She cautions that outdoor tents that dont have flaps that let air in are not that different from being indoors, as far as COVID transmission risk goes. Longer exposure timeincreasesthe risk of transmission (for example, contact longer than 15 minutes is more likely to result in transmission than two minutes of contact). Add some good to your morning and evening. More information is available, Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People, https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003987, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), International Travel to and from the United States, Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers, Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Documentation of Recovery from COVID-19 for Air Passengers Traveling to the United States from China, Hong Kong, or Macau, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Lopez AS, Hill M, Antezano J, et al. ** An index patient with a confirmed COVID-19 case was the first person with a positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test result or antigen test result (through local or home testing) reported in a household. Wind is typically good because it will lead to more rapid dilution [of particles], but you should pay attention to wind direction and avoid being close and directly downwind of others, Dr. Marr says. But Marr stressed the study's conditions don't reflect real-world scenarios. Researchers have said that while Covid infections can happen outdoors, the chances are massively reduced. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. Roberts stressed that COVID spread outdoors is much less common than spread indoors, but nothing is perfect. Are we back to square one with the pandemic? . Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Persons were provided with the following list of signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea or abdominal pain during the course of their recent illness. of pages found at these sites. The ARs among household contacts by index patient vaccination status were lowest among those who received a booster dose (42.7%, 47 of 110) and those who were fully vaccinated <5 months before the index date (43.6%, 17 of 39). All Rights Reserved. Researchers say infections can happen outdoors, but the chances are massively reduced. No. "The mutations of BA.5 impact its spike protein in part and result in some important 'upgrades' in the ability of the virus to infect humans more quickly and also attach to the lungs," Dr. Blaivas said. "Being outdoors continues to provide another layer of protection because of the ventilation," Weatherhead explains. Omicron Infection Timeline: When Symptoms Start and How Long They Last. Dr. Gerald Evans, chair of the division of infectious diseases at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., agreed that alongside other personal protections like mask-wearing and vaccinations, basic hand hygiene remains a smart way to ward off this virus. Experts say staying outdoors for dinners during the holiday may help reduce transmissions. On several types of paper, infectious amounts of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 were only recoverable for five to 15 minutes compared to more than 30 minutes for Omicron. My husband and I are vaccinated and boosted. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School. Some people washed their mail or wore gloves to the grocery store, while policymakers cordoned off playgrounds and encouraged businesses to scrub every surface. Despite Omicron's rapid spread, the good news is that COVID-19 strategies like vaccination, masking, and social distancing could slow its transmission. i https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003987. CNN: Does it make sense to mask in some situations but not others? Thats a personal decision that will differ from person to person. Most. the date of publication. If multiple factors below indicate higher transmission risk, you should consider adding more prevention actions. How to Have a Sick Day When You Cant Actually Call Off Work. Ventilation is very important. Dr. Mallika Marshall explains: Omicron. "Being outdoors in the outside air absolutely protects us from less transmissible viruses," Sharon Nachman, MD, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, told Health. Omicron BA.5 May Increase the Risk of Outdoor TransmissionHere's How to Stay Safe Although being outdoors is overall the safer option, when a virus is more contagious, it's more contagious. But the same factors that make indoor settings riskycrowded spaces, poor air circulation, the sharing of food and drinkcan also increase your chances of contracting COVID outside. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. it all depends on the context, the space and the type of activity. There isnt a tried-and-true rule. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Experts believe the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person. Its all about how close you are to that person coupled with airflow [turnover] and ventilation of the space you are in, whether that is indoors or outdoors, Dr. Rohde says. Getty The new BA.5 subvariant is spreading across the US and there's evidence it can evade the body's immune response. If its in green or yellow or low or medium risk you could choose not to, depending on the other two factors. "These 'upgrades' in viral performance mean the virus can spread more quickly than prior variants.". Partially vaccinated was defined as having only 1 dose of a 2-dose series or completing the primary vaccination series <2 weeks before the index date. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. So attending a tightly packed outdoor concert and sharing your drink with a friend tends to lend itself to a higher transmission risk than, say, a park picnic in an open space with a couple of friends who arent sitting close to you. How to Protect Yourself During Outdoor Events, CDC Stops Reporting COVID-19 Cases on Cruise ShipsHere's How You Can Still Stay Safe, COVID-19 Boosters Are Being Updated To Target Omicron SubvariantsHere's Why, What to Know About COVID Reinfections as BA.5 Cases Continue to Rise, Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 Symptoms: What To Know, BA.2.75 Is the Newest Omicron SubvariantHere's What We Know So Far. The key is really just ensuring that theres adequate distancing, particularly if youre in a situation where someone sneezes or coughs within a few feet of you, Roberts emphasized. That means the exact timings might not pan out for people living their daily lives, though Marr did feel the comparison between the ancestral virus and Omicron was notable. What This Means For You. "You're never going to find that much virus in a small area that you touch," he said. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. May 6, 2022. If you are high-risk or have close contact with someone who is high risk, wear a mask indoors, even if you're just running inside to use the restroom or grab something quickly from a store. At that time, the World . Thats different if you are immunocompromised or live with someone who is elderly with multiple medical conditions. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. For some people, a tented wedding is outdoors. Then came Omicron, with an reproductive rate almost twice as large: 9.5. "If you are young and healthy or fully immunized, BA.5 may still make you feel pretty rotten for a while and some people can get very sick from it, so know your risks.". You could decide to go to an outdoor lunch with your colleagues, but skip the happy hour in a packed bar. However, if you live in a cold locale as she does, you may want to leave your mask on for warmth. Greater transmissibility means greater transmissibility in any setting, indoors or outdoorseven if outside is still safer, Maimuna Majumder, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a computational epidemiologist at Boston Childrens Hospital, recently told NPR. Experts warn omicron variants can spread more easily outdoors; prior infections provide less immunit. Outdoor settings remain safer than indoor gatherings, from a Covid transmission standpoint. On smooth surfaces, Omicron lasted more than a week, while infectious amounts of the original virus were recovered up to just four days on polypropylene plastic and stainless and up to seven days on glass. "If you're standing outside, shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of unmasked strangers [for an extended period of time], it certainly has the potential to mimic a cramped, indoor setting," said Dr. Weissenbach. Outdoors Lower Risk Well-ventilated indoors Moderate Risk Poorly ventilated indoors Higher Risk Some persons who were fully vaccinated had unknown dates for completion of their primary vaccination series. Of course, omicron is the most transmissible variant yet. "I think we shouldn't drop our guard against SARS-CoV-2, period.". The omicron sub-lineages are so new that infectious disease experts are still measuring their potential impact, even in outdoor settings. The new year arrived with an omicron-fueled surge in COVID cases in Alameda County, causing widespread concern and resulting in a number of event cancellations and temporary business closures that recall the pandemic's earlier days.. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of Omicron sublineages are still increasing and cause increased transmission and infect Persons with sequence-confirmed Omicron variant infections during November 2021February 2022 were identified from four U.S. jurisdictions (Chicago, Illinois; Connecticut; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Utah) and contacted by telephone to assess eligibility of the household to participate in the investigation. A household was eligible if the index patient did not live in a congregate setting and did live with at least one other person for most of their potentially infectious period, defined as 2 days before through 10 days after the index date (the date of the index patients positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test result or antigen test result or symptom onset, whichever occurred first). Viral particles disperse more quickly outside, thanks to wind speed and air currents. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Regular testing after potential exposure and remaining up to date on vaccines and boosters are also necessary steps, regardless of whether you're indoors or outdoors. Should indoor mask mandates come back? MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:14652. Here, experts discuss just how contagious BA.5 isand how you can go the extra step to protect yourself, even during outdoor activities this summer. Millions of people in China have been forced into lockdown, ordered to stay home to protect themselves from the countrys biggest COVID-19 outbreak in two years. Wear a mask outdoors if you're going to be in close proximity to others. Experts are still learning about COVID-19. But others, such as the genetic changes in the delta variant, can make the coronavirus . In order to outcompete, successful COVID variants have become more transmissible with time. Peter Kneffel Persons reported their race (White, Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander) and ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino or non-Hispanic/Latino) from lists of options and had the opportunity to state another option if their race or ethnicity was not listed. If You Are Sick When to wear a mask Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Coronavirus FAQ: Why are some folks hacking home COVID tests by swabbing their throat. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. 1CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response Team; 2Epidemic Intelligence Service, CDC; 3Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; 4Chicago Department of Public Health; 5Connecticut Department of Public Health; 6Milwaukee Health Department; 7Utah Department of Health; 8CDC Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia. "Doing experiments inside a lab where humidity is controlled is one thing. And should we skip large indoor events again? But that shouldn't cause you to lose sight of the advantages of socializing outdoors, she adds. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:17314. At this point, the definition of outdoors isnt exactly agreed upon, Roberts noted. The subvariant made up 74% of new infections as of April 16, 2022. And in a study of 64 college football games during the 2020 season involving 1,190 athletes, researchers at Texas A&M University found zero spread of COVID during game play based on three postgame PCR tests over the course of a week likely because of the outdoor setting and short duration of close contact, experts say. You can also ask yourself the same questions, but about future interactions with others, to help you decide what prevention actions to take. It again depends on whats going on in your community, what your medical situation is, and how much you want to keep avoiding Covid-19. Subanalyses focusing on secondary household transmission demonstrated a similar interval (median=3 days, IQR=25) (Supplementary Figure 1, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/114723) and similar patterns in ARs (Supplementary Figure 2, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/114722). Fully vaccinated was defined as completion of the primary vaccination series 2 weeks before the index date and stratified into completion <5 months or 5 months before the index date. If you are generally healthy and fully vaccinated and boosted, your chance of severe illness from Covid-19 is very low. It is a lot more contagious, so you could be in an outdoor setting and if you are close to someone who isn t wearing a mask and you re not wearing a mask, you . Updated The protective measures we talked about early in the pandemic still work against Omicron. You could decide to remove your mask when sitting at your desk, but put it on again to go into a crowded elevator or a conference room where youre sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with other people. Her 2020 investigation into COVID-19 infections among health-care workers won best in-depth series at the RNAO Media Awards. Why it may be harder to catch COVID-19 from surfaces than we first thought, Acknowledge COVID-19 is airborne, Lancet report urges as more evidence mounts, Omicron subvariant BA.2 raises new questions about puzzling evolution of virus behind COVID-19, Why an Omicron infection alone might not offer the immune boost you'd expect. The main way people get infected, most leading public health officials and scientists now agree, isthrough exposure to this virus through the air, not through contaminated surfaces known scientifically as "fomites.". Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Experts said people might consider wearing masks in crowded outdoors spaces to prevent infection. Multicomponent COVID-19 prevention strategies, including up-to-date vaccination, isolation of infected persons, and mask use at home, are critical to reducing Omicron transmission in household settings. It's still going to die very quickly in the environment.". One review of studies concluded that the odds of indoor transmission is almost 19 times higher than outdoor transmission. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. If you are attending an outdoor gatheringeven when community levels are medium or lowyou should still be cautious about masking and social distancing, especially in large crowds. As such, Omicron has a slightly shorter clearance phase, 5.35 days as compared to 6.23 days for Delta, as Omicron has a lower peak viral load. 3501 et seq. In fact, it "could likely be more risky than an indoor setting under different circumstances with proper social distancing and other preventive measures," he added. Study participants who contributed their time and information; Olivia Almendares, Sarah E. Smith-Jeffcoat, Emeka Oraka, CDC; Charles Powell, Avery Gartman, Connecticut Department of Public Health; Ashley Becht, Hallie Hutchison, Eugene Olshansky, Rachel Berg, Adrianna Koczwara, Lisa Addis, Michael Deneufbourg, Sarah Love, Isaac Ghinai, Peter Ruestow, Shamika Smith, Daniel Liguori, Frances Lendacki, Janna Kerins, Stephanie Black, Chicago Department of Public Health; Stefan Green, Hannah Barbian, Sofiya Bobrovska, Regional Innovative Public Health Laboratory, Chicago Department of Public Health and Rush University; Barbara Cuene, Stephen Fendt, Jennifer Lares, Carri Marlow, Nandhu Balakrishnan, Katherine Akinyemi, Addie Skillman, Milwaukee Health Department; Leisha Nolen, Alexis Molina, Shai Miguel, Alix Elliston, April Jorgensen, Austin Newbold, Garnet Kwader, Sam Andersen, Utah Department of Health. Health's content is for informational and educational purposes only. It's this increased transmissibility that can make activities that were previously thought of safer (but not completely risk-free) options, more risky. See what it's like. MedRxiv: "Transmission event of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant reveals multiple vaccine breakthrough infections." Audience Relations, CBC P.O. If an outdoor event is crowded, especially with singing or yellingperhaps a concert or protestmasking is a good idea, she advised. That leaves it mostly to individuals to protect themselves. "Most people that get it outdoors are still getting into groups with friends, neighbors and family when outdoors and that is a good way to spread infection when it is present," he said. Monthly travel data report. The median index patient age was 37 years (IQR=2354 years). ** Persons provided retrospective information about any SARS-CoV-2 testing that they chose and were able to perform. The AR was lower among household contacts of index patients who reported ever wearing a mask at home during their potentially infectious period (39.5%, 88 of 223) compared with household contacts of index patients who reported never wearing a mask at home during this period (68.9%, 124 of 180, p-value<0.01). Will BA.2 Cause Another COVID Wave in the U.S.? Again, Id urge that if you are wearing a mask, wear an N95 or equivalent mask, because it will be your best chance of protecting against the very contagious BA.2 variant. While its less dangerous than being indoors when someone sneezes, theres still a risk of infection from a very contagious strain like BA.5. Persons who only had signs or symptoms (and no positive SARS-CoV-2 test result) were considered to have a probable case. The questions below are written in past tense to help you assess the likelihood that you were infected when you were around a person with COVID-19. Ive talked before about how the new guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be used here. Why Arent More People Getting It? "If you wash your hands not obsessively, but just thoughtfully and carefully that's going to reduce any transmission you see out there," Evans said. The outdoors have always been a sanctuaryeven more so since the advent of the pandemic. BA.5the omicron subvariant that emerged in South Africa in February before sweeping across the worldis now the dominant coronavirus variant in the United States. You should wear a mask if its impossible to create distance (ideally a well-fitted one, like a KN95) and take a COVID test before you go out, Patel said. That, combined with the sheer volume of cases, could mean that there could be more cases of outdoor transmission, says Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of adult and pediatric infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. As the United States navigates a third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, cases are rising modestly in the Northeast, Philadelphia has reinstituted an indoor mask mandate and some colleges are requiring masks during the final days of the spring semester. Outdoor activities are inherently safer than indoor gatherings, Dr. Marr says. Some will think those activities are worth the risk. However, some of these children may have been hospitalized with Covid but not for Covid. Here's what you need to know. Contact her at: [email protected]. So, does this mean youre at risk every time you step outside? Should you get your second booster shot now? Yet Omicron, the highly contagious variant known for slipping around some of our best defences, might be surviving longer on everyday objects than its early predecessor raising questions about which basic precautions to prevent surface-based transmission might still be warranted. Sheila Mulrooney Eldred is a freelance health journalist in Minneapolis. 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