The United States is facing harsh winter months with the omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID – 12 circulating at the speed of light.
Scientists predict that there will be an outbreak of cases during January, and that the peak will decrease towards March. What to expect from these first months of 2022 and how to protect yourself.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID cases – 19 caused by the variant omicron they double every day and a half to three. The United States went from having some 70, 000 new cases per day at the beginning of November, registering an average of 176, 000 towards the week of 20 December.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases and member of the The White House COVID response team told CNN that “omicron will take over” and that Americans should get vaccinated and have their boosters.
While omicron has infected vaccinated people, the immunization continues to prevent serious cases and hospitalizations. In addition, scientists consider that it is a variant that by itself generates mild infections.
But it has already been seen that the infection by the coronavirus that causes COVID- 19 can have very different consequences, beyond the variants, depending on the age, the state of health of the people and many more factors. In fact what it has proven to be unpredictable is unpredictable. And do not forget that omicron is not alone: the other forms of the virus, such as delta, continue to circulate.
In addition The increase in cases will continue to strain the already fragile health systems, with hospitals where basic supplies and human resources are lacking.
This reality is already being experienced in December, with the increase in cases, the long lines to take the COVID test and the national shortage of kits to take the test at home .
To try to get ahead of the game, the Biden administration launched a plan to “get through the winter” that includes:
- COVID Vaccine Boosters – 20 for all adults ( There are himself) himself and his
- Vaccines to protect children and keep schools open
- Extension of free in-home tests (the federal government will also seek to ensure that insurers reimburse the cost of these tests to individuals with private plans)
- Stricter public health protocols for safe international travel
- Protections in places of I work to keep the economy open
- Rapid Response Teams to Help Fight Rising Cases
- Supply of treatment pills to help prevent hospitalizations and deaths (there are already two approved by the Food and Drug Administration, FDA)
- Continuous commitment to measurable vaccination efforts
- Steps to ensure the nation is prepared for all possible scenarios
What are the variants or strains of a virus
Viruses constantly change to through mutation and new variants of a virus are always expected to occur. Sometimes variants or strains emerge and then disappear. Other times, they persist for a long time. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID – 19 have been documented in the The United States and around the world during this pandemic.
The way viruses survive is constantly changing. As the human body “learns” to fight them through the immune response, vaccination, viruses need to change to continue circulating and continue infecting
As viruses change, they become more diverse, explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Scientists monitor these changes, including changes to the surface of the virus. By carefully studying viruses, they can learn how changes in the virus can affect how it is spread and how people will be infected.
To explain this biological process, the CDC envisions a virus as a tree that grows and branches; Each branch of the tree is slightly different from the others. By comparing the branches, scientists can label them according to the differences. These small differences, or variants, have been studied and identified since the beginning of the COVID pandemic – 12.
Some variants allow the virus to spread more easily or make it resistant to treatments or vaccines. Those variants should be controlled more carefully.
Variants circulating in the United States
Currently at least five variants circulate in the country:
B.1.1.7 (alpha): This variant was first detected in the United States in December 2020. Initially registered in the UK.
B.1. 351 (beta): This variant was first detected in the United States in late January 2021. Initially observed in South Africa in December 2020.
P.1 (gamma): This variant was first detected in the United States in January 2021. P.1 was initially identified in travelers from Brazil, who were evaluated during a routine examination at an airport in Japan in early January.
B.1. 617. 2 (delta): This variant was first detected in the United States in March 2021. Initially identified in India in December 2020.
B.1. 621 (mu). This variant was registered for the first time in Colombia, in January 2021.
B. 11. 529 (omicron). The variant recorded in South Africa in November.
How to fight coronavirus variants: getting vaccinated
Vaccination is still the least way to “corner” the virus so that it does not continue to infect. The more people vaccinated, the more likely there is to form a “herd” or “herd” immunity, a kind of barrier of human immune systems that weakens the virus.
12 responses on vaccines against COVID
Vaccination is still the least way to “ corner ”the virus so that it does not continue to infect. The more people vaccinated, the more likely there is to form a “herd” or “herd” immunity, a kind of barrier of human immune systems that weakens the virus.
The following are 12 powerful responses to the questions about vaccination against COVID, collected from reliable scientific sources, explaining why getting vaccinated as soon as possible is essential. And sure.
1. What is the benefit of being vaccinated against COVID?
Available vaccines against COVID protect up to 95% of contracting coronavirus and developing COVID – 19.
The information available to date, the product of scientific research, shows that if the person is vaccinated and is infected anyway, the vaccine will protect them from developing a serious form of the disease, and of having to be hospitalized ..
two. How does the COVID vaccine work in the body?
The goal of the vaccine is to teach the immune system to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID – 19.
The vaccine contains substances that act by neutralizing the action of a protein that helps the coronavirus to infect the human body. Also, by immunizing the body is left with a supply of T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.
3. Do vaccines for COVID contain the live virus that causes the disease? Can they give me COVID?
None of the vaccines, both those that are already being applied and those that are still in experimentation, contain living forms of the coronavirus. And they cannot infect with the coronavirus either.
4. Are COVID vaccines all the same? If I want to get vaccinated, how do I choose which one to use?
Currently, there are three main types of COVID vaccines – 19. They are as follows:
mRNA vaccines. These vaccines contain material from the virus that causes COVID – 19. This material “teaches” cells how to make a harmless protein that is unique to the virus. Once the cells make copies of the protein, they destroy the genetic material in the vaccine.
