Filenews 20 December 2021
Although it is relatively soon to be drawn safe conclusions, the WHO in its latest announcement states that the Omicron variant, now present in 63 countries, appears to be transmitted more quickly than the Delta variant, which is still temporarily responsible for most infections in the world. So how do we effectively protect ourselves from this new variant?
The surest way to protect ourselves is of course not to change our behaviour and the individual measures that we observe anyway until today: to constantly wear our mask, avoid crowding and of course to be vaccinated with the third dose or even start the process of vaccination with the first dose.
"The Delta mutation is still the real danger right now. Omicron is an uncertain threat,"Dr. Francis Collins, director of the US National Institutes of Health, told the Associated Press. Regardless of the variant of the coronavirus, he added that "we know what to do."
Due to the recent onset of the mutation, its decoding and safe conclusions about its transmissibility, the severity of the symptoms and whether it can bypass the body's immunity will take a further period of about a few weeks to investigate.
In the near future, what we will have to do is to add more levels of protection according to Dr. Ed. Julie Vaishampayan from the Society of Infectious Diseases of America. This move is particularly important as the holiday holidays approach and the mobility of the population and concentration indoors will increase.
The additional "cushion" of protection is considered the administration of the third dose, as it offers a sharp increase in the body's antibodies. But even if the antibodies do not prove as effective against the Omicron mutation as against other variants of the virus, their increased concentration can effectively shield you against the Delta mutation.
In addition, apart from the individual protection measures and the good ventilation of the interior spaces, an equally important measure is the continuous self-testing, either by self-test or by conducting a rapid test. This procedure is recommended both for those who have suspicious symptoms and for those who could have been exposed to the virus. Most importantly, however, it could prevent over-transmission at festive gatherings, even if all guests are vaccinated.
Moreover, in the context of recording the epidemiological picture of the country and avoiding the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, plus the use of the free self-testing tests [for those vaccinated] available from pharmacies Tuesday.
