Characteristics of Omicron virus: Can Omicron wear a mask to prevent it?

1 Omicron virus is characterized by 1. More contagious. Compared with COVID-19, Omicron is more contagious and spreads faster. The average generation interval between infected cases in Omicron is 3 days, which is further shortened compared with the time of about 4 days in Delta mutant, and its transmission ability is about twice that of Delta mutant.

2. The symptoms are atypical. The symptoms of Omicron infection are atypical, so it is more subtle in the process of transmission. From the clinical manifestations, the symptoms of Omicron infection are similar to those of upper respiratory tract infection caused by other viruses, which leads to more difficult clinical differential diagnosis and more subtle virus transmission.

3. The cases are mainly mild and common, and the symptoms are relatively mild. The main clinical manifestations are cough, sore throat and fever. Some patients have symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, fatigue and headache. In addition, the patient's imaging changes are atypical. Generally speaking, the proportion of severe patients is not very high. However, due to its rapid spread, once it is spread by people, it may cause a run on medical resources.

Can Omicron resist wearing a mask? It can play a protective role.

Although Omicron is a mutant strain in COVID-19, its transmission mode is the same as that in COVID-19, mainly through respiratory droplets. Therefore, wearing qualified masks is still one of the most effective prevention and control measures, which can greatly reduce the infection rate of Omicron. However, surgical masks or N95 masks should be selected as masks, so as to play a defensive role. In addition, we should wash our hands and disinfect frequently to avoid contact with people in high-risk areas.

Is Omicron's existing vaccine effective?

At present, the research results show that the Omicron mutant has not completely escaped from the existing vaccine, and the existing vaccine still has a certain protective effect on the Omicron mutant, but its ability to prevent infection has declined, and it has not been found that the severe disease rate and mortality rate have increased due to the Omicron mutant. For Omicron mutant, the existing vaccine is still effective in preventing serious diseases and deaths. Therefore, it is suggested that people who have not been vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine should complete the vaccination as soon as possible.

4. Why does Omicron have no symptoms? 1. With the continuous variation of COVID-19, its transmission is strong, but its pathogenicity is declining, so the symptoms caused by Omicron mutant are relatively mild;

2. With the immunization of large-scale population, the severe disease rate and mortality rate after infection are decreasing, and the proportion of mild or asymptomatic is increasing;

3. Early disease control and rapid screening in the health system enable some early infected people to be found before showing clinical symptoms;

4. Immunity of the infected person. Young people are more likely to have asymptomatic conditions.