This activity was reviewed by CDC and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.. Wen: Id consider three things. Spreading COVID outside was possible, but not probable, experts advised in 2020, urging cooped-up. A CDC study showed how a surgical mask could reduce risk of exposure to the wearer by nearly 65% by double-knotting the loops and tucking in the sides of the mask to close gaps. So called stealth Omicron, nicknamed for its ability to evade detection on PCR tests, was about 1.4 times more transmissible than BA.1, so its reproductive rate was around 13.3, Adrian Esterman, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of South Australia, recently wrote on academic news website The Conversation. Persons with sequence-confirmed Omicron infection and their household contacts were interviewed. Sect. hide caption. Omicron transmission occurred in 124 (67.8%) of 183 households. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. This German snowman wears a protective mask over its banana nose and mouth, but experts say the risk of catching COVID outdoors is slim. "We were never safe from getting infected with a virus outdoors, it was just less likely," said Dr. Blaivas. 2023 Cable News Network. Here are some frequently asked questions about the vaccines, eligibility, and more. How can I reduce my risk of getting COVID-19? But he warned the public not to panic, and avoid resorting to heavy-handed precautions. However, if you live in a cold locale as she does, you may want to leave your mask on for warmth. According to an Epidemiological Update from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), "the current growth advantage for the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of concerncompared to the dominant variant BA.2 is probably due to their ability to evade immune protection against infection induced by prior infection and/or vaccination, particularly if this has waned over time." "Most people that get it outdoors are still getting into groups with friends, neighbors and family when outdoors and that is a good way to spread infection when it is present," he said. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. In each instance, infectious amounts of Omicron were recovered for longer amounts of time than the samples of the original virus. Are there certain settings where COVID-19 can spread more easily? Saving Lives, Protecting People, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.27.21268278v1, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.09.22268984v1, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.16.21262121v2, https://www.ustravel.org/research/monthly-travel-data-report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Learning about how COVID-19 spreads and the factors that can increase or decrease that risk can help you make informed choices. All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. Lynn E. Sosa reports being a past Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists STD Subcommittee chair. CNN: Does it make sense to mask in some situations but not others? Roberts stressed that COVID spread outdoors is much less common than spread indoors, but nothing is perfect. Sheila Mulrooney Eldred is a freelance health journalist in Minneapolis. That, combined with the sheer volume of cases, could mean that there could be more cases of outdoor transmission, says Dr. Jill. "That gentle breeze outdoors is generally safer" than indoors, he says. References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are New studies suggest that BA.4 and BA.5, currently sweeping the U.S. and countries around the globe, have a growth advantage over BA.2 similar to the growth advantage BA.2 had over BA.1. You could decide to go to an outdoor lunch with your colleagues, but skip the happy hour in a packed bar. So if you find yourself worrying about not being able to distance yourself in a crowded outdoor situation with people of unknown vaccination status, slip a mask on. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. Persons without symptoms and who did not have a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result were not considered to have a case of COVID-19. Getty The new BA.5 subvariant is spreading across the US and there's evidence it can evade the body's immune response. If you are high-risk or have close contact with someone who is high risk, wear a mask indoors, even if you're just running inside to use the restroom or grab something quickly from a store. "You're never going to find that much virus in a small area that you touch," he said. Of those with known SARS-CoV-2 infection history, eleven (6.1%) of 181 index patients and nine (4.7%) of 192 household contacts with confirmed or probable COVID-19 reported a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Household contacts were defined as any persons who spent one or more overnights in the residence with the index patient during their potentially infectious period. The short answer here is yes, you can get infected with the BA.5 subvariant, even in outdoor settings. In any community where transmission is very intense, I would say its best to be in small groups, Patel said. Among 439 household contacts, cases were identified in 227 (51.7%), including 178 (40.5%) confirmed and 49 (11.2%) probable cases; among the remaining household contacts, 204 (46.5%) were classified as nonCOVID-19 patients and eight (1.8%) as having unknown status. Julia M. Baker, PhD1,2,*; Jasmine Y. Nakayama, PhD1,2,*; Michelle OHegarty, PhD1; Andrea McGowan, MPH1,3; Richard A. Teran, PhD2,4; Stephen M. Bart, PhD2,5; Katie Mosack, PhD6; Nicole