White House urges continued mitigation efforts amid Omicron wave

The White House COVID-19 response team reminded Americans on Wednesday of the continued need to slow the spread of the omicron variant despite its reduced severity and announced new efforts to help keep schools open.

As the omicron variant sweeps across the United States, Dr Rochelle Walensky has pointed out that wearing masks, vaccinations, and testing for COVID-19 when needed are the best strategies to help reduce cases of the virus.

Walensky, director of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the omicron variant accounted for 98% of new COVID-19 cases in the United States. Earlier this week, the United States set a record for the number of daily infections at nearly 1.5 million, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

“We must all do our part to protect our hospitals and our neighbors and reduce the spread of this virus,” Walensky said.

The White House team also announced that the Biden administration will distribute 10 million tests to schools across the country each month to ensure they stay open, more than doubling the volume of tests from the ‘last year.

Although the omicron variant is highly transmissible, it is still less severe than the delta variant, with a reduced risk of hospitalization and death.

Walensky, citing a recent study comparing the two variants, said omicron infections were associated with a 91% reduction in the risk of death and a 74% reduction in the risk of ICU admission.

She also said that infections with the variant had a 53% reduced risk of symptomatic hospitalization.

More hospitalizations

While the risk of hospitalization remains low, “the staggering increase in cases” has increased the number of hospitalizations in the country, according to Walensky.

Nonetheless, she said, patients infected with omicron experience 71% shorter hospital stays than those infected with the delta variant.

On average, omicron patients are hospitalized for about 1.5 days, and 90% are expected to be discharged in three days or less.

As the outbreak continues, Walensky reiterated that cases of the variant are expected to peak in the coming weeks. She also said deaths had increased, with more than 2,600 reported by John Hopkins on Wednesday.

Dr Anthony Fauci, America’s foremost infectious disease expert, said the country would not be able to eliminate or eradicate COVID-19, but would “ultimately control it”. As the virus becomes endemic, it is likely that “virtually everyone will end up being exposed and possibly infected,” he said.

However, he added, that does not mean that vaccinations or preventive measures are ineffective or unnecessary. Fauci clarified that getting the vaccine and staying up to date with reminders will prevent serious illness from the disease.

“If you are vaccinated and if you are boosted, the chances of you getting sick are very, very low,” Fauci said.

To help fight the current wave, the White House team stressed that mitigation efforts remain essential, including wearing a mask. Although N95 masks have been shown to be the most effective at resisting airborne transmission of the virus, the CDC still recommends that, for now, people choose the mask that is right for them and that wearing any mask that fits well is better than no mask.

“We want to emphasize that the best mask for you is the one that you can wear comfortably,” Walensky said.

Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, was asked about the search for masks and said the administration “is seriously considering options to make more high-quality masks available to all Americans ”.

When it comes to schools, the team said that along with increasing testing, immunizations and other mitigation efforts are the keys to keeping students in the classroom.

Walensky said that with the pediatric vaccines now available, schools should be able to continue operating as planned. She also reminded reporters that 99% of schools remained open in the fall during an increase in the delta variant.

“One of the best things we can do is get our children and teenagers immunized,” she said.