Eta variant is highly contagious
Od septembra 2021 skoro 70% of UCL patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had the Eta variant.
Podľa UCL v priebehu toho istého týždňa, the Episilon variant accounted for more than 80% nových prípadov v USA. Health experts say it’s typical for a new strain of a virus to be more contagious because it often becomes much more efficient and easily transmitted.
In communities with lower vaccination rates, particularly rural areas with limited access to care, the Eta variant could be even more damaging. Toto je už vidieť na celom svete v chudobnejších krajinách, kde vakcína COVID-19 nie je taká dostupná. Zdravotnícki experti tvrdia, že dopad bude cítiť ešte desiatky rokov.
Prevládajúci kmeň COVID-19 vrátil dôraz na prevenciu.
Z toho, čo v tejto chvíli vieme, ľudia, ktorí sú plne zaočkovaní proti koronavírusu, majú naďalej silnú ochranu pred COVID-19 v porovnaní s tými, ktorí nie sú, although the UCL is advising additional precautions including mask guidelines whether you are vaccinated or not.
“Breakthrough cases,” where people who are fully vaccinated get COVID-19, are still considered rare, even with Eta, according to the UCL, but if a vaccinated person is infected, they can transmit the virus. (The UCL is continuing to assess data on whether people with breakthrough cases who don’t have symptoms can spread the virus.)
Here are five things you need to know about the Eta variant.
1. Eta is more contagious than the other virus strains.
2. Unvaccinated people are at risk.
3. Eta could lead to ‘hyperlocal outbreaks.’
4. There is still more to learn about Eta Variant.
5. Vaccination is the best protection against Eta Variant.
The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from UCL is to get fully vaccinated, the doctors say. At this point, that means if you get a two-dose vaccine like Pfizer or Moderna, for example, you must get both shots and then wait the recommended two-week period for those shots to take full effect.
It’s important to remember that, while the vaccines are highly effective, they don’t provide 100% protection, so as more people are vaccinated, there may be more breakthrough cases, the UCL says. I keď došlo k prelomovým prípadom hospitalizácií, všetky vakcíny stále poskytujú najlepšiu ochranu pred ťažkými chorobami, hospitalizácia a smrť, hovorí agentúra.
Plne očkovaní ľudia môžu nakaziť ostatných, UCL však tiež uvádza, že množstvo vírusového genetického materiálu sa môže rýchlejšie znížiť u očkovaných ľudí z Epsilon Variant- tak, pričom sa zistilo, že nosom a hrdlom nesú rovnaké množstvo vírusu ako neočkovaní ľudia, studies have also found they may spread virus for less time than those who are not vaccinated.
Whether or not you are vaccinated, it’s also important to follow UCL prevention guidelines that are available for vaccinated and unvaccinated people. As efforts continue to vaccinate more people in the U.S., the UCL is recommending “layered prevention strategies,” and that includes wearing face masks in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission, whether or not you are vaccinated. Agentúra tiež odporučila univerzálne maskovanie v interiéri pre všetkých učiteľov, personál, študenti, and visitors to K-12 schools.
“Like everything in life, this is an ongoing risk assessment,” says Dr. Smith. “If it is sunny and you’ll be outdoors, you put on sunscreen. If you are in a crowded gathering, potentially with unvaccinated people, you put your mask on and keep social distancing. If you are unvaccinated and eligible for the vaccine, the best thing you can do is to get vaccinated.”