When am I contagious if infected with omicron?

WELCOME TO “MATTER OF FAC”." THE WORLD IS IN THE GRIP OF OMICRON. IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THE YEAR, THERE WERE TWO MILLION NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES REPORTED AROUND THE WORLD EVERY D.AY THAT NEWS IS PILING ON TANO ALREADY OVERWHELMED PUBLIC, MAKING UASS K, ARE WE AT THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING NEW OR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE PANDEM?IC DOCTOR KATELYN JETELINA IS AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST AT THUNE IVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUST.ON SHE IS THE FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF " “YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST,” A NEWSLETTER WITH ABOUT 400,000 SUBSCRIBERS. SO NICE TO SEE YOU. THK ANYOU FOR TALKING WITH ME. I HAVE SO MANY FRIENDS AT ISTH MOMENT, WHO ARE SICK, BUT THEY’RE VAXXED AND BOOSTED. AND SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WELL, IF YOU'R’ SICK AND YOU’RE VACCINATED, THEN THAT IS A FAILURE. DR. JETELINA: WE GOT REALLY LUCKY IN THE BEGINNING OF ISTH PANDEMIC THAT THESE VACCINES WORKED REALLY WELL AGAINST INFECTION. UNFORTUNATELY, TT'H’S NOT THE CASE RIGHT N.OW THIS VIRUS IS BECOMING AOT L MORE INFECTIOUS AND IS ABLE TO ESCAPE SOME OF THE FIRST LESIN OF DEFENSE WE HAVE. INFECTION IS NOT THE PRIRYMA REASON FOR VACCINES. THE PRIMARY REASON IS TOEEP K PEOPLE OUT OF HOSPITALS AND NOT DYING. AND THE VACCINES ARE DOING REALLY WELL AT THAT RIGHT NOW. SOLEDAD: AS THE VIRUS MUTATES, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MORE AND MO RE VARIANTS. DOES IT GET WEAKER? DR. JETELINA: ALL THEOS MUTATIONS ARE RANDOM. A REALLY HIGH PROPORTION OF THEM ARE MUTATIONS THAT DON’T AFCTFE THE ABILITY OF -- THE VIRUS'S ABILITY TO BE SEVERE OR TO MAKE IT MORE TRANSMISBLSI BUT ONCE IN A WHILE, THE VIRUS WILL ACQUIRE A MUTATION THAT GIVES IT ADVANTAGE, WILL MAKE IT MORE TRANSMISSIBLE, AND WE DON’T KNOW IF THAT NEXT MUTATION IS GOING TO BE MORE SEVERE OR NOT. IT CERTAINLY CAN B BE,UT IT IS RANDOM, AND WE’LL KIND OF JUST HAVE TO SEE WHERE THIS VUSIR TAKES US NEXT. SOLEDAD: I’M SHOCKED THAT THE TESTING IS AS BAD AST IIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW. WE’VE BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS. AM I WRO?NG DR. JETELINA: YOU KNOW, TESTING HAS BEEN THE MOST UNDERUTILIZED TOOLN ITHIS PANDEMIC. YOU KNOW, WE CAN’T HAVE A VACCINE ONLY STRATEGY IN THE UNITED STATES. THAT’S NOT GOING TO GET US OUT OF THE PANDEMIC. WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS LAYERED APPROACH, WHICH I FEEL AS EPIDEMIOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN SHOUTING FROM ROOFTOPS FOR TWO YEARS NOW. WE COULD HAVE ENTERED TH OMICRON WAVE WITH A TON OF TESTS WITH THEM FREE, EASILY ACCESSIBLE. BUT THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. AND SO, WE ARE HURTING RIGHT NOW. WE ARE. AND IT’S PRETTY INCREDIBLE THAT ALMOST 21 MONTHS LATER, WE’RE STILL ON TS. SOLEDAD: DOES YOUR PICTURE OF THE FUTURE LOOK LIKEHE T PANDEMIC SORT OF JUST BECONGMI ENDEMIC AGAIN, A SCENARIO WHEER WE TALK ABOUT COVID, LIKE WE TALK ABOUT A VERY BAD COLD OR A MILD, MANAGEABLE FLU? DR. JETELINA: YOU KNOW, ETH FUTURE IS GOING TO BE ENDEMIC. AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT COVID 19 IS BECOMING MDEILR. NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE IT’S MUTATING THAT DIRECTION, BUT JUST BECAUSE OF OUR IMMUNITY. THIS IMMUNITY, BOTH VACCINE INDUCED AND EVEN INFECTION INDUCED, DAMPENS DISEASE BY SHORTENING THE TIMOFE INFECTION, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF VIRUS IN YOUR NASAL PASSAGEWAY, AND REDUCING SYMPTOMS AND DISEASE. THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK WE’RE GOING TO START SLLYOW SEEING IS THAT WE’RE STARTINTOG START EISENG THE SEASONALITY. SO, WE KNOW CORONAVIRUSES, OTHER ONES ARE SEASONAL. THEY PICK UP IN THE WINTER AND THEY DROP DOWN IN THE SUERMM JUST LIKE WE SEE WITH THE FLU. AND I REALLY THINK WE’RE GOING TO START SEEING THAT WITH COVID 19. BUT HOPEFULLY THE REST OF THE YEAR IS RELATIVELY MILD. SOLEDAD: DR. KATELYN JETELINA JOINING US. THANK YOU SO M

When am I contagious if infected with omicron?It’s not yet clear, but some early data suggests people might become contagious sooner than with earlier variants — possibly within a day after infection.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the few days before and after symptoms develop. But that window of time might happen earlier with omicron, according to some outside experts.That’s because omicron appears to cause symptoms faster than previous variants – about three days after infection, on average, according to preliminary studies. Based on previous data, that means people with omicron could start becoming contagious as soon as a day after infection.With previous variants, people became contagious two to four days after infection. And people remain contagious a couple days after symptoms subside.Researchers say it’s too early to know whether that shorter incubation period for omicron translates into earlier contagiousness. But it would help explain the variant's rapid spread.Dr. Amy Karger of the University of Minnesota Medical School recommends that people test themselves at three days and five days after exposure if possible."A lot of people are turning positive by day three,” Karger says, referring to omicron. “There’s basically an opportunity here to catch people earlier than you would with the other variants.”Tracking the omicron surgeCOVID-19 deaths and cases are rising again at nursing homes 4th vaccine dose boosts antibodies, but likely not enough to prevent omicron breakthrough infections Can you reuse N95 and KN95 masks safely? Experts weigh inIf you only have one test, it's fine to wait until day five, Karger says.People who have COVID-19 symptoms should get tested immediately if possible.Lab-developed tests are more sensitive than rapid tests so they should be able to pick up the virus by day three after exposure, if not earlier.People who don’t develop symptoms generally have much lower viral levels, so it’s far less clear when or if they become infectious.Still, those who test positive but don’t have symptoms should isolate for at least five days, under the latest CDC guidelines. The agency came under criticism for not requiring a negative test before leaving isolation, but even after tweaking the guidelines officials said that step should be optional.People with symptoms should stay isolated until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours.

When am I contagious if infected with omicron?

It’s not yet clear, but some early data suggests people might become contagious sooner than with earlier variants — possibly within a day after infection.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the few days before and after symptoms develop. But that window of time might happen earlier with omicron, according to some outside experts.

That’s because omicron appears to cause symptoms faster than previous variants – about three days after infection, on average, according to preliminary studies. Based on previous data, that means people with omicron could start becoming contagious as soon as a day after infection.

With previous variants, people became contagious two to four days after infection. And people remain contagious a couple days after symptoms subside.

Researchers say it’s too early to know whether that shorter incubation period for omicron translates into earlier contagiousness. But it would help explain the variant's rapid spread.

Dr. Amy Karger of the University of Minnesota Medical School recommends that people test themselves at three days and five days after exposure if possible.

"A lot of people are turning positive by day three,” Karger says, referring to omicron. “There’s basically an opportunity here to catch people earlier than you would with the other variants.”

Tracking the omicron surge

If you only have one test, it's fine to wait until day five, Karger says.

People who have COVID-19 symptoms should get tested immediately if possible.

Lab-developed tests are more sensitive than rapid tests so they should be able to pick up the virus by day three after exposure, if not earlier.

People who don’t develop symptoms generally have much lower viral levels, so it’s far less clear when or if they become infectious.

Still, those who test positive but don’t have symptoms should isolate for at least five days, under the . The agency came under criticism for not requiring a negative test before leaving isolation, but even after tweaking the guidelines officials said that step should be optional.

People with symptoms should stay isolated until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours.

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