The omicron variant has fueled the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across both the Bay Area in California and the rest of the country.
However, medical experts say that people should not be as alarmed by the new strain.
"I know it feels scary because of all the cases, but the difference we see now is that hospitalizations are staying low because we have more immunity in the population," UCSF doctor and infectious disease expert Monica Gandhi told KCBS Radio’s "Bay Current" on Monday. "It could be that it's less virulent but we need more data on that. We do know that it’s more transmissible."
Gandhi said that while medical experts need more information to understand the impact of omicron, they know it could specifically harm unvaccinated people.
She also emphasized that omicron is more infectious when a person is symptomatic.
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"We know that the risk of passing it on is higher when you're not feeling well, we saw that with the delta variant," Gandhi said. "The good news about this is that vaccines protect us from severe disease. But it is possible that people will get mild breakthroughs with omicron, even with the booster."
Gandhi added that the U.S. is not in a similar situation as it was when COVID-19 first hit in 2020 and that a shelter-in-place isn't necessary with vaccinations and testing widely available.
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"If we change our focus to protect vulnerable people in our society, people who are older or immunocompromised, and have good masking for those individuals, we can make sure that younger individuals can live their normal lives," she said. "This is the nature of the virus."
Dr. Gandhi also stressed the impact that the pandemic has had on people's mental health, which has been reportedly worse for individuals with depression and anxiety.
"Turn off the news," she said. "The mental health effects of a pandemic are real, and it’s okay to exert your humanity and want to be with your loved ones."
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