The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) recently published a blog titled “What to Know About Omicron,” featuring responses to questions about the COVID-19 omicron variant from Dr. Kwan-Gett, DOH’s Chief Science Officer.
In the blog and associated interview, Dr. Kwan-Gett explores the following frequently asked questions about omicron:
- How does a variant like omicron occur?
- Is omicron more contagious than other variants?
- How does the severity of omicron compare to other variants?
- Does vaccination have an impact on the severity of omicron?
- Do you find that boosters work to protect people from omicron?
- If someone gets a breakthrough infection, what does that mean about how well the vaccines and boosters work?
- Could natural immunity offer the same protection against omicron?
- With the omicron variant spreading so fast, should people get tested more often?
- With omicron spreading so fast, many people are finding out about potential exposures. What should someone do after an exposure?
- Are there any other precautions we should take against omicron?
- Now we’re approaching the two-year mark of COVID-19 in Washington, and a lot of us are feeling pretty exhausted. Do you think we’ll ever move on from the pandemic for good?
Consult “What to Know About Omicron” to read Dr. Kwan-Gett’s responses to the questions shared above and to gain insight into questions you may be fielding from your community members as the COVID-19 landscape continues to change.
For more information about COVID-19 variants of concern, visit the DOH Variants page or explore DH’s Variants Dropbox folder.