Omicron variant: should you be concerned?

The new covid variant omicron has quickly overtaken delta as the dominant strain of Covid-19 in multiple countries, which now includes the US. New data released Dec. 20 shows omicron is responsible for 73 percent of new Covid-19 infections nationally during the week end Dec. 18; up from just 12.6 percent for the week prior. Bruce Farber, MD, chief of public health and epidemiology, and John D'Angelo, MD, senior vice president and executive director of emergency medicine services, discuss what is known so far about the more contagious Covid variant, how health systems are preparing, and urge the public to get vaccinated — and even more importantly to get a booster. 

Read more from Dr. Farber on the omicron variant.

Chapters:

• 00:54 - Omicron becomes dominant Covid variant
• 02:09 - How concerned should we be?
• 02:44 - Handling a Covid surge
• 03:36 - Improved Covid care
• 04:20 - How contagious is omicron?
• 05:50 - Covid reinfection rate
• 06:17 - Boosters protect against omicron
• 07:00 - How severe is omicron?
• 08:08 - The science behind the Covid booster shot
• 09:15 - Omicron's impact on work
• 10:48 - Boosting vaccination rates
• 12:00 - Renewing mitigation efforts
• 14:15 - Lessons from the first wave in New York
• 15:40 - Predictive technology combats Covid-19
• 16:42 - Maintaining services during a surge
• 17:41 - Expanding Covid-19 testing
• 18:39 - Don’t wait, get the vaccine and booster

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