Concerned about Omicron By Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove
Concerned about Omicron in A Conversation Between Vismita Gupta-Smith And Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove
Hi Vismita, thanks for having me again. So Omicron is the latest variant of concern, and we have increasing information that Omicron is less severe than Delta, but it is still a dangerous virus. People who are infected with Omicron have the full spectrum of diseases, everything from asymptomatic infection all the way to severe disease and death. What we are learning is that people with underlying conditions, people of advanced age, and unvaccinated people can have a severe form of COVID-19 following infection from Omicron. And so we know that people are still being hospitalized with this variant of concern, Omicron, as well as dying. So, we must have information that is out there that is accurate, that does suggest, of course, that it is less severe than Delta, but that does not mean that it is mild.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Maria, we are seeing these reports that because it’s so transmissible, eventually everyone might get it. Is that true? And if it is true, then why take protective measures?
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove
We are certainly seeing with Omicron that there is a significant growth advantage compared to other variants of concern. Omicron is overtaking Delta in terms of circulation, and it is very efficiently transmitted between people. It doesn’t mean that everybody will eventually get Omicron, but we certainly are seeing high cases and surges of cases around the world. This is putting a significant burden on our health care systems, which are already significantly overburdened given that we’re entering into the third year of this pandemic. And if people can’t receive the proper care that they need, then more people will end up with severe disease and death, and that’s something we want to prevent. So it doesn’t necessarily mean that everybody will get Omicron. This is why we, like WHO, are working with partners around the world to have a comprehensive strategy to reduce your exposure and reduce the opportunities for you to get infected. First and foremost, we know that vaccination is incredibly protective against severe disease and death, but it also does prevent some infections and some onward transmission. But it’s not perfect in terms of preventing infections and transmission. This is why we also recommend making sure people protect themselves against exposure. Physical distancing, wearing a well-fitted mask over your nose and mouth, making sure that you have clean hands, avoiding crowds, working from home if you can, getting tested, and making sure that you seek appropriate care where needed. All of those measures, this layered approach are ways in which you can keep yourself safe and also protect yourself from getting infected and passing the virus to somebody else.
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Vismita Gupta-Smith
Maria, speak to us about why it’s important to reduce transmission of Omicron.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove
We must reduce transmission of Omicron for several reasons. First, we want to prevent people from getting infected because there is a risk that you can develop severe disease. There are ways in which we can prevent that but you are still at risk of developing the disease. And if you have underlying conditions or have advanced age, if you’re not vaccinated, you could develop severe disease. Your risk is higher of developing severe disease. The second reason is that we don’t understand completely the impact of post-COVID conditions or long COVID. So people who are infected with this virus have a risk of developing longer-term consequences, which we call post-COVID conditions. And we really are only beginning to understand this. So there’s a lot to learn about this and your risk of developing the post-COVID condition, of course, is dependent on your risk of getting infected in the first place. So you want to prevent that. Third, is that getting infected and having a huge case burden, this surge of cases that we are seeing with Omicron significantly burdens our health systems as well as other essential services that are operating. A large number of cases are really making it difficult for hospitals to operate, for services to be online, you know, public transportation, making sure we have groceries in our grocery store, schools, et cetera.
And lastly, the more this virus circulates, the more opportunities it has to change. So this virus is circulating at an incredibly intense level around the world for several reasons. But the more the virus circulates, the more opportunities the virus has to change. Omicron will not be the last variant that you will hear us discuss, and the possibility of future emergence of variants of concern is very real. And more variants emerge, we don’t understand what the properties of those variants may be. Certainly, they will be more transmissible because they will need to overtake variants that are currently circulating. They could become more or less severe, but they could also have properties of immune escape. So we want to reduce the risk of future emergence of variants of concern.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Thank you, Maria. That was Science in 5 today. Until next time then. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stick with science.
Prolonged symptoms after COVID -19
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Welcome to Science in 5. I’m Vismita Gupta-Smith and this is WHO’s a conversation in science. Many people experience several symptoms, even after recovering from COVID-19. Here to talk about that is WHO’s Dr. Janet Diaz. Welcome, Janet.
Dr. Janet Diaz
Thank you so much. I’m happy to be here.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Janet, many people, even after they recover, are experiencing certain symptoms. What do we know about these symptoms?
