Well being Consultants Push Boosters As Omicron Variant Spreads Forward of Christmas – CBS San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – With Christmas only a week away, many people wonder if it is safe to meet with family and friends.

Health experts emphasize the importance of vaccinations and booster vaccinations to protect against the Omicron variant.

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When travelers took to the skies at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday evening vacation, some in the city were left on the ground.

“I actually canceled all my plans to return to the Midwest because I was coming there, so I just saw that in late November, when omicron was officially recognized by WHO, I thought there was no way it will be cold to return home, ”said Caleb Fous of San Francisco.

UCSF Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong says there is evidence so far that symptoms with the Omicron variant appear as early as 3 days after exposure, which is faster than normal for the Delta variant.

“If you’re vaccinated and boosted, you have the best chance, but that’s not 100 percent proof,” said Dr. Chin-Hong. “Again, I think we just need to improve our game with additional protection strategies, including wearing a better mask, especially in crowded indoor situations.”

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Dr. Chin-Hong said UCSF hospital admissions remain low – there are currently fewer than 20 people battling COVID in all UCSF facilities.

“It’s likely to hit the Bay Area in early 2022, if not sooner in terms of large numbers of people, it’s of course already widespread here and in California,” he said.

Dr. Chin-Hong just said omicron is moving very quickly across the UK and the east coast.

“At the Christmas party, you don’t know all of the vaccination statuses of the people around you and there are no tests, it will probably be a bit risky,” he said. “Even if you know everyone is vaccinated, it can be risky because you don’t know who was vaccinated.”

On Sunday, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, there is no evidence that the Omicron variant causes more serious illnesses, even if it appears to be more transmissible than previous strains of the virus.

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“I’m actually from Thailand, so I wanted to go home during the break, but I decided not to because there is also a quarantine,” said Gemy Sethaputra from San Francisco.