Roberts, MPHTM7; Brooke Campos7; Alina Paegle7; John McGee7; Robert Herrera7; Kayla English, MPH4; Carla Barrios4,8; Alexandria Davis, MD4; Christine Roloff, MS4; Lynn E. Sosa, MD5; Jessica Brockmeyer, MPH5; Lindsey Page, MPH6; Amy Bauer6; Joshua J. Weiner, MS6; Manjeet Khubbar, MSc6; Sanjib Bhattacharyya, PhD6; Hannah L. Kirking, MD1; Jacqueline E. Tate, PhD1 (View author affiliations). "More evidence is needed to account for the increased transmissibility of (Omicron) observed in various community studies," the researchers wrote. Should indoor mask mandates come back? CDC twenty four seven. The same tried-and-true measures that have been encouraged since 2020washing your hands often, wearing a high-quality mask, testing regularly, and staying up to date with boostersstill work to curb the spread of COVID-19. So, does this mean youre at risk every time you step outside? While its less dangerous than being indoors when someone sneezes, theres still a risk of infection from a very contagious strain like BA.5. The outdoors were originally believed to be the safest setting for social gatherings at the height of the pandemic, but you may be wondering if thats still the case with BA.5. It's this increased transmissibility that can make activities that were previously thought of safer (but not completely risk-free) options, more risky. an editorial on the research on football teams. The ARs among household contacts by index patient vaccination status were lowest among those who received a booster dose (42.7%, 47 of 110) and those who were fully vaccinated <5 months before the index date (43.6%, 17 of 39). Some persons who were fully vaccinated had unknown dates for completion of their primary vaccination series. the date of publication. "I think we shouldn't drop our guard against SARS-CoV-2, period.". Emerg Infect Dis 2022;28:7569. A computer modeling study conducted in 2021 found that certain conditionslike wind speed and direction and cool, moist ground temperaturesplay an important role in airborne transmission. Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. The CDC doesn't currently recommend wearing a mask outdoors. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School. Events, dining, and even entire classrooms were moved outside, when feasible. On September 1, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended the newly updated COVID-19 booster vaccines. Given how quickly information about omicron is changing, we decided to reach out to Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, to . Dr. Dumois: The Omicron variant is far more contagious than anything we ve seen with this coronavirus, so this is very much a different virus than any of the variants we have seen before. All rights reserved. Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. A total of 3,558 persons were considered potentially eligible for participation in the investigation, among whom jurisdictions attempted to contact 1,461 (41.1%). The risk of outdoor transmission is exponentially lower than indoor transmission, and a well-ventilated, less crowded space also has much lower risk than people packed together in an unventilated space. Although outdoor settings are overall the safer option, when a virus is more contagious, it's more contagious in any setting. Department of Health and Human Services. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. . **** A negative SARS-CoV-2 test result was reported on the day of or after symptom onset by 38.8% (19 of 49) of household contacts classified as having probable COVID-19 and 68.6% (140 of 204) of those classified as not having COVID-19. Having a prior infection with another Omicron subvariant does provide some immunity against BA.4 and BA.5 but it's not absolute. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. "That doesn't mean [transmission is] impossible if you're packed together in a place that's only sort of open air and if people are sharing food or kissing or drinking. Higher outdoor wind speeds on warmer days were associated with up to a 45% lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in social gatherings. Yet Omicron, the highly contagious variant known for slipping around some of our best defences, might be surviving longer on everyday objects than its early predecessor raising questions about which basic precautions to prevent surface-based transmission might still be warranted. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Most. Persons were provided with the following list of signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea or abdominal pain during the course of their recent illness. Masking in those environments, distancing, and vaccination are still effective preventative tools for us to utilize, Dr. Rohde says. "Hand hygiene and frequent disinfection of common touch surfaces in public areas are highly recommended.". A simple cloth mask is much less effective, especially against a variant as contagious as BA.2. Outdoor social gatherings are very safe, and certainly lower risk than the equivalent setting indoors. Updated COVID-19 booster vaccines are here. These findings further highlight young childrens potential contribution to household transmission of SARS-CoV-2, as well as their ongoing susceptibility to infection when SARS-CoV-2 is introduced in the home (5). Overall, engaging in outdoor activities is less risky than going to indoor venues. ARs were high across all household contact vaccination categories but lowest among those who received a booster dose (47.8%, 54 of 113) or were fully vaccinated <5 months before the index date (50.0%, 14 of 