates asking the FDA about initiating a booster shot clinical trial in the next quarter or two, she said.
Intranasal, oral or patch administration could make for a quicker and cheaper vaccine that would appeal to people who are scared of needles, according to Gavi, the international vaccine alliance that counts the WHO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others as partners.
AstraZeneca is testing a nasal version of its authorized vaccine in humans.A VC-crowdfunded biotech that emerged in 2020 called MigVax is working on a COVID-19 vaccine pill, according to Gavi, although no clinical trials for the company are listed on the FDA's database.
RELATED:GlaxoSmithKline, Medicago hit 75% efficacy against delta COVID strain, but omicron muddies waters
Another idea is to boost existing vaccines with an adjuvant, which gives the immune system an extra kick to fire up protection against a virus. GSK offered up its proprietary adjuvant technology early in the pandemic for use in vaccines under development.
The company said at the time that adjuvants can allow for more doses to be produced using fewer ingredients, which can help with manufacturing. But Gavi notes that adjuvants could also protect against waning immunity that has been seen with existing COVID-19 vaccines, but more research needs to be conducted.
The adjuvant is being used in GSK's collaborations with Sanofi, Medicago and SK Bioscience. Valneva's shot also uses an adjuvant.
Morningstar predicts that protein-based vaccines from Sanofi-GlaxoSmithKline and Novavax could find space in the market, as could an upcoming shot out of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research called the spike ferritin nanoparticle vaccine. That prospect is entering phase 2/3 testing this year.Japan-based Shionogi is in a phase 3 trial for its recombinant protein-based vaccine, S-268019.
We don't believe there is much room for additional mRNA vaccines. Why? Because the ones that are out there are doing a fairly good job, said Toussaint during Fierce JPM Week.
2022 Olympics: COVID concerns will make winter games look different
The Winter Olympics will look different this year with strict COVID-19 guidelines in place as China battles an omicron outbreak.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
As the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games approach and COVID-19 concerns mount, NBC Sports will not send any of its announcing teams to China, a spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports Wednesday afternoon.
The announce teams for these Olympics, including figure skating, will be calling events from our Stamford (Conn.) facility due to COVID concerns, Greg Hughes, senior vice president communications, NBC Sports, said in a phone interview.
"Well still have a large presence on the ground in Beijing and our coverage of everything will be first rate as usual, but our plans are evolving by the day as they are for most media companies covering the Olympics.
NBCs broadcasting teams for figure skating, Alpine skiing and snowboarding had been expected to be in Beijing, but those plans have been canceled.
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The networks Olympic host, Mike Tirico, will still be in China for the Feb. 4 opening ceremony and the first few days of the Games, but will then leave for Los Angeles to host the Feb. 13 Super Bowl, which also is on NBC this year.
Many of the announce teams for the various Winter Olympic sports were already scheduled to be based in Stamford. NBC employed a similar strategy for its coverage of the Tokyo Summer Olympics in July-August 2021, although some of the broadcasting crews were on site for the most popular sports, including swimming and gymnastics.
That of course was well before the omicron variant began raging around the world, creating increasing concerns that anyone traveling to Beijing, from the athletes of the world to accredited members of the media, could test positive while at the Games and have to spend days and even weeks in quarantine.
The Beijing model is going to be very similar to Tokyo in that the heartbeat of our Olympic operation will actually be in Stamford, Conn., at our NBC Sports headquarters. Well have more personnel there than in the host city, said Molly Solomon, president and executive producer, NBC Olympics Production.
With COVIDs changing conditions and Chinas zero-tolerance policy, its just added a layer of complexity to all of this so we need to make sure we can provide the same quality experience to the American viewers. Thats why we are split between the two cities.
Snowboarding analyst Todd Richards told USA TODAY Sports that NBC changed course this week over concerns about COVID-related restrictions.
I think they were a little bit wary that if someone tested positive for COVID, the Chinese government basically takes you and sequesters you, he said. NBC has no control, so they wanted to have more control over the situation.
As a practical matter, Richards said, the move has little effect on his work, and that of play-by-play announcer Todd Harris, because they are not usually close enough to the course to call the action even when they are on site. Because of COVID-related rules, all media must maintain distance from the athletes.
At all the Olympics anyhow, were just staring at a computer screen, he said.
Richards said the on-air talent working from the United States will keep a vampire schedule as they stay on the schedule for the Games in Beijing, which is 13 hours ahead of the East Coast.
