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The good news, experts said, is that America has the resources at its disposal if it chooses to use it. The tests are still running for Omicron. Vaccines are now widely available and can alleviate the serious burden of disease. Antiviral pills expected to be effective against Omicron, although initially very limited, may soon be available.
Dr. “We now have more tools in our toolbox than last year during the holiday season,” Majumder said.
Experts said that people who have not yet been vaccinated should be vaccinated, and those who are eligible for vaccination should receive them. And masking, testing, and taking precautions when gathering indoors with others—behaviors that experts have long recommended—can also help slow the spread.
But experts said that beyond these individual behaviors, authorities still need to do more.
The Biden administration, for example, has focused heavily on promoting vaccinations and boosters, which remain critical public health tools. However, experts warned that they are not enough in the face of an enemy like the Omicron.
Dr. “The way we see it emerging elsewhere, the way it’s starting to take effect here, only hints that the vaccination strategy will be very fragile,” Salomon said.
Experts urged authorities to improve access to testing, distribute high-quality masks, promote better ventilation, and issue clearer guidelines on what activities are safe to engage in and under what conditions.
They noted that local governments, schools and employers should also start making plans for what to do in the event of major outbreaks or if cases or hospitalizations rise to a certain level, and make those plans public.
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