The omicron variant has become the dominant strain of the novel coronavirus due its high transmissibility and quick spread. But how fast does the omicron variant really spread?
A recent study in Norway — by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the department of microbiology at Oslo University Hospital in Oslo, Norway — looked at how fast the omicron variant spread at a Christmas party, one of the first major holidays after the variant’s arrival.
- The study found that there’s a median three-day window from exposure to omicron variant symptoms.
Per Fortune, this data tracks with test results so far. Omicron variant cases reached peak levels from summer 2020 in just two weeks.
- New cases jumped 83% in two weeks, per The New York Times COVID database.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its isolation guidelines for those who are infected with COVID-19. In the new guidance, the CDC said that the transmission of COVID-19 happens when COVID-19 symptoms begin about two to three days after someone is infected.
- “Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others,” the CDC said.