Were talking about snowboarding, and I dont even care, Richards said. As long as we can watch the best snowboarding ever, I dont care if Im sitting in a studio at 2 in the morning. Im still going to be just as excited.
Rachel Axon and Nancy Armour contributed to this report.
For Immediate Release: January 24, 2022 Statement From: Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D. Director - Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
As we have throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has used the best available science as the virus has evolved to make informed decisions with the health and safety of the American public in mind. Ensuring that healthcare providers on the frontlines have the best tools available to treat patients is a top priority for the agency.
In light of the most recent information and data available, today, the FDA revised the authorizations for two monoclonal antibody treatments bamlanivimab and etesevimab (administered together) and REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) to limit their use to only when the patient is likely to have been infected with or exposed to a variant that is susceptible to these treatments.
Because data show these treatments are highly unlikely to be active against the omicron variant, which is circulating at a very high frequency throughout the United States, these treatments are not authorized for use in any U.S. states, territories, and jurisdictions at this time. In the future, if patients in certain geographic regions are likely to be infected or exposed to a variant that is susceptible to these treatments, then use of these treatments may be authorized in these regions.
Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune systems ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses, like SARS-CoV-2. And like other infectious organisms, SARS-CoV-2 can mutate over time, resulting in certain treatments not working against certain variants such as omicron. This is the case with these two treatments for which were making changes today.
Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to account for more than 99% of cases in the United States as of Jan. 15. Therefore, its highly unlikely that COVID-19 patients seeking care in the U.S. at this time are infected with a variant other than omicron, and these treatments are not authorized to be used at this time. This avoids exposing patients to side effects, such as injection site reactions or allergic reactions, which can be potentially serious, from specific treatment agents that are not expected to provide benefit to patients who have been infected with or exposed to the omicron variant.
The NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel, an independent panel of national experts, recently recommended against the use of bamlanivimab and etesevimab (administered together) and REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) because of markedly reduced activity against the omicron variant and because real-time testing to identify rare, non-omicron variants is not routinely available.
Importantly, there are several other therapies Paxlovid, sotrovimab, Veklury (remdesivir), and molnupiravir that are expected to work against the omicron variant, and that are authorized or approved to treat patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk for progression to severe disease, including hospitalization or death. Healthcare providers should consult the NIH panels COVID-19 treatment guidelines and assess whether these treatments are right for their patients.
While its critical that we have ways to treat those who contract COVID-19, the authorized treatments are not a substitute for vaccination in individuals for whom COVID-19 vaccination and a booster dose are recommended. Data has clearly demonstrated that the available, safe and effective vaccines can lower your risk of developing COVID-19 and experiencing the potential associated serious disease progression, including hospitalization and death.
The FDA is committed to continuing to review emerging data on all COVID-19 therapies related to the potential impact of variants and revise the authorizations further as appropriate to ensure healthcare providers have an effective arsenal of treatments for patients.
###
Boilerplate
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
01/24/2022
Weekly coronavirus cases in Oregon climbed 14% in the past seven days, state data released Monday shows, with infections hanging at record levels amid the omicron surge.
The Oregon Health Authority tallied 59,732 confirmed or presumed infections in the past week, including 19,400 announced Monday for the preceding three days.
The highly transmissible but less-virulent omicron variant has spurred unprecedented case counts but has yet to produce a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations. A recent forecast projects Oregon will set an all-time high for coronavirus hospitalizations in early February, and health care workers have already said theyre swamped.
Oregon still does not appear to have reached the omicron summit, with test positivity rates for the past three days reaching 22.9%.
More people have tested positive for coronavirus in the past three weeks than during the 17 weeks between Independence Day and Halloween.
Where the new cases are by county: Baker (41), Benton (461), Clackamas (1,532), Clatsop (104), Columbia (165), Coos (204), Crook (200), Curry (64), Deschutes (1,402), Douglas (228), Gilliam (14), Grant (36), Harney (28), Hood River (64), Jackson (1,113), Jefferson (105), Josephine (343), Klamath (448), Lake (4), Lane (2,048), Lincoln (213), Linn (834), Malheur (188), Marion (1,940), Morrow (71), Multnomah (2,940), Polk (425), Sherman (37), Tillamook (66), Umatilla (541), Union (125), Wallowa (28), Wasco (209), Washington (2,722) and Yamhill (457).
