Vaccinated and test positive? What to know about omicron, COVID for this holiday season. – USA TODAY

COVID-19: What to do next if you test positive

If you test positive for COVID-19, here are the steps you need to take to get better and help stop the spread.

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As COVID-19 cases surge, fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus, Americanswonderhow to approach the holidays and safely travel and gather with friends and family.

The pace of new cases in the USA is up 41% compared with a month ago, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data. For much of December, cases hovered around 120,000 but have jumped to more than130,000 aday.

As of Saturday, the omicron variant accounted for 73.2% of new COVID-19 infections in the nation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.The week ending Dec. 11, it accounted for 12.6% of new cases.

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Health experts said COVID-19 vaccines are less effective against the new strain, which may lead to more breakthrough infections. Boosters provide more protection against omicron, but the CDC reportedonly 30% of the eligible population has received their booster.

Here are answers to some common questions:

Though the easy answer is to stay home, it's important to recognize how challenging the past year has been on families and the need to see loved ones around the holidays, saidAkhil Bindra, a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

"Being conscientious of that, there is a safe way to do it, but there's always some risk," Bindra said.

The best way to protect loved ones from severe disease is to get vaccinated and boosted, he said. Getting tested for the virus before you gather inside is a good idea, even if you don't have symptoms,he said.

Wearing a mask indoors will add another layer of protection, he said,acknowledging it may not be realistic to expect of all families.

Tuesday,presidential health adviserAnthony Fauci said vaccinated Americans don't need to cancel their plans."If you dont have the availability of the test and you are fully vaccinated and boosted, you should feel comfortable having a holiday meal or gathering with family members who are also vaccinated and boosted," he said onNBC's "Today."

The CDC defines close contact as being within 6 feet of someone withCOVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

The agency urges unvaccinated people quarantine if theyvehad close contact with someone with COVID-19, which entails:

The CDC recommends consulting your local health departments website for more information on quarantine. In some states, unvaccinated individuals can shorten their quarantine to 10 days without testing if they dont develop symptoms or seven days upon receiving a negative test result.

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People who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless they develop symptoms, the CDC said. They should still get tested five to sevendays after their exposure and wear a mask in indoor public settings for 14 days after exposure or until they get a negative test result.

A person infected with COVID-19 may be contagious 48 hours before symptoms start, health experts said. Early studies have shown people may be most likely to unknowingly spread the virus to others during that initial two-day period.

The CDC recommendspeople get tested five to sevendays after exposure and wear a mask in indoor public settings for 14 days after exposure or until they get a negative test result.

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Regardless of vaccination status, health experts said, Americans should not travel to see family or friends if theyve tested positive for the coronavirus. Unfortunately, that may mean canceling holiday plans.

According to the CDC, people who test positive for the coronavirus andexperience symptoms should:

The CDC said a person infected with COVID-19 should isolate from people for 10 full days, counting Day 1 as the first full dayafter symptoms developed. After isolation, health experts said, its not always necessary to retest.

A positive test doesnt necessarily mean you have to wait another 10 days because we know that these tests can stay positive for a while, said Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy and Asthma Network, a nonprofit forallergy, asthma and immune conditions. After 10 days, its very unlikely youll be contagious.

She recommended rest, hydrating with lots of fluids andover-the-counter pain medication to alleviate symptoms during the isolation period.

Even if youre asymptomatic, health experts said, its important to isolate after testing positive for the coronavirus.

If you test positive for the coronavirus and never develop symptoms, the CDC said, Day 0 is the day of your positive viral test and Day 1 is the first full day after your positive test.

If you develop symptoms before the 10-day isolation period is over, the agency said, your period must start over with Day 0 being the first day of symptoms and Day 1 the first full day after symptoms develop.

Even if symptoms never develop, the CDC recommended followingthe same rules of isolation as someone who does have symptoms, including avoiding contact with other household members, using separate facilities, not sharing personal items and wearing a mask.

Biden warns of illness and death as omicron surges

Warning the omicron variant of the coronavirus "is here," President Joe Biden predicts a "winter of severe illness and death" for those who are still unvaccinated and implores Americans anew to get their shots and boosters. (Dec. 16)

AP

If youre not feeling sick and have yet to test positive for the coronavirus, health experts urged unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Those who tested positive for the coronavirus and are unvaccinated should follow the same isolation rules as people who are fully vaccinated and infected.

People who are unvaccinated are more at risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death, Parikh said, which means they should be extra vigilant of symptoms that may require emergency care.

Regardless of vaccination status, people who are at high risk for severe disease, such asthose over 65, are immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions, should call their doctor for early treatment options.

You should strongly consider monoclonal antibody infusion preferably two to three days after (testing positive), Parikh said. It will lessen your chances of needing to be admitted in the hospital or dying of COVID-19.

Bindra,with the Cleveland Clinic, said themajority of cases at his hospital are unvaccinated people, highlighting the need to get vaccinated. "It's still not too late," he said.

The omicron surge has helped fueltherise in cases, he said. According to the CDC, omicron canspread among the vaccinated and people who are asymptomatic.Bindra said among the small number of vaccinated cases at his hospital, most are older or immunocompromised patients.

Though more research is needed on the signs and symptoms of omicron compared with other variants, Bindra said it's important to remember that delta is still circulating, which can accountfor manylonger-term andintensive care unit hospitalizations.

The CDC saidpeople who have COVID-19 should not get vaccinated right away. If you are asymptomatic, wait until you meet the criteria for leaving isolation to get a shot. If you aresymptomatic, wait until you have recovered and meet the criteria to leave isolation, the CDC said.

Yes. Omicron is a variant of the coronavirus, similar to delta. They both occurred when genetic mutations occurred to the virus.

"I think the longer the virus can exist which is now, existing for about two years (there's a)higher chance of it continuing to mutate. So I don't think any of us expect that this one will count asthe last mutation," Bindra said.

Contributing: Mike Stucka and Ryan Miller

Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

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Vaccinated and test positive? What to know about omicron, COVID for this holiday season. - USA TODAY