If the virus is contacted, the body will recognize that the protein should not be there and will produce T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes that will remember how to fight the virus that causes COVID – 19. That is, they will prevent infection
Vaccines with protein subunits. These vaccines contain harmless parts (proteins) of the virus that causes COVID – 19, but they do not contain all the germ.
When vaccinated, a person’s immune system recognizes that proteins do not belong in the body and begins to produce T lymphocytes and antibodies. If in the future the person becomes infected, the cells, which memorized this protein, will recognize it and fight against the virus.
Vector vaccines. These vaccines contain a weakened version of a live virus, different from the one that causes COVID – 19, which has genetic material from the virus that causes COVID – 19 inserted into it (this is called a viral vector).
Once the viral vector is inside the cells, the genetic material “instructs” the cells to produce a protein that is exclusive virus that causes COVID – 19.
Using these instructions, cells make copies of the protein. This prompts the body to produce T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus if the person becomes infected in the future.
The primary care physician himself, or your local health department, can explain more about vaccines.
5. Can these vaccines cause side effects?
The vaccines can cause side effects such as arm pain and some fever . But this means that they have in fact started to act in the body. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is developing immunity.
A few cases of allergic reactions have been recorded, in people with a history l allergy or asthma doctor. So, for example in the United States, the procedure is to vaccinate the person and have the person stay half an hour at the vaccination site to monitor any unusual reactions.
But, again, they have been a few isolated cases. And it is common for them to register when the vaccine begins to be applied to many more people than those who participate in a clinical trial.
6. How long does it take for the body to be protected against COVID?
It generally takes at least two weeks for the body to produce T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes after vaccination, to produce immunity.
Therefore, it is possible for a person to become infected with the virus that causes COVID – 19 just before or just after vaccination and then you get sick because the vaccine didn’t have enough time to provide protection.
What is known From the experience with other vaccines, if a vaccinated person becomes infected, they will surely have a mild form of the disease.
7. Why are two doses of COVID vaccine needed?
All COVID vaccines (except Johnson & Johnson ) need two doses to develop immunity.
The first puncture begins to build protection. A second dose is needed a few weeks later to get the best protection the vaccine can offer.
This is not unique to the COVID vaccine – 19. Many vaccines on the routine vaccination schedule require two to three doses to build long-term immunity, for example the DTaP vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, or the pneumococcal vaccine.
8. How long does the immunity generated by the vaccine last?
Developing COVID – 19 may offer some natural protection, known as immunity. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID – 19 is rare within 90 days after initial infection.
However, experts do not know with certainty how long this protection lasts, and the risk of serious illness and death from COVID – 19 far outweighs any benefit of natural immunity.
The COVID vaccine – 19 helps protect by creating an antibody response (immune system) without experiencing illness.
Both natural immunity and immunity produced by a vaccine are important parts of COVID – 19 about which experts are learning more every day.
One of the things to figure out is whether the vaccine against COVID will provide long-term immunity or will it end up being seasonal, such as the flu or influenza vaccine .
9. If I wear a mask, why do I have to get vaccinated?
The use of masks and physical distancing help reduce the possibility of being exposed to the virus or passing it on to others, but these measures are not enough.
Vaccines teach the body that the immune system is ready to fight the virus if it is exposed.
The combination of vaccines and basic sanitary measures, wearing a mask, respecting distance and washing hands, among others, will continue to offer protection against COVID – 19, while the pandemic is not declared over.
10. What precautions should I take into account before and after getting vaccinated?
Specialists indicate that it is important to sleep well and hydrate properly before vaccination, so that the body receives the dose in the best way.
Regarding exercise, there is not enough evidence to contraindicate it outright before or After receiving the vaccine, even if you do not suffer any side effects, there should be no problem in doing physical activity.
However, the recommendation of the experts is not to make great physical efforts both before and after to get vaccinated (about 12 hours).
Neither should a negative immune response be stimulated, for example, through body modifications (such as tattoos or piercings), or by consuming non-prescription medications.
11. Should I get the booster shot
CDC recommends that every eligible person receive the booster dose.
The coronavirus that causes COVID – 19 It is a new virus, which scientists are closely monitoring, investigating its variants and developing therapeutic and immunization responses. One of the big questions is what changes in the genetics of the virus will cause the COVID vaccine – 19 is seasonal, like flu. As these are ongoing investigations, as new information emerges, the course of action is decided.
So far, studies show that after getting vaccinated against COVID – 19, virus protection may decrease over time and be less effective in protecting against delta variant. Evidence also shows that among healthcare workers and other front-line workers, the effectiveness of the vaccine decreases over time. This decrease in effectiveness probably has to do with the appearance of new variants, such as delta and mu.
That is precisely why the booster of the vaccine is important: to “remind” the immune system that there is an enemy before which it has to react.
12. Why getting vaccinated is a social duty
Getting vaccinated is one of the many steps you can take to protect yourself and others COVID – 20. This protection against COVID – 19 is vitally important because for some people suffer a severe illness from COVID, or die.
To stop a pandemic, it is necessary to use all the tools available.
Mass vaccination generates what is called herd immunity : the equation is simple, the greater the number of people vaccinated, the greater the protection against the virus.
Vaccination protects the vaccinated, protects others, and achieves that the circulation of the virus is weakened, because it stops finding organisms to infect.
This is the way to end the pandemic.