(CNN) — Most of the 43 radical known to person been infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus successful the United STates had mild symptoms, but astir had been vaccinated and 14 of them had already had booster doses, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.
The archetypal CDC study connected the Omicron variant successful the US shows vaccination does not support radical against corruption but it besides indicates the archetypal cases to beryllium detected person been mild oregon moderate.
“One vaccinated diligent was hospitalized for 2 days, and nary deaths person been reported to date,” the CDC Covid Response Team reported. “Case investigations person identified exposures associated with planetary and home travel, ample nationalist events, and household transmission.”
“The earliest day of grounds onset was November 15 successful a idiosyncratic with a past of planetary travel,” the researchers added. “Fourteen (33%) persons reported planetary question during the 14 days preceding grounds onset oregon receipt of a affirmative trial result.”
They said 79% of those infected had been afloat vaccinated with either 2 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s oregon Moderna’s vaccine oregon 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. Five of the 14 who got booster doses had been boosted astatine slightest 2 weeks earlier and should person had maximum levels of immune protection.
“The astir commonly reported symptoms were cough, fatigue, and congestion oregon runny nose,” the researchers wrote.
Delta is inactive the ascendant variant successful the US, the probe squad said.
“Given the 2-3 weeks from the clip of specimen postulation to availability of series information for analysis, it is apt that further infections with Omicron from precocious November volition beryllium detected during the coming days,” they wrote.
“Scientists astir the satellite are moving to rapidly larn much astir the Omicron variant to amended recognize however easy it mightiness beryllium transmitted and the effectiveness of existent diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapeutics against this variant,” they added.
“Many of the archetypal reported cases of Omicron variant corruption look to beryllium mild, though arsenic with each variants, a lag exists betwixt corruption and much terrible outcomes, and symptoms would beryllium expected to beryllium milder successful vaccinated persons and those with erstwhile SARS-CoV-2 corruption than successful unvaccinated persons.”
People who person precocious traveled internationally are apt to beryllium younger, healthier oregon some and mightiness not beryllium typical of the wide population, the researchers noted. If the Omicron variant spreads widely, sheer numbers could mean determination volition beryllium whitethorn terrible cases. “Even if astir infections are mild, a highly transmissible variant could effect successful capable cases to overwhelm wellness systems. The objective severity of corruption with the Omicron variant volition go amended understood arsenic further cases are identified and investigated,” they wrote.
“Scientists successful South Africa and elsewhere person established systems that let survey of the laboratory, clinical, and epidemiologic characteristics; CDC is collaborating with wellness officials astir the satellite to larn much astir the characteristics of patients with Omicron variant infections.”
Separately, a squad of authorities and world researchers successful the UK reported that galore radical determination infected with the Omicron variant had besides been vaccinated and boosted.
“Our findings amusement that vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic illness with the Omicron variant is importantly little than with the Delta variant,” the team, led by Nick Andrews of the UK Health Security Agency, reported successful a pre-print posted online.
They looked astatine 581 cases of radical infected determination whose tests showed they had been infected with the Omicron variant, looked astatine their vaccination records and compared them to thousands of radical who had been vaccinated erstwhile the Delta variant was dominant.
Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine — wide utilized successful Britain but not authorized successful the US — provided nary extortion aft 15 weeks, they wrote. People who had been vaccinated much precocious with 2 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine seemed much powerfully protected against Omicron, but effectiveness fell to nary much than 37% if they had been vaccinated 4 months oregon much earlier.
A booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine restored vaccine efficacy to astir 75% against Omicron, they wrote. But the findings progressive a tiny fig of people, they said.
“We are incapable to find extortion against terrible forms of illness owed to the tiny fig of Omicron cases truthful acold and the earthy lag betwixt corruption and much terrible outcomes,” they wrote.
The British and US teams some urged booster doses of vaccine.
“Booster doses are particularly urgent for those astatine higher hazard of terrible disease, specified arsenic persons residing successful nursing homes and semipermanent attraction facilities. In addition, CDC recommends that everyone aged 2 years oregon older deterioration masks successful nationalist indoor places successful areas of important oregon precocious transmission,” the CDC squad wrote.
All the known mitigation methods should beryllium employed, the CDC said. “Implementation of concurrent prevention strategies, including vaccination, masking, improving ventilation, testing, quarantine, and isolation, are recommended to dilatory transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and to support against terrible illness, hospitalization, and decease from COVID-19,” the squad wrote.
“A fig of measures person been implemented passim the COVID-19 pandemic to trim the instauration and dispersed of SARS-CoV-2 successful the United States done travel. For example, masks are required successful indoor areas connected nationalist proscription conveyances traveling into, within, oregon retired of the United States, and connected the indoor premises of U.S. proscription hubs,” they added.
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