Omicron is changing the definition of what it means to be fully vaccinated, because early studies suggest that current Covid-19 vaccines will require three doses to offer sufficient protection against the variant.
Yet given resistance to vaccinations, requiring a booster dose could be a thorny decision for policy makers and health authorities.
The Omicron variant’s aggressive advance is the latest twist in the course of a disease that public-health experts say is on a path toward becoming endemic in the U.S.
In other words, the Covid-19 pandemic won’t have an end date. Rather, a crisis that engulfed the world within months of the coronavirus’s discovery in China will dissipate in fits and starts into something that feels more like normal over the course of years, infectious-disease experts say.
San Jose, Calif., could become one of the first U.S. cities to require municipal employees get a booster shot to comply with an existing Covid-19 vaccine mandate, with growing but still early evidence supporting the efficacy of a third dose against the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said the new proposal would require city employees to receive a Covid-19 booster shot as a condition of employment.
What Is COVID-19?
A coronavirus is a kind of common virus that causes an infection in your nose, sinuses, or upper throat. Most coronaviruses aren't dangerous.
In early 2020, after a December 2019 outbreak in China, the World Health Organization identified SARS-CoV-2 as a new type of coronavirus. The outbreak quickly spread around the world.
COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that can trigger what doctors call a respiratory tract infection. It can affect your upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nose, and throat) or lower respiratory tract (windpipe and lungs).
It spreads the same way other coronaviruses do, mainly through person-to-person contact. Infections range from mild to deadly.
SARS-CoV-2 is one of seven types of coronavirus, including the ones that cause severe diseases like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The other coronaviruses cause most of the colds that affect us during the year but aren't a serious threat for otherwise healthy people.It is also normal for a virus to change, or mutate, as it infects people and this virus has done so. There are several variants that are now spreading, some proving to be more contagious as well as more deadly than the original virus.
Throughout the pandemic, scientists have kept a close eye on variants like:
- Alpha
- Beta
- Gamma
- Delta
- Omicron
- Lambda
- Mu
How long will the coronavirus last?
There's no way to tell how long the pandemic will continue. There are many factors, including the public's efforts to slow the spread, researchers' work to learn more about the virus, their search for a treatment, and the success of the vaccines.
Symptoms of COVID-19
The main symptoms include:
- Fever
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble breathing
- Fatigue
- Chills, sometimes with shaking
- Body aches
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Congestion/runny nose
- Loss of smell or taste
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
The virus can lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure, heart problems, liver problems, septic shock, and death. Many COVID-19 complications may be caused by a condition known as cytokine release syndrome or a cytokine storm. This is when an infection triggers your immune system to flood your bloodstream with inflammatory proteins called cytokines. They can kill tissue and damage your organs. In some cases, lung transplants have been needed.
If you notice the following severe symptoms in yourself or a loved one, get medical help right away:
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- Ongoing chest pain or pressure
- Confusion
- Can't wake up fully
- Bluish lips or face
Strokes have also been reported in some people who have COVID-19. Remember FAST:
- Face. Is one side of the person's face numb or drooping? Is their smile lopsided?
- Arms. Is one arm weak or numb? If they try to raise both arms, does one arm sag?
- Speech. Can they speak clearly? Ask them to repeat a sentence.
- Time. Every minute counts when someone shows signs of a stroke. Call 911 right away
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