Who died: The state did not immediately release details.
Hospitalizations: 1,045 people with confirmed coronavirus infections are hospitalized, up 26 since Friday. That includes 161 people in intensive care, up 17 since Friday.
Vaccines: 5,704 people have been reported newly vaccinated since Friday.
Since it began: Oregon has reported 590,270 confirmed or presumed infections and 5,953 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 7,114,281 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 2,814,741 people and partially vaccinating 297,951 people.
To see more data and trends, visit https://projects.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/
-- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt
Because an immunocompromised host doesnt produce a lot of antibodies, many viruses are left to propagate. And new mutant viruses that resist the antibodies can multiply.
A mutation that allows a virus to evade antibodies isnt necessarily advantageous. It could make the viruss spike protein unstable so that it cant latch quickly onto a cell, for example. But inside someone with a weak immune system, viruses may be able to gain a new mutation that stabilizes the spike again.
Similar mutations could have built upon themselves again and again in the same person, Dr. Pond speculates, until Omicron evolved a spike protein with just the right combination of mutations to allow it to spread supremely well among healthy people.
It certainly seems plausible, said Sarah Otto, an evolutionary biologist at the University of British Columbia who was not involved in the study. But she said scientists still needed to run experiments to rule out alternative explanations.
Its possible, for example, that the 13 spike mutations offer no benefit to Omicron at all. Instead, some of the other spike mutations could be making Omicron successful, and the 13 are just along for the ride.
I would be cautious about interpreting the data to indicate that all of these previously deleterious mutations have been adaptively favored, Dr. Otto said.
Dr. Pond also acknowledged that his hypothesis still has some big gaps. For example, its not clear why, during a chronic infection, Omicron would have gained an advantage from its new bubble method for getting into cells.
We just lack imagination, Dr. Pond said.
James Lloyd-Smith, a disease ecologist at U.C.L.A. who was not involved in the study, said that the research revealed just how hard it is to reconstruct the evolution of a virus, even one that arose recently. Nature is certainly doing its part to keep us humble, he said.
(WXYZ) With coronavirus cases slowly declining in the state, and new numbers coming out Monday, many people are wondering if metro Detroit has come out on the other side of the omicron variant.
The variant has become the dominant strain in Michigan. Breakthrough cases are more common with omicron.
On Friday, the state posted an average of over 16,700 cases per day over a two-day period.
Medical experts we spoke with say we could be on the other side of the surge, but say we shouldn't let our guard down just yet.
Last week, the state said that cases in metro Detroit appeared to have plateaued. Henry Ford Health System also said there was a glimmer of hope with hospitalizations down across their system.
The state hospital association said that they are optimistic, seeing statewide hospitalizations also declining.
"In metro Detroit, we are finally over the hump of omicron. It doesn't mean we can take our masks off and go have our big parties again," Dr. Molly O'Shea with Birmingham Pediatrics said. "Just because we are over the hump doesn't mean we are in a low-disease burden state."
Experts are continuing to remind people to wear your masks, and wear a KN95 or N95 mask.
Dr. Anthony Fauci is as confident as he can be that most states will reach a peak of omicron cases by mid-February.
"Things are looking good. We don't want to get overconfident, but they look like they're going in the right direction right now," he said.
"But, nationwide, some states are seeing a rise in deaths from COVID-19.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) As of data checked at 12:50 p.m. on Jan. 24, 2022, there were 36,921 additional cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania from Jan. 21 through Jan. 23 for a statewide cumulative total of 2,138,884 confirmed cases and 442,947 probable cases, according to data from thePennsylvania Department of Health.
The daily case breakdown from the past three days is as follows:
The statewide percent positivity for the week of Jan. 14 to Jan. 20 was 31.5%.
There are currently 6,249 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, with 992 adult coronavirus patients in the intensive care unit. Since the last daily report, there have been 198 new deaths attributed to COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 39,560 deaths attributed to the virus in Pennsylvania.
MIDSTATE COVID-19 POSITIVITY RATES
MOST RECENT 7 DAYS
January 14-20
As of Jan. 21, the last day the DOH data was updated, 60.7% of Pennsylvanians in all age groups are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 71.4% have received at least one vaccine dose according to the PennsylvaniaCOVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard. (This data excludes Philadelphia County, whichis a separate vaccine jurisdiction.)
According to the CDC COVID Data Tracker, 75.3% of Pennsylvanians ages 18 and older are fully vaccinated as of data checked on Jan. 24.
A total of 18,057,438 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to Pennsylvanians as of Jan. 24.
Find additional information on COVID-19 trends in Pennsylvania in theweekly COVID-19 update.
Note: The number of new COVID-19 cases per day reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health may fluctuate after the publication of this article as the department receives additional data. The department'sCOVID-19 Dashboardis updated daily at noon, according to the website.
How to cancel restaurant reservations and activities after testing positive for COVID-19
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This German snowman wears a protective mask over its banana nose and mouth, but experts say the risk of catching COVID outdoors is slim. Peter Kneffel hide caption
This German snowman wears a protective mask over its banana nose and mouth, but experts say the risk of catching COVID outdoors is slim.
Each week, we answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions." See an archive of our FAQs here.
Studies conducted prior to omicron show that being outside greatly reduces your risk of infection with the coronavirus. One review of studies concluded that the odds of indoor transmission is almost 19 times higher than outdoor transmission. And in a study of 64 college football games during the 2020 season involving 1,190 athletes, researchers at Texas A&M University found zero spread of COVID during game play based on three postgame PCR tests over the course of a week likely because of the outdoor setting and short duration of close contact, experts say. (Of course, football games have been postponed this season because of COVID outbreaks, but the study's authors believe that players were more likely spreading it in locker rooms and other shared indoor spaces.)
Outdoor airflow has done a good job dispersing pathogens.
But does omicron play by the same rules?
"From a virus standpoint, there's no indication that omicron is behaving differently [in outdoor settings]," says Dr. Preeti Malani, an infectious disease professor at the University of Michigan who co-authored an editorial on the research on football teams.
"That doesn't mean [transmission is] impossible if you're packed together in a place that's only sort of open air and if people are sharing food or kissing or drinking. But if it's a casual interaction outside, even if it's relatively crowded, I'm comfortable not having a mask on. And at this stage of the pandemic, we have to find ways to do things that are meaningful to us. It's nice to see people's expressions and feel a sense of normalcy."
And playing outdoors, Malani notes, is great for kids building snow structures and sledding in parts of the country that are now shivering in winter temperatures.
Of course, omicron is the most transmissible variant yet. That, combined with the sheer volume of cases, could mean that there could be more cases of outdoor transmission, says Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of adult and pediatric infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. So some people may want to mask up in certain outdoor situations. But that shouldn't cause you to lose sight of the advantages of socializing outdoors, she adds.
"Being outdoors continues to provide another layer of protection because of the ventilation," Weatherhead explains. (The other layers are vaccination, masks and physical distancing.)
"So the safest place you can be [with other people] is still going to be outdoors," she says.
If your own risk tolerance is low, certain outdoor situations could call for masking up. Earlier studies showed that the fewer cases of outdoor transmission almost always occurred during prolonged, close contact. For example, talking face-to-face with someone who is unmasked and very, very close to you is risky no matter where you are, especially if it's for a prolonged period of time.
"It can happen outside," says Dr. Don Milton, an infectious disease aerobiologist at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
Still, he says, you have to be close to the infected person or downwind of them. "That gentle breeze outdoors is generally safer" than indoors, he says. "The air movement [outdoors] is more random and the virus won't build up."
And yes, that holds true for omicron, he believes. Although it makes sense that people would worry about getting a more contagious variant outdoors, it's likely that the current surge in cases doesn't have anything to do with outdoor spread.
Preliminary research, including a small study by Milton's lab, suggests that people infected with omicron don't breathe out higher viral loads than people infected with delta. And people who are vaccinated likely carry less infectious virus particles than people who are not.
So if you find yourself worrying about not being able to distance yourself in a crowded outdoor situation with people of unknown vaccination status, slip a mask on.
Just keep in mind that risk is a continuum.
"Slipping on the ice or getting in an accident on the way [to an outdoor rendezvous] is probably more likely than getting COVID outside," Malani says.
However, if you live in a cold locale as she does, you may want to leave your mask on for warmth. Not only does it keep your cheeks warm, but who wants to take their gloves off to fuss with a mask in sub-freezing temps?
Sheila Mulrooney Eldred is a freelance health journalist in Minneapolis. She has written about COVID-19 for many publications, including The New York Times, Kaiser Health News, Medscape and The Washington Post. More at sheilaeldred.pressfolios.com. On Twitter: @milepostmedia.