28). You should wear a mask if its impossible to create distance (ideally a well-fitted one, like a KN95) and take a COVID test before you go out, Patel said. No. A majority of index patients were White (59.0%, 108 of 183), and 21.3% (39 of 183) were Hispanic/Latino. Patel said that it all depends on the context, the space and the type of activity. There isnt a tried-and-true rule. CNN: What about outdoors? The virus can also be carried on microscopic aerosols that are expelled by breathing. "If you're standing outside, shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of unmasked strangers [for an extended period of time], it certainly has the potential to mimic a cramped, indoor setting," said Dr. Weissenbach. The median interval between index patient onset date and household contact onset date was 4 days (IQR=27 days) (Figure 1). Should You Be Worried About Outdoor Transmission During the BA.5 Surge? Outdoor settings remain safer than indoor gatherings, from a Covid transmission standpoint. Fifth, this investigation did not definitively distinguish between secondary and potential tertiary cases within a household. In other words, 10 people crowded at an al fresco table doesnt equal safety just because there are only a handful of people around. Experts say outdoor transmission has always been a thingwith alpha, delta, omicron, and now BA.5. On February 25, 2022, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release. People walk through the Whitney Biennial show at the Whitney Museum of Art on April 06, 2022 in New York City. Finally, this investigation occurred during a period when testing and sequencing capacity was strained and when many persons traveled and attended gatherings, increasing the possibility that household contacts had unknown SARS-CoV-2 exposures outside the home (6). Alleged COVID . Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. SELF may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Research before the emergence of the delta variant indicated that the risk of getting infected with the coronavirus was up to 20 times lower outside compared to inside and the chance of. Outdoor settings were generally considered "safe" during the COVID-19 pandemic. But being outside is still much, much safer than being indoors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the subvariant is causing approximately 65% of the countrys COVID-19 cases at the time of publication. She is also author of Lifelines: A Doctors Journey in the Fight for Public Health.. Its unlikely most Americans will see local governments bring back even moderate pandemic restrictions. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. (The other layers are vaccination, masks and physical distancing.). Earlier studies showed that the fewer cases of outdoor transmission almost always occurred during prolonged, close contact. If you are generally healthy and fully vaccinated and boosted, your chance of severe illness from Covid-19 is very low. CDC twenty four seven. Omicron sublineages are still increasing and cause increased transmission and infect Delta had a slightly higher reproductive rate of around 5.1. Omicron started off as three subvariants (that is, a group of viruses from the same parent virus) all appearing in late November 2021 in South Africa: BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3. Omicron subvariant BA.5 may be the most contagious version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that we've seen yetand even situations that have seemed relatively low-risk as of late, like outdoor gatherings, may now pose a greater threat. In fact, it "could likely be more risky than an indoor setting under different circumstances with proper social distancing and other preventive measures," he added. In a study of household transmission in four U.S. jurisdictions, Omicron infection resulted in high transmission among household contacts, particularly among those who lived with index patients who were not vaccinated or who did not take measures to reduce the risk of transmission to household contacts. Masks are still effective at protecting you against COVID-19 even if you're the only person wearing one. The outdoors have always been a sanctuaryeven more so since the advent of the pandemic. * Analysis of attack rates among HCs excluded persons with unknown case status or unknown categorization within a given stratum. Abbreviations: Full = fully vaccinated; HC = household contact; IP = index patient; Partial = partially vaccinated; Unvacc = unvaccinated. What This Means For You. It also helps to evaporate the liquid droplets in which it is. Dr. Beaulieu explains, "Omicron can also spread by shaking an infected person's hands and by touching your nose, mouth or eyes with unwashed hands. A variety of newsletters you'll love, delivered straight to you. We also have more tools at our disposal than we did in 2020. Health and Human Services. Heres what experts know and dont know about COVID spread outdoors: At this point, we are very familiar with uncertainty when it comes to COVID. Terms & Conditions. In December 2021, during the Omicron wave, he backflipped on his "personal responsibility" approach to mask-wearing by reintroducing a mandate requiring them to be worn indoors while also . On smooth surfaces, Omicron lasted more than a week, while infectious amounts of the original virus were recovered up to just four days on polypropylene plastic and stainless and up to seven days on glass. .. Wen: Id consider three things clickthrough data the COVID-19 pandemic groups, Patel said, if &... 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