All Rights Reserved. Ensuring you are able to distance even in an outdoor setting can only help reduce the risk of spread, Roberts stated. Among 431 household contacts, 227 were classified as having a case of COVID-19 (attack rate [AR] = 52.7%). Others will not. Outdoor spaces, though they arent 100% risk-free, remain the safest environments to socialize in, according to Dr. Rohde. What This Means For You. But that doesn't mean that being outdoors isn't going to. Wen: Id consider three things. Spreading COVID outside was possible, but not probable, experts advised in 2020, urging cooped-up. "That doesn't mean [transmission is] impossible if you're packed together in a place that's only sort of open air and if people are sharing food or kissing or drinking. In addition, surfaces may play a greater role in Omicron transmission. More at sheilaeldred.pressfolios.com. 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. While outdoor transmission of COVID-19 in low-risk settings is "generally uncommon," Dr. Adalja says that it's . Persons without symptoms and who did not have a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result were not considered to have a case of COVID-19. "We've been so focused on airborne transmission and masks that, maybe, we've kind of neglected to wash our hands," Marr said. And Eric Topol, MD . Health talked to Dr. J. Wes Ulm, MD, Ph.D. a physician-researcher and part of the Heroes of the COVID Crisis series, and Robert G. Lahita MD, Ph.D. ("Dr. Bob"), Director of the . 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. For those hosting events, Majumder recommended decreasing the amount of attendees at gatherings, a move that can drastically reduce transmission. SELF may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Roberts added that since BA.5 is more transmissible than prior variants indoors, it is likely that its more transmissible outdoors, too. And it has been able to spread fast. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. See the Interactive Home Ventilation Tool. September 7, 2022. Events, dining, and even entire classrooms were moved outside, when feasible. If the minimum distance is maintained, the probability of transmission outdoors is . "Hand hygiene and frequent disinfection of common touch surfaces in public areas are highly recommended.". The omicron variant of COVID-19 and its 36 spike protein mutations has upended much of what scientists know about the coronavirus. Being outside would be lower exposure risk than being indoors, even with good ventilation and filtration; both of those options would be lower risk than being indoors with poor ventilation or filtration. The likelihood of catching Covid-19 outdoors is low but increases in crowded areas or at events where people are close together for long periods of time . In a study of household transmission in four U.S. jurisdictions, Omicron infection resulted in high transmission among household contacts, particularly among those who lived with index patients who were not vaccinated or who did not take measures to reduce the risk of transmission to household contacts. It's also important to say that outdoor gatherings were never completely risk-freethey were just less risky. Depending on the outdoor situation youre in, it changes the ventilation dynamics of that area and can alter the risk of COVID for people in that [space], Roberts said, adding that hed feel pretty comfortable in a socially distant, outdoor setting with nothing covering the space (like tents, tarps, overhangs, and enclosures) even with the BA.5 variant. If a community level is high, you may want to reschedule your trip or be extra cautious. 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. 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. No. Researchers have said that while Covid infections can happen outdoors, the chances are massively reduced. Dr. Mallika Marshall explains: Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are highly transmissible, some say as transmissible as measles, which is considered the most infectious viral illness in humans. Earlier studies showed that the fewer cases of outdoor transmission almost always occurred during prolonged, close contact. Outdoors Lower Risk Well-ventilated indoors Moderate Risk Poorly ventilated indoors Higher Risk Lopez AS, Hill M, Antezano J, et al. The B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant, first detected in November 2021, was responsible for a surge in U.S. infections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, during December 2021January 2022 (1). However, some of these children may have been hospitalized with Covid but not for Covid. With the global evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), for almost 2 years, various control strategies have been utilized around the world. Experts say outdoor transmission has always been a thingwith alpha, delta, omicron, and now BA.5. May 6, 2022. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. A probable case in a household contact was defined as the presence of COVID-19compatible symptoms in a household contact during the same 14-day period, but without confirmation by a SARS-CoV-2 test. Vaccination status was based primarily on self-report; participants were categorized as having received a booster dose, fully vaccinated (<5 or 5 months before the index date), partially vaccinated, or unvaccinated., The interval between the index date and onset of symptoms or positive test result in a household contact was calculated. "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.". All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. Household contacts were defined as any persons who spent one or more overnights in the residence with the index patient during their potentially infectious period. Total coronavirus infection numbers remain low in Japan. SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variantUnited States, December 1-8, 2021. 241(d); 5 U.S.C. To receive email updates about COVID-19, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. But others, such as the genetic changes in the delta variant, can make the coronavirus . At that time, the World . Suggested citation for this article: Baker JM, Nakayama JY, OHegarty M, et al. New research is pointing to the answer, 2 years into the pandemic, burning questions remain about COVID-19 and how we fight it, scientific consensus began to crystallize, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Among the 204 excluded households, 143 did not meet eligibility criteria, 47 were excluded because the index patient could not be identified, 11 were excluded because household contacts had confirmed or probable cases and were known to have a SARS-CoV-2 exposure other than exposure to the index patient, and three were excluded when sequencing results (pending at the time of interview) indicated a variant that was not Omicron. You can also ask yourself the same questions, but about future interactions with others, to help you decide what prevention actions to take. This German snowman wears a protective mask over its banana nose and mouth, but experts say the risk of catching COVID outdoors is slim. COVID is everywhere again thanks to a large and growing ongoing surge of new infections and reinfections fueled by more transmissible Omicron subvariants, particularly the extra-worrisome and now . The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you get tested 5-7 days after "close contact with a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19." The CDC defines close contact as being less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. Upping the ante is the fact that recent subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5 are the most immune-evasive yet, with the ability to dodge antibodies from both vaccines and prior infection. How can I reduce my risk of getting COVID-19? Most. 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. Right now were waiting on additional data to confirm that COVID transmission is occurring outdoors.. An index patient with a probable COVID-19 case was the first person with onset of any symptom consistent with COVID-19, but without a positive SARS-CoV-2 test confirmation, reported in a household. 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. Given how quickly information about omicron is changing, we decided to reach out to Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, to . 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. It also depends on the specifics of your workplace. Fresh air disperses and dilutes the virus. Dr. Beaulieu explains, "Omicron can also spread by shaking an infected person's hands and by touching your nose, mouth or eyes with unwashed hands. ARs among household contacts were estimated overall, by household contact characteristics, and by index patient characteristics, by dividing the number of household contacts with confirmed and probable cases by the total number of household contacts within a given stratum. Even so, he said the findings suggest it's worth being cautious. How should people weigh which precautions they want to follow? Getty Images; Muge Cevik The CDC based its outdoor transmission figure on research largely pulled. On Twitter: @milepostmedia. If you are sick and need to be around others, or are caring for someone who has COVID-19, wear a mask. You'll also want to consider your own personal risk for COVID-19, that of those close to you, and your combined risk tolerance for public situations. Upgrading one's mask is especially important in the face of omicron. The 15-minute rule no longer applies. All variants and subvariants have changes in their genetic code, compared to the original virus they came from. The risk of outdoor transmission is exponentially lower than indoor transmission, and a well-ventilated, less crowded space also has much lower risk than people packed together in an unventilated space. Fifth, this investigation did not definitively distinguish between secondary and potential tertiary cases within a household. 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. Getty The new BA.5 subvariant is spreading across the US and there's evidence it can evade the body's immune response. Yes, you can catch BA.5 outside, but its more likely that youll catch it indoors than outdoors. Came from though they arent 100 % risk-free, remain the safest environments to socialize in, according to Rohde! May want to reschedule your trip or be extra cautious alpha, delta, omicron, and BA.5... But not probable, experts advised in 2020, urging cooped-up us to count and! Not for Covid doesn & # x27 ; s mask is especially in! 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