Omicron outlook: Fauci considers more tests, schools go back online. Here’s the latest.
Associated Press, CNN
As the COVID-19 omicron variant surges across the United States, top federal health officials are looking to add a negative test along with its five-day isolation restrictions for asymptomatic Americans who catch the coronavirus, the White House’s top medical adviser said Sunday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now considering including the negative test as part of its guidance after getting significant “pushback” on its updated recommendations last week.
Under that Dec. 27 guidance, isolation restrictions for people infected with COVID-19 were shortened from 10 days to five days if they are no longer feeling symptoms or running a fever. After that period, they are asked to spend the following five days wearing a mask when around others.
The guidelines have since received criticism from many health professionals for not specifying a negative antigen test as a requirement for leaving isolation.
With COVID-19 cases surging just as students are about to return from winter break, dozens of U.S. colleges are moving classes online again for at least the first week or so of the semester — and some warn it could stretch longer if the wave of infection doesn’t subside soon.
In local school districts, mask requirements are returning in some schools that had dropped them. Some are planning to vastly ramp up virus testing among students and staff. And a small number of school systems are switching to remote learning — for just a short while, educators hope.
With coronavirus infections soaring, the return from schools’ winter break will be different than planned as administrators again tweak protocols and make real-time adjustments in response to the shifting pandemic. All are signaling a need to stay flexible.
Pressure from parents and teachers unions has added to the urgency — and controversy — surrounding safety measures as the omicron-fueled surge sends up caseloads and puts children in the hospital in close to record numbers.
Below, browse interactive guides and answers to common questions, plus view the latest data on infections and vaccination in our state and nation.
Omicron outlook: Fauci considers more tests, schools go back online. Here’s the latest.
AP file
You’ve tested positive for COVID-19. Now what?
The short answer for those in the U.S.: Stay home and avoid others. Tell the people you've been in close contact with that you tested positive. And if you have trouble breathing or develop other serious symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
COVID-19 diagnoses have been soaring since the recent arrival of the omicron variant. That means Americans should prepare for the possibility that they or someone they plan to see will suddenly be diagnosed with an infection.
AP file
You’ve tested positive for COVID-19. Now what?
The short answer for those in the U.S.: Stay home and avoid others. Tell the people you've been in close contact with that you tested positive. And if you have trouble breathing or develop other serious symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
COVID-19 diagnoses have been soaring since the recent arrival of the omicron variant. That means Americans should prepare for the possibility that they or someone they plan to see will suddenly be diagnosed with an infection.
Omicron outlook: Fauci considers more tests, schools go back online. Here’s the latest.
AP file
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who test positive stay home or isolate for 10 days. If you live with other people, that means staying in a separate room and using a separate bathroom, if possible. You should also wear a mask if you come into contact with others.
It's important to plan for this possibility and be ready to delay holiday gatherings, “so you don't make it up on the fly and don't cause a lot of confusion and unhappiness,” advised Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University.
AP file
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who test positive stay home or isolate for 10 days. If you live with other people, that means staying in a separate room and using a separate bathroom, if possible. You should also wear a mask if you come into contact with others.
It's important to plan for this possibility and be ready to delay holiday gatherings, “so you don't make it up on the fly and don't cause a lot of confusion and unhappiness,” advised Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University.
Omicron outlook: Fauci considers more tests, schools go back online. Here’s the latest.
AP file
You should get care if you develop worrisome symptoms. But there are many people with certain conditions — including heart diseases, diabetes and weakened immune systems — who should seek care even if they have mild illness, because of their elevated risk for developing serious complications.
AP file
You should get care if you develop worrisome symptoms. But there are many people with certain conditions — including heart diseases, diabetes and weakened immune systems — who should seek care even if they have mild illness, because of their elevated risk for developing serious complications.
Omicron outlook: Fauci considers more tests, schools go back online. Here’s the latest.
AP file
You should tell your doctor about your test, who may prescribe medications depending on your situation and health.
If you get tested at a clinic or doctor’s office, the staff is supposed to notify health authorities about your positive result. Some health departments conduct contact-tracing investigations to identify the people an infected person has been in contact with.
You should also tell your close contacts that you tested positive and that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Remember, an infected person can begin spreading the virus as many as two days before developing symptoms or testing positive.
AP file
You should tell your doctor about your test, who may prescribe medications depending on your situation and health.
If you get tested at a clinic or doctor’s office, the staff is supposed to notify health authorities about your positive result. Some health departments conduct contact-tracing investigations to identify the people an infected person has been in contact with.
You should also tell your close contacts that you tested positive and that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Remember, an infected person can begin spreading the virus as many as two days before developing symptoms or testing positive.
