Albuquerque doctor recommends caution amid new omicron COVID-19 variant
The new omicron variant is starting to be seen around the world and here in New Mexico, doctors are continuing to practice caution.
As many countries including the U.S. are imposing travel restrictions because of the omicron cases, local doctors say the best way to protect yourself is to maintain social distance, continue wearing masks and constantly wash your hands.
Health experts say new and changing variants are normal.
Dr. Vesta Sandoval, Lovelace Hospital “This is expected. We know the virus mutates and in fact the scientists have been looking at all the mutations all the way through this course trying to find which mutations are important and how much the vaccine covers those mutations.”
Right now there's not enough information about the new variant to determine how powerful it is but Sandoval says vaccines are still the best tool of protection.
Sandoval said, “We don't know exactly how much at this point but we still know it is going to provide protection. And it still protects us against the delta variant that is still here right now.”
The good news is that scientists will be able to change vaccines if necessary.
“We know that with the mRNA vaccines, they can change those vaccines quickly if they need to,” Sandoval said.
Because the COVID-19 vaccine protection wears off after six months, Sandoval said it's even more important to get a booster shot.
Sandoval said, “We want to keep our immunity as high as we can by getting that booster. And keep in mind by the time you get the booster it takes 2-3 weeks for your immune system to pick up.”