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With the highly transmissible omicron variant spread across the U.S., it may seem inevitable that most people will get infected with COVID-19. But Mayo Clinic experts explain why it is important to continue to be vigilant and take measures to avoid COVID-19 infection.
"One of the many negatives about saying, 'Well, I'll just go ahead and get infected and get it over with' is you can spread the virus to highly vulnerable people," says Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "Parents, grandparents, people too young to be immunized, and people whose immune systems might not be working well are all at risk of more severe disease. While your case may be mild, theirs may not."
Dr. Poland cautions that the sheer number of infections is stressing the health care system, and treatments for omicron are more limited than they were for the delta variant.
"The role of testing and of getting boosted is critical to our response to this, and remember, even though you might have mild disease, every time this virus infects somebody, it is the opportunity for further mutation." says Dr. Poland.
Vaccination, boosting and masking are all necessary to prevent the spread of omicron.
"Your best chance of protecting yourself is to be fully vaccinated, wear a proper mask properly when in public, and to avoid crowded indoor settings," says Dr. Poland.
On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the omicron surge and answers listener questions.
To practice safe social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, this interview was conducted using video conferencing. The sound and video quality are representative of the technology used. For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.
Connect with others talking about the pandemic and supporting one another in the COVID-19 support group.
Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date.
For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.
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Thank you so much Colleen.
Excellent, thank you
Dr. Poland's latest podcast has just been published
- Omicron wave wanes, new variant arises (Feb 2, 2022) https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/newsfeed-post/omicron-wave-wanes-new-variant-arises/
@mpeters @jsakell @jackie421blfdgurl @jam5 @pfbacon, you may also be interested in this COVID related podcast with Dr. Matthew Binnicker, director of Clinical Virology at Mayo Clinic.
- COVID-19 testing scenarios — what test and when? (Jan 26, 2022) https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/newsfeed-post/covid-19-testing-scenarios-what-test-and-when/
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1 Reaction@colleenyoung Would you send a question for the next podcast to Dr. Poland? He suggested if a person had the J & J vaccine, then he recommended getting an M-rna booster. Because I had an allergic reaction to the polyethylene glycol in the m -rna Pfizer vaccine, I was able to get the J & J when I could not do a 2nd dose of Pfizer. I tested ahead of time to see if I could handle polysorbate-80 which was in the J & J by eating ice cream that had it. I have had 2 doses of J & J. I had also had a reaction to flu vaccines years ago, and then found out I have an egg allergy. With proposed annual combined vaccines for flu and Covid, will these also be using binder ingredients that would prevent an allergic person from being able to receive them? What alternatives are there to PEG or egg cultures for people with allergic reactions to vaccines?
Good questions, Jennifer. I will submit the question about alternatives for people with allergies to PEG or egg cultures. What guidance are you receiving from your doctor(s) regarding the best protection for you?
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1 ReactionThanks Colleen for the heads up. I watched the podcast by D. Binnicker and took some good notes in my journal. It was great to have notification that Poland’s podcast was up. Thank you.
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1 Reaction@colleenyoung My doctor's advice was that since I have asthma and am over 60, I would be at increased risk if I was unvaccinated and caught Covid, so he did recommend vaccination. I consulted him after having the allergic reaction to the first m-rna shot. He said that as a precaution to another potential allergic response, he thought I could have a 2nd m-rna dose if I used an antihistamine and 3000 MG of vitamin C as well as my asthma inhalers before getting the 2nd dose. Even with that advise, I was not allowed to get a 2nd dose because they could not confirm this was his recommendation and no one was answering the office phone at the time. It was a few weeks later that the J & J was being released, so I opted for that after I tested if I would react to Polysorbate 80. I discussed that with my doctor and had him write me a note in case I was challenged again by the gatekeepers.
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