San Francisco Followed Covid Rules. Will Omicron Change the Playbook? – The New York Times

The Minnesota patient, who has recovered, fell ill on Nov. 22, suggesting that the variant already had begun to circulate even before South African health authorities first announced its detection there.

This case, you know, was getting ill even before we were hearing about Omicron from South Africa, Kris Ehresmann, infectious disease director for the Minnesota Department of Health, told reporters on Thursday.

Omicron carries more than 50 genetic mutations that in theory may make it both more contagious and less vulnerable to the bodys immune defenses than previous variants. Available vaccines may still offer substantial protection against severe illness and death following infection with the variant, but much remains unknown.

Most of the mutations are on the viruss spike protein, which the existing vaccines target. Federal officials are asking vaccinated people to get booster shots and the makers of the two most effective vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are preparing to reformulate their shots, if needed.

But it remains unclear whether Omicron will change the anti-coronavirus playbook. If the new variant turns out to be more transmissible than, say, the Delta variant, officials said, health guidance may stiffen more vigilance about masking indoors, sterner requirements for boosters.

Its worth re-asking the question, Ive started to get a little less careful than I was is that the right thing? said Dr. Bob Wachter, a professor and chair of the department of medicine at University of California, San Francisco. If, psychologically, you need a month to get prepared to move backwards, you should get ready for the possibility.

Dec. 3, 2021, 3:07 p.m. ET

That could be tough. The options government officials have to control the spread of the virus have proved to be politically limited in this country, even where communities have been open to restrictions. Californias health measures saved countless lives, for instance, but also helped fuel a recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom this year.

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San Francisco Followed Covid Rules. Will Omicron Change the Playbook? - The New York Times