Source: County of San Diego
While the state’s first COVID-19 case caused by the Omicron variant has been detected in Northern California in a traveler from South Africa, San Diego County health officials are urging people to continue following existing guidance.
The recommended preventive measures against COVID-19 and its previous variants, they say, are the best bet to protect against the new strain.
“There’s a lot about Omicron we don’t know yet, such as how it spreads, how sick it can make people and how well existing vaccines work against it,” said Cameron Kaiser, M.D., M.P.H., County deputy public health officer. “In the meantime, the same precautions we’ve been advising for other strains of COVID-19 should help prevent or lessen the likelihood of people getting and spreading the Omicron variant, as well as the Delta, which is still the dominant strain.”
Although no cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in the San Diego region, the County and the local medical community are regularly monitoring for the Omicron variant using genome sequencing.
The County is also working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health to review recommendations when the variant arrives in the region.
Health officials recommend the following measures to protect against all varieties of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant:
- Get vaccinated and get a booster if you qualify. The vaccine is available at health care providers, retail pharmacies and community clinics. You can also make an appointment or find a site near you by calling (833) 422-4255 or visiting the My Turn website.
- Wear a mask, especially in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status.
- Get tested if you have any symptoms, whether you’ve been vaccinated or not. You can make a free test appointment or find a walk-in test clinic at coronavirus-sd.com.
- Wash your hands frequently and stay home if you’re sick and distance yourself from others.
