Infectious disease expert explains research about Omicron immunity
Updated: 5:08 PM EST Feb 17, 2022
MARIA: AN INFLUENTIAL MODEL FOR COVID-19 NOW ESTIMATES, 73% OF AMICERANS ARE IMMUNE TO THE OMICRON VARIANT, AT LEAST FOR NOW. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. TODD ELLERIN, CHIEOFF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT SOUTH SHORE HEAL.TH ED: THIS REPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON LOOKED AT A LOT OF FACTORS TO COME UP WITH THIS NUMBER. DO YOU THINK IT’S ACCURATE >> I BUYT. I THESE ARE SMART COMPUTATIALON EPIDEMIOLOGISTS. MOST OF US HAVE BEEN INFECTED BY OMICRON. GOOD NEWS IS THAT GIVES US A NICE WALL OF IMMUNITY. REMEMBER, YOU D’TON JUSTET G A IMMUNITY WITH VACCINATION. YOUET G IT THROUGH INFECTION. THAT WILL PUT US IN REALLY GOOD POSITIONING FOR WHEN THE NEXT VARIANT COMES. MARIA: YOU’VE SAID BEFORE, COVID IS A PREVENTABLE DISEASE. DO YOU STILL BELIEVE THAT? >> I REALLY DO. THERE’S A GREAT ARTICLE INHE ATLANTIC TODAY. SAYING COVID WILL NOT END UP LIKE INFLUENZA. ROUGHLY 400 TO 500,000 PEOPLE DIE OF SMOKE RELEDAT COMPLICATIONS EACH YEAR. THE SAME IS TRUE WITH COVID-19. BOTHRE A PREVENTIBLE. QUITTING TOBACCO IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONEF O THE MOST ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES IN THE WORLD. IT’S VERY DIFFERENT. IF YOU WEAR YOUR SEAT BET AND YOU GET IN A CAR ACCIDENT, YOUR RISK OF DIEING IS 1 IN 2000. IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR SEAT BELT ON, YOUR RISKS IS 50 TIMES GREATER. IT’S TEIMOR F EVERYONE TO BUCKLE UP. ED: THAT SMOKING NUMBER IS HIGH. LET’S GET TO SOME OF THESE VIEWER QUESTIONS. THE FIRSTNE O IS FROM T.ED WON’T IT BE HARDER TO FIND NEW VARIANTS IF EVERYONE TESTS FOR COVID AT HOME? >> GREAT QUESTION. THE ANSWER IS YES, YOU’RE RIGHT. HERE’S THE GDOO NS.EW THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS STILL HAVGIN FREQUENT SURVEILLANCE GETTING P.C.s.R FROM VARIOUS HOSPITALS AND LABS. THEY WILL BE SEQUENCING TO KNOW. THEY’RE LOOKING AT WASTEWARTE WHICH AN ACCURATE PREDICTOR OF SPIKES IN VIRUS ACTIVYIT AS LLWE AS VARIANTS. WE’RE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP ON LOOKGIN FOR TSEHO VARIANTS. MARIA: THE WASTEWATER NUMBERS LOOK GOOD. HERE’S ANOTHER ONE, THIS TIME FROM RACHEL. WHAT’S THE RISKF OGETTING PNEUMONIA AFTER Y’VOUE HAD COVID? >> THE GOOD NSEW IS THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO GET COVID-19 D’TON DEVELOP PNEUMONIA. SOME PEOPLE DO. MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE WHORE A IN THE OUTPATIENT OR AMBULATORY SETTING DO WL.EL IT’S THE INPATIENTS THAT HAVE COVID-19, MOST OF THEM DO HAVE PNEUMOA. IF YOUE’R VACCINATED, ESPECIALLY BOOSTED, WE ARE SEEING VERY LITTLE MORTALITY FROM THAT GROUP. IT’S STILL THE UNVACCINATED THAT WE’RE SEEING BIGGEST COMPLICATI
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Infectious disease expert explains research about Omicron immunity
Updated: 5:08 PM EST Feb 17, 2022
An influential model for COVID-19 is now estimating that 73% of Americans are now immune to the Omicron variant, but what does that mean practically?
An influential model for COVID-19 is now estimating that 73% of Americans are now immune to the Omicron variant, but what does that mean practically?
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