Dr. Janet Diaz
We have known that patients who get severely ill with COVID-19, those that end up in the hospital, those that go to intensive care, that those patients could develop something known as post-intensive care syndrome. That syndrome has been described well before COVID in patients who’ve been critically ill. And so, we are seeing those types of prolonged symptoms and functional limitations in patients who’ve been critically ill with COVID-19. That includes people who have a persistent cough, who have persistent shortness of breath, perhaps some physical limitations due to being critically ill and in bed for a long time, as well as, potentially cognitive issues as well, after being so sick. And so, we are concerned about the type of post-intensive care syndrome, that we will see in patients after acute COVID-19 hospitalization. There are also smaller reports, and this is something that we need really to understand better, of patients who were not hospitalized, that means patients who are mildly ill. There are reports that those patients have continued to have some protracted symptoms, such as coughings, such as shortness of breath, such as trouble with breathing, and some extensive symptoms of fatigue. So, there is a concern there that needs to be much better understood for those patients that were mild and potentially without risk factors.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
So clearly, Janet, evidence is still coming in and we’re learning more about these symptoms. How long do we know do these symptoms last?
Dr. Janet Diaz
Again, it’s an excellent question but unfortunately, we do not know. Again, we can extrapolate from when I was talking about the hospitalized patients, those that were severely ill or critically ill, who spent time in intensive care. We know from studies in non-COVID patients, that those critically ill patients may have symptoms up to six months or even one year after that hospitalization, that post-intensive care syndrome. So, that can be quite prolonged. For those patients now that were mild, that may have protracted symptoms, we really don’t have enough information to say how long those symptoms may persist after the acute illness.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Janet, what do we know so far about what proportion of patients, COVID patients, get these symptoms even after recovery?
Dr. Janet Diaz
So, I don’t have a good proportion to share right now because the studies that have been done are relatively small. So, we can’t generalize that to the entire population with COVID. But again, if I go back to the post-intensive care syndrome, from what we know about patients who’ve been critically ill with other diseases, and if we indirectly apply that to patients who have had COVID-19 and been very sick in the hospital, it could be up to 50% of those patients may have some sort of functional limitation, as I described before, at the six-month mark. So, again, we don’t know the total proportion of the total numbers of patients, but it is very concerning with the total numbers affected with SARS-CoV-2, you know, infected, that that number may be relatively large.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Janet, so what is the takeaway here?
Dr. Janet Diaz
Well, I think the takeaway, the most important one is prevention. I think we need to continue to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, to prevent any acute infection, with SARS-CoV-2 or any illness such as COVID-19. If we prevent the acute disease, we will not have persistent symptoms, right? So, I think that’s number one. Number two is that we need to understand better how many people will suffer from prolonged symptoms; how many of those people are people are from the hospital, that will have post-intensive care syndrome; and also, how many of those people are the younger people that may have the more mild illness but still suffer from protracted symptoms, that may cause them limitations in their quality of life.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Why avoid Omicron?
When a new variant of a virus emerges, particularly one with potential changes in transmissibility, severity, or immune escape, public health authorities and experts may recommend certain measures to reduce its spread and impact. These measures can include:
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Vaccination: Vaccination is a critical tool in controlling the spread of the virus and preventing severe illness. If vaccines have been developed and authorized for the new variant, getting vaccinated can provide protection against infection and reduce the risk of severe disease.
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Wearing Masks: Wearing masks, especially in crowded or indoor settings, can help reduce the transmission of the virus by preventing respiratory droplets from spreading to others.
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Physical Distancing: Maintaining physical distance from others, especially in situations where transmission risk is higher, can reduce the chances of coming into contact with the virus.
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Hand Hygiene: Regularly washing hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer can help prevent the spread of the virus from contaminated surfaces to the face.
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Avoiding Crowded Places: Minimizing exposure to crowded places and large gatherings can reduce the risk of coming into contact with infected individuals.
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Quarantine and Isolation: If you have been exposed to the virus or have tested positive, following recommended quarantine and isolation guidelines can help prevent further transmission.
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Travel Restrictions: Depending on the severity and transmission of a new variant, travel restrictions or requirements may be put in place to limit the spread of the virus between regions.
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Monitoring Symptoms: Being vigilant about monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking testing and medical care if symptoms develop is important for early detection and treatment.
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Following Public Health Guidelines: Staying informed about the latest guidance from public health authorities and following their recommendations can help protect yourself and others.
Thank you, Janet. That was Science in 5 today. Until next time then. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stick with science.
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