With the simultaneous arrival of both the holidays and the Omicron variant, many of us are left wondering what this means for the holiday season and for our future outlook. There is still a lot left to learn about Omicron, but we do know this variant is more immune-evading and likely more transmissible than previous variants. Even before Omicron arrived, many countries and regions have been seeing widespread virus transmission, with some reporting the highest number of new cases since the start of the pandemic. To this is then added the impact of Omicron, for which we have seen spread around the world at an unprecedented rate.
Those that are fully vaccinated will not be as protected against Omicron as they were previously. Boosters will definitely offer enhanced protection, but it is unlikely our protection will be as good as it was. This means that even boosted individuals can get infected and spread the virus. The vaccines will likely still offer some level of protection against severe illness, but we know that even breakthrough infections can result in Long COVID, and so unfortunately, we cannot solely rely on the vaccines to protect us. This is especially true for families with young children and the immunocompromised that are not able to get vaccinated at present. It’s true that children are less likely to get infected than adults and less likely to suffer from severe disease. However, less likely does not mean that it doesn’t occur and as the virus becomes more and more transmissible, the rate of infections in children has risen. We know that children can be infected, can spread the virus, can get a severe infection and can develop Long COVID, so we need to ensure that we are protecting everyone, as no one is safe from the virus.
The good news is that we know how the virus spreads (in the air) and we know how to stop its spread. We have a lot of good preventative measures that work well together. Just like a slice of Swiss cheese, each individual preventative measure is imperfect and has gaps in the protection it offers. However, if we combine measures together then we can close the gaps and stop virus transmission.
So, as we all think about the holidays and our desires to spend time with family and friends, remember the risks of COVID-19 and layer precautions. The most effective precaution would be to celebrate the holidays at home, visiting with others online. However, if you’re planning on activities outside of the home, use as many preventative layers as you can, including all of the following:
- If possible, only gather outside.
- If possible, ensure that everyone fully isolates for 10 days before gathering.
- Ensure everyone is vaccinated and preferably boosted.
- Ensure that everyone wears a facemask when gathering indoors.
- Limit the number of people that will be interacting indoors and ensure some distance between people, the fewer people the better.
- Have everyone test right before gathering and then test regularly for the week following the gathering.
- Don’t fly or travel out of town.
Remember that it’s not just the risk to you but then the risk to everyone you interact with afterwards. In addition, it’s not just the risk of severe illness, but the risk of developing Long COVID with long-term debilitating symptoms. We understand that this is all very disheartening and frustrating, but the good news is that we know what to do and we know that it works. We can keep each other safe and still celebrate the holidays.
So stay safe, stay strong and happy holidays from the Research-Aid Networks and Pandemic-Aid Networks teams.
