Variants of the Virus that Causes COVID-19 – Coronavirus – Virginia Department of Health

WHO/CDC Label Name of Variant: Omicron

How contagious is this variant? Omicron is more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus and might be up to 3x more transmissible than Delta.

How sick do people get with this virus?Data suggests that illness might not be as severe as with other variants; symptom severity can vary depending on your vaccination status, age, history of prior infection and the presence of certain medical conditions . However, Omicron is capable of causing severe illness and death.

If I have already had COVID-19 before, am I still protected from this variant? Some reduced protection from natural infection is probable; reinfection cases have been observed with Omicron. Vaccine breakthrough infections, meaning infections in people who are vaccinated, are expected. Being up to date on recommended vaccines is effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death.

Are there medications that can treat this variant? Yes. Antiviral drugs work against Omicron and one monoclonal antibody medication is effective.

Will this variant affect a test for COVID-19? No real impact

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Variants of the Virus that Causes COVID-19 - Coronavirus - Virginia Department of Health

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