The Omicron variant has so far caused mostly mild cases of Covid-19 in a small group of largely vaccinated people in the U.S., CDC data show
and escape infection- or vaccine-induced immunity, scientists say.
Early data already suggest that the Omicron variant may be better at evading vaccine-generated antibodies, and a lot of that has to do with what’s happening at a molecular level. WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains. “Many of the first reported cases of Omicron variant infection appear to be mild, although with all variants, a lag exists between infections and more severe outcomes,” the CDC said. The agency said the mild cases might also be due to the fact that many of the patients were younger, vaccinated people or had been previously infected.
The CDC said that even if most Omicron infections end up being mild, a highly transmissible variant could still trigger enough cases to overwhelm health systems. The agency continues to recommend transmission-slowing strategies like vaccination, masking and improving ventilation, alongside testing, quarantining when exposed and isolating when infected.
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