MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County’s top medical advisor says people should be paying attention to Omicron, the new COVID variant of concern.
But he doesn’t think people should be freaking out.
“I am concerned, but I think right now, it’s certainly not a time for panic