Health experts: Omicron, delta variants pose double infection risk
NEW YORK - Even as health officials sound the alarm on omicron, delta is still the dominant strain of COVID inside the U.S. right now. And believe it or not, scientists say it is actually possible to contract both variants.
"They are different enough that one person could be infected with both of those at the same time," Dr. Stephanie Silvera told FOX 5 NY.
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On top of that, flu season is also upon us, meaning that a person could catch omicron, delta, or both at the same time, and also risk a concurrent flu infection on top of one or both of those variants.
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"If you have more than one, you're more likely to have more severe illness and those symptoms might come on more rapidly," Silvera said.
Potentially worse still, as we watch those around the world previously infected with delta contract omicron, showing minimum immunity to the new variant, it remains possible that the world's current two dominant variants may remain distinct enough to create two separate epidemics at once, instead of omicron fully replacing delta.
Delta and omicron winter surge
U.S. health officials are urging Americans to get vaccinated and boosted as COVID cases surge, fueled by the delta and omicron variants. Part of the concern is that studies show that immunity is waning among people who had one to two vaccine doses. That is why a booster shot is critical, health officials say.
On average, omicron currently appears to cause milder illnesses in those who contract it than in previous variants, especially among the vaccinated, some unvaccinated, the elderly, the immunocompromised, and the various combinations of those at-risk groups will end up with more serious cases.
In response, health experts across the globe are stressing the need for masking, ventilation, vaccines and booster shots for all of us, to reduce the strain this winter surge places on our healthcare systems.