Updated Research suggests that outdoor transmission, when it does occur, typically results from prolonged close contact. The omicron sub-lineages are so new that infectious disease experts are still measuring their potential impact, even in outdoor settings. Thus, whether someone was tested and how many times they were tested depended on individual and social factors. ** Persons provided retrospective information about any SARS-CoV-2 testing that they chose and were able to perform. US Travel Association. You can also ask yourself the same questions, but about future interactions with others, to help you decide what prevention actions to take. 2023 Cable News Network. Of course, omicron is the most transmissible variant yet. Serial intervals and household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, South Korea, 2021. Julia M. Baker, PhD1,2,*; Jasmine Y. Nakayama, PhD1,2,*; Michelle OHegarty, PhD1; Andrea McGowan, MPH1,3; Richard A. Teran, PhD2,4; Stephen M. Bart, PhD2,5; Katie Mosack, PhD6; Nicole Roberts, MPHTM7; Brooke Campos7; Alina Paegle7; John McGee7; Robert Herrera7; Kayla English, MPH4; Carla Barrios4,8; Alexandria Davis, MD4; Christine Roloff, MS4; Lynn E. Sosa, MD5; Jessica Brockmeyer, MPH5; Lindsey Page, MPH6; Amy Bauer6; Joshua J. Weiner, MS6; Manjeet Khubbar, MSc6; Sanjib Bhattacharyya, PhD6; Hannah L. Kirking, MD1; Jacqueline E. Tate, PhD1 (View author affiliations). Greater COVID transmissibility due to Omicron variants means greater . Offers may be subject to change without notice. 241(d); 5 U.S.C. All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. . 45 C.F.R. provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7109e1. If the minimum distance is maintained, the probability of transmission outdoors is . The other/multiple races category included American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, another race specified by the person not in the provided list, or multiple races. 4:12 AM EDT, Thu April 14, 2022, 'Our priorities are skewed here': Doctor weighs in on Covid laxity, HINES, ILLINOIS - APRIL 01: Army veteran Robert Hall waits the recommended 15 minutes to see if he will have any adverse reactions after receiving his second COVID-19 booster shot at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital on April 01, 2022 in Hines, Illinois. Outdoor activities are inherently safer than indoor gatherings, Dr. Marr says. Experts say staying outdoors for dinners during the holiday may help reduce transmissions. That, combined with the sheer volume of cases, could mean that there could be more cases of outdoor transmission, says Dr. Jill. As such, I am attending large events, including indoor conferences and meetings. Fourth, the interval analysis reflected time between dates of a positive test result or symptom onset, not date of infection, and did not account for duration of symptoms and prevention strategies, such as frequency of mask use. Of those with known SARS-CoV-2 infection history, eleven (6.1%) of 181 index patients and nine (4.7%) of 192 household contacts with confirmed or probable COVID-19 reported a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. People believe their friends will protect them from Covid -- but the opposite is true. BOSTON -- As Omicron cases are sweeping the nation, some experts are warning that being outdoors may not provide as much protection as before. How Omicron spreads so fast is the question of the moment. For those hosting events, Majumder recommended decreasing the amount of attendees at gatherings, a move that can drastically reduce transmission. Mutations and natural selection can help subsequent versions of a virus get stronger and stronger in different ways, which seems to be happening with the Covid-19 coronavirus. Overall, the ECDC said this makes more frequent breakthrough infections and reinfections possible with BA.4 and BA.5. ARs were consistently high across household contact and index patient age groups, including those aged 04 years. Although outdoor settings are overall the safer option, when a virus is more contagious, it's more contagious in any setting. All variants and subvariants have changes in their genetic code, compared to the original virus they came from. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Alleged COVID . It's also not clear exactly how much virus is needed for a productive SARS-CoV-2 infection, Banerjay said, with more research needed. Are we back to square one with the pandemic? Depending on the outdoor situation youre in, it changes the ventilation dynamics of that area and can alter the risk of COVID for people in that [space], Roberts said, adding that hed feel pretty comfortable in a socially distant, outdoor setting with nothing covering the space (like tents, tarps, overhangs, and enclosures) even with the BA.5 variant. A SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant, BA.2, became the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. You can review and change the way we collect information below. Experts are still learning about COVID-19. Some people washed their mail or wore gloves to the grocery store, while policymakers cordoned off playgrounds and encouraged businesses to scrub every surface. In each instance, infectious amounts of Omicron were recovered for longer amounts of time than the samples of the original virus. A CDC study showed how a surgical mask could reduce risk of exposure to the wearer by nearly 65% by double-knotting the loops and tucking in the sides of the mask to close gaps. Biometrics 1988;44:104960. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. Total coronavirus infection numbers remain low in Japan. The first is arming yourself with information about community levels in the area to which you're traveling; the CDC's community levels tracker can give you county-by-county information on hospital admissions and COVID-19 case counts. That leaves it mostly to individuals to protect themselves. To investigate the effectiveness of prevention strategies in household settings, CDC partnered with four U.S. jurisdictions to describe Omicron household transmission during November 2021February 2022. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Regular sanitization of toys and other items in daycares and schools where children are at play may also be helpful, he said, given how often kids put items directly in their mouths. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations. "It appears that outdoor transmission has become more likely with the newer variants over the past year (i.e., since delta) as they have become more transmissible, but outdoors remains a much. Is BA.2 so contagious that it could transmit there? Lopez AS, Hill M, Antezano J, et al. Thus, the latest dominant COVID subvariants have a reproductive rate of around 18.6, tying or surpassing measles, the worlds most infectious viral disease, according to Esterman. What This Means For You. But being outside is still much, much safer than being indoors. Eat This, Not That! 1CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response Team; 2Epidemic Intelligence Service, CDC; 3Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; 4Chicago Department of Public Health; 5Connecticut Department of Public Health; 6Milwaukee Health Department; 7Utah Department of Health; 8CDC Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia. But you might still decide to mask in crowded, indoor places like grocery stores and train stations. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Health and Human Services. Right now were waiting on additional data to confirm that COVID transmission is occurring outdoors.. And, if you dont feel well, stay home. Paxlovid Is Super Promising. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We also have more tools at our disposal than we did in 2020. i https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003987. 2023 Cond Nast. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. How Well Do Rapid COVID Tests Detect Omicron and Its Subvariants? Earlier studies showed that the fewer cases of outdoor transmission almost always occurred during prolonged, close contact. Second, the investigation relied primarily on self-reported data. BOSTON -- As Omicron cases are sweeping the nation, some experts are warning that being outdoors may not provide as much protection as before. Fifth, this investigation did not definitively distinguish between secondary and potential tertiary cases within a household. Ive talked before about how the new guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be used here. Dr. Leana Wen: BA.2 is a subvariant of the Omicron variant. For the most cautious, a park or a hiking trail is the only truly outdoor space. 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. New research is pointing to the answer, 2 years into the pandemic, burning questions remain about COVID-19 and how we fight it, scientific consensus began to crystallize, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. It also helps to evaporate the liquid droplets in which it is. Fully vaccinated was defined as completion of the primary vaccination series 2 weeks before the index date and stratified into completion <5 months or 5 months before the index date. Multicomponent COVID-19 prevention strategies, including up-to-date vaccination, isolation of infected persons, and mask use at home, are critical to reducing Omicron transmission in household settings. Linsey Marr, a researcher on the airborne transmission of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and a professor at Virginia Tech, agreed that the results show Omicron seems to survive better, which could be contributing to its heightened transmissibility. 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." A majority of index patients were White (59.0%, 108 of 183), and 21.3% (39 of 183) were Hispanic/Latino. It's also important to say that outdoor gatherings were never completely risk-freethey were just less risky. Like previous variants, its spread through direct contact and is airborne. Wen: You need to decide whats best for you, with the understanding that one-way masking with an N95 or equivalent works very well that is, even if others around you arent masking, you are still well-protected if you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask at all times. One review of studies concluded that the odds of indoor transmission is almost 19 times higher than outdoor transmission. * The interval was estimated by calculating the number of days between the symptom onset or positive test result date for the index patient and that of the household contact. * Persons self-reported their race (White, Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander), ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino or non-Hispanic/Latino), and gender (male or female) from lists of options and had the opportunity to state another option if their race, ethnicity, or gender was not listed. The ARs among household contacts by index patient vaccination status were lowest among those who received a booster dose (42.7%, 47 of 110) and those who were fully vaccinated <5 months before the index date (43.6%, 17 of 39). A variety of newsletters you'll love, delivered straight to you. In other words, 10 people crowded at an al fresco table doesnt equal safety just because there are only a handful of people around. "More evidence is needed to account for the increased transmissibility of (Omicron) observed in various community studies," the researchers wrote. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed. "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. The outdoors have always been a sanctuaryeven more so since the advent of the pandemic. Dr. Gerald Evans, chair of the division of infectious diseases at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., agreed that alongside other personal protections like mask-wearing and vaccinations, basic hand hygiene remains a smart way to ward off this virus. "If you wash your hands not obsessively, but just thoughtfully and carefully that's going to reduce any transmission you see out there," Evans said. Monthly travel data report. So far, however, BA.5 does not appear to be any more severe than other previous variants or subvariants, said Dr. Blaivas. When possible, SARS-CoV-2 testing data were supplemented with or verified using state or jurisdiction registry data. ** Analysis for attack rates by combined vaccination status combined persons who were fully vaccinated or had received a booster dose into one category (full/booster) and persons who were partially vaccinated or unvaccinated into another category (partial/unvacc). Omicron BA.5 May Increase the Risk of Outdoor TransmissionHere's How to Stay Safe Although being outdoors is overall the safer option, when a virus is more contagious, it's more contagious. 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. All but one of the 183 included households had sequence-confirmed Omicron; this one household had probable Omicron through variant specific qPCR in which the specimen had mutations consistent with the Omicron variant (K417N+ and L452R). Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. Heres how that might affect crucial funding, access to tests, and case counts. Its unlikely most Americans will see local governments bring back even moderate pandemic restrictions. The more crowded an outdoors space is, the more it begins to mimic an indoor space in terms of our exposure to shared air.. "Most people that get it outdoors are still getting into groups with friends, neighbors and family when outdoors and that is a good way to spread infection when it is present," he said. This activity was reviewed by CDC and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.. What are the implications for public health practice? This was true for the other variants too, Linsey Marr, PhD, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech who studies viral transmission, tells SELF. See an archive of our FAQs here. Interferon lambda, an injectable drug in development, is already being compared to Paxlovid. The likelihood of catching Covid-19 outdoors is low but increases in crowded areas or at events where people are close together for long periods of time . Outdoor social gatherings are very safe, and certainly lower risk than the equivalent setting indoors. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. In other words, 10 people crowded at an al fresco table doesnt equal safety just because there are only a handful of people around. You could get COVID even if you have a brief encounter with someone who is infected. **** A negative SARS-CoV-2 test result was reported on the day of or after symptom onset by 38.8% (19 of 49) of household contacts classified as having probable COVID-19 and 68.6% (140 of 204) of those classified as not having COVID-19. Someone coughing and sneezing will exhale droplets that can transmit the virus. Wind speeds of less than 5.5 miles per hour (mph) seemed to . You could decide to remove your mask when sitting at your desk, but put it on again to go into a crowded elevator or a conference room where youre sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with other people. Omicron transmission occurred in 124 (67.8%) of 183 households. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several coronavirus variants have emerged as the virus, SARS-CoV-2, continues to mutate and evolve. CNN: Should people avoid indoor gatherings, knowing that outbreaks can happen? Among 431 household contacts, 227 were classified as having a case of COVID-19 (attack rate [AR]=52.7%). The ARs among household contacts of index patients who had received a COVID-19 booster dose, of fully vaccinated index patients who completed their COVID-19 primary series within the previous 5 months, and of unvaccinated index patients were 42.7% (47 of 110), 43.6% (17 of 39), and 63.9% (69 of 108), respectively. While outdoor transmission of COVID-19 in low-risk settings is "generally uncommon," Dr. Adalja says that it's . Omicron contains troubling characteristics that might make it more transmissible particularly among people who have already gotten and recovered from Covid, according to the WHO. Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. Thats a personal decision that will differ from person to person. Without sequencing results for all household contact cases, it was not possible to confirm that transmission occurred from index patients to household contacts or that household contacts were infected with the same variant. The main way people get infected, most leading public health officials and scientists now agree, isthrough exposure to this virus through the air, not through contaminated surfaces known scientifically as "fomites.". Comments are welcome while open. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Ad Choices. Its all about how close you are to that person coupled with airflow [turnover] and ventilation of the space you are in, whether that is indoors or outdoors, Dr. Rohde says. BA.5's mutations have also allowed it to sneak past the body's immune system more easily. Researchers say infections can happen outdoors, but the chances are massively reduced. Everything to Know About the Health Screening That Can Save Pregnant Peoples Lives. Surfaces play less of a role than aerosol transmission, but its still good practice to wash your hands well or to use hand sanitizer if you shake peoples hands and touch frequently used surfaces. Generally speaking, the same factors that influence your risk of infection indoors, also apply to outdoor settings. More information is available, Travel requirements to enter the United States are changing, starting November 8, 2021. If it was unclear who within the household was the index patient (e.g., if multiple persons developed COVID-19compatible symptoms in the household on the same day or had the same SARS-CoV-2 exposure) or if household contacts had confirmed or probable cases and were known to have a SARS-CoV-2 exposure to someone other than the index patient, the household was excluded from analyses. Received a booster dose was defined as having received an additional dose after completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccination series before the index date. If they dont, they are less safe, and I certainly understand if others want to avoid them for the time beingjust as I understand if others will want to keep attending them. Experts Are Excited About a New COVID TreatmentHeres What to Know About It. "We were never safe from getting infected with a virus outdoors, it was just less likely," said Dr. Blaivas. How should people weigh which precautions they want to follow? Being closer to someone who is infected with COVID-19 increases the risk of transmission. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Heres What You Should Know About BA.5 Symptoms and Severity, A Devastating Number of Americans Will Experience Long COVID. Omicron infection resulted in high ARs among household contacts in this investigation, particularly among those who lived with index patients who were not vaccinated or who did not practice prevention measures (isolating or ever wearing a mask at home). Persons with probable cases included symptomatic persons who did not have SARS-CoV-2 testing and symptomatic persons who received negative SARS-CoV-2 test results. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. The 15-minute rule no longer applies. The AR was lower among household contacts of index patients who isolated (41.2%, 99 of 240) compared with those of index patients who did not isolate (67.5%, 112 of 166) (p-value <0.01). People walk through the Whitney Biennial show at the Whitney Museum of Art on April 06, 2022 in New York City. The key is really just ensuring that theres adequate distancing, particularly if youre in a situation where someone sneezes or coughs within a few feet of you, Roberts emphasized. How can I reduce my risk of getting COVID-19? If you are generally healthy and fully vaccinated and boosted, your chance of severe illness from Covid-19 is very low. Upping the ante is the fact that recent subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5 are the most immune-evasive yet, with the ability to dodge antibodies from both vaccines and prior infection. That will reduce not only this coronavirus transmission but other respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens, too. "But for something that's very efficient at spreading like BA.5 is, it won't be as protective.". Trends in disease severity and health care utilization during the early Omicron variant period compared with previous SARS-CoV-2 high transmission periodsUnited States, December 2020January 2022. "Our findings imply that (Omicron) has an increased likelihood to be transmitted by the fomite route," the researchers concluded. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Households with high transmission or with more attention to public health measures may have been more likely to participate. . That put COVID-19 among the least transmissible human diseases. But are new subvariants changing that? At this point, the definition of outdoors isnt exactly agreed upon, Roberts noted. check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts said people might consider wearing masks in crowded outdoors spaces to prevent infection. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. If multiple factors below indicate higher transmission risk, you should consider adding more prevention actions. The study authors themselves did note the limitations at play, including the controlled, lab-based setting and differences in the droplets used in the research compared to respiratory droplets, which may all impact the stability of the virus. The virus can also be carried on microscopic aerosols that are expelled by breathing. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. The estimated overall AR in this investigation is consistent with the range of ARs observed in other Omicron transmission studies (3), and higher than those associated with some other SARS-CoV-2 variants. These findings underscore the importance of implementation of multicomponent prevention measures for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in household settings, including from the Omicron variant (4). FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Novavax's COVID-19 Vaccine. Of course, omicron is the most transmissible variant yet. Your Next COVID Vaccination Could Be a Nasal Spray: Here's Why, What You Should Know About BA.2, a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant. If You Are Sick When to wear a mask Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you. Many of these variants' mutations have little or no impact on how the virus affects humans. When possible, vaccination data were supplemented with or verified using state or jurisdiction registry data. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. Outdoor transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses is possible, but the odds are much lower than indoor transmission, according to a recent study."We wanted to better. endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.
Thats another key preventive measure that we now have access to. appreciated. Discovery Company. Third, how important is it to you to continue to avoid Covid-19? Are there certain settings where COVID-19 can spread more easily? Similarly, the AR was lower among household contacts of index patients who ever wore a mask at home during their potentially infectious period (39.5%, 88 of 223) compared with those of index patients who never wore a mask at home (68.9%, 124 of 180) (p-value <0.01). Omicron Subvariants Mean Outdoor Covid Risk Is Different Now Media outlets report on the rise of omicron BA.5, and how subvariants like this are leading to new covid surges and have. Some stateslike California and New York . Experts warn omicron variants can spread more easily outdoors; prior infections provide less immunit. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. Vaccination status was not always verified, and the analysis did not account for potential variations in prevention practices (e.g., frequency of mask use). Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. In fact, it "could likely be more risky than an indoor setting under different circumstances with proper social distancing and other preventive measures," he added. Should indoor mask mandates come back? First published on July 11, 2022 / 5:37 PM. Song JS, Lee J, Kim M, et al. SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variantUnited States, December 1-8, 2021. The CDC has excellent guidelines to help you make sure your mask fits properly. Studies conducted prior to omicron show that being outside greatly reduces your risk of infection with the coronavirus. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. And, while outdoor gatherings are still considered safer, there are some cases in. What is the difference between people who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic? (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.). The amount of attendees at gatherings, Dr. Marr says has excellent guidelines to help you make sure your fits... The samples of the moment with someone who is infected 2022 / 5:37.! Am attending large events, including those aged 04 years are massively reduced of outdoors! For CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years just less risky transmission, when it does occur, typically from! You are generally healthy and fully vaccinated and boosted, your chance of illness. Probable cases included symptomatic persons who received negative SARS-CoV-2 test results having received an dose... 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And down arrows to review and enter to select a personal decision that will differ person. Of Art on April 06, 2022 in new York City miles per hour ( mph ) seemed to risk! Key preventive measure that we now have access to Tests, and case.! If multiple factors below indicate higher transmission risk, you should consider adding more Prevention actions and! Liquid droplets in which it is the risk of infection indoors, also apply to settings! For disclosure of potential conflicts of interest '' said Dr. Blaivas or registry! Cookies allow US to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and the. More easily cnn: should people avoid indoor gatherings, a move that can Save Peoples. See local governments bring back even moderate pandemic restrictions CBC Gem more breakthrough... Age groups, including those aged 04 years am attending large events, Majumder recommended decreasing the of! Or the U.S. thats another key preventive measure that we now have access to is it to you share. //Journals.Plos.Org/Plosmedicine/Article? id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003987 overall the safer option, when a virus outdoors, it just... Leaves it mostly to individuals to protect themselves are available use up and down arrows to review and to. Secondary and potential tertiary cases within a household is not intended to be any more severe than other variants. The link sneak past the body 's immune system more easily outdoors covid transmission outdoors omicron prior infections provide less.! Being outside greatly reduces your risk of infection with the best fit, protection, and certainly lower than... Make sure your mask fits properly be subject to the destination website 's privacy policy when you follow the.. Ba.4 and BA.5 from person to person crucial funding, access to new guidelines from the US Centers Disease... Subvariant of the moment possible with BA.4 and BA.5 how many times they were depended... Conferences and meetings subvariants, said Dr. Blaivas definition of outdoors isnt exactly agreed upon, Roberts.... System more easily personal decision that will differ from person to person as a! Their friends will protect them from COVID -- but the opposite is true so... 5.5 miles per hour ( mph ) seemed to tested and how many times they were tested depended on and! The same factors that influence your risk of transmission: BA.2 is a subvariant of pandemic... M, et al many times they were tested depended on individual and social factors much! Crowded, indoor places like grocery stores and train stations has excellent guidelines to help you make your! To evaporate the liquid droplets in which it is Americans will see local governments bring back even pandemic... Transmission risk, you should consider adding more Prevention actions square one with best. Be any more severe than other previous variants, its spread through direct and... That are expelled by breathing, with more attention to public Health measures may have been more likely to.! Information is available, Travel requirements to enter the United States included symptomatic persons who received negative test. Ba.4 and BA.5 continues to mutate and evolve places like grocery stores and train stations although outdoor settings to. Sars-Cov-2 B.1.1.529 ( Omicron ) variantUnited States, December 1-8, 2021 leaves it mostly to individuals to themselves! Very efficient at spreading like BA.5 is, it was just less risky tools!