Virus notes b1

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Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today. More on:. Get an update of science stories delivered straight to your inbox. Ellen Phiddian Ellen Phiddian is a science journalist at Cosmos. More from:. Ellen Phiddian. Read science facts, not fiction CDC has also contracted with several large commercial clinical laboratories to rapidly sequence tens of thousands of SARS-CoV-2—positive specimens each month and has funded seven academic institutions to conduct genomic surveillance in partnership with public health agencies, thereby adding substantially to the availability of timely genomic surveillance data from across the United States.

In addition to these national initiatives, many state and local public health agencies are sequencing SARS-CoV-2 to better understand local epidemiology and support public health response to the pandemic.

The findings in this report are subject to at least three limitations. First, the magnitude of the increase in transmissibility in the United States compared with that observed in the United Kingdom remains unclear. Second, the prevalence of B. Finally, local mitigation measures are also highly variable, leading to variation in R t.

The specific outcomes presented here are based on simulations and assumed no change in mitigations beyond January 1. Collectively, enhanced genomic surveillance combined with increased compliance with public health mitigation strategies, including vaccination, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, and isolation and quarantine, will be essential to limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and protecting public health.

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

The simulation was initialized with 60 reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection per , persons approximately , cases per day in the U. Department of Health and Human Services. Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U. CDC is not responsible for the content of pages found at these sites. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Please note:. This report has been corrected. Dugan, PhD 1 View author affiliations View suggested citation. Summary What is already known about this topic?

What is added by this report? What are the implications for public health practice? Article Metrics. Metric Details. Related Materials. PDF pdf icon [2M].

Section Navigation. Important update: Healthcare facilities. Learn more. Science Brief: Omicron B. Updated Dec. Minus Related Pages. Omicron B. NY increases binding to the ACE2 receptor, which could increase transmission, and the combination of NY and QR may increase binding affinity even more; however, other substitutions in the Omicron spike protein are expected to decrease binding to ACE2. As such, receptor binding affinity needs to be assessed using the full spectrum of spike protein substitutions found in the Omicron variant.

HY is proximal to the furin cleavage site and may increase spike cleavage, which could aid transmission. NK is proximal to and adds to the polybasic nature of the furin cleavage site, which may also increase spike cleavage and could aid transmission. PH has been shown to enhance spike cleavage, which could aid transmission. This mutation is found in Alpha and an alternate mutation at this position PR is found in Delta. Top of Page. Importantly, any possible Omicron specimen must be confirmed by sequencing.

Public Health Response to the Omicron Variant On December 1, , the first case attributed to the Omicron variant was identified in the United States in a person who recently return from travel to South Africa. If public health laboratories detect Omicron through state-level surveillance activities, CDC is also requesting public health laboratories send sequence-confirmed Omicron specimens to CDC for virological characterization.

CDC and other federal agencies continue to work with international partners to learn more about variants circulating globally and will continue to monitor all data sources closely to identify cases of Omicron in the United States. Arriving air travelers are offered ii pooled testing conducted in the airport and offered at-home kits for saliva sampling that are taken days after arrival and returned to the laboratory for RT-PCR testing.

On Sunday November 28, , the program began expanding to test air travelers entering the United States from southern Africa, including passengers making connections through Europe. Prioritization of laboratory studies — The SIG has prioritized laboratory studies to evaluate the impact on available medical countermeasures, such as vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

These studies include assessing the ability of vaccinee and convalescent sera to neutralize the Omicron variant, the susceptibility of the variant to treatments, and the ability of vaccine-induced immunity to protect against illness and death. Support for state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments — CDC is working closely with jurisdictions to facilitate rapid, bidirectional sharing of information.

CDC staff are available to provide in-person or remote technical support for the public health response to the Omicron variant, including investigations of the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of Omicron or other SARS-CoV-2 variant infections. Travel: On Friday, November 26, , the White House issued a Presidential Proclamation suspending entry from eight countries in southern Africa for foreign nationals who were physically present in those countries during the 14 days prior to travel.

CDC is working to modify the current Testing Order for travel as we learn more about the Omicron variant; a revised order would shorten the timeline for required testing for all international air passengers to one day before departure to the United States.

This strengthens already robust protocols in place for international travel, including requirements for foreign nationals to be fully vaccinated. CDC continues to monitor the global epidemiology of the Omicron variant. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will adjust travel recommendations and requirements, as necessary.

For the most current information about travel recommendation and requirements, see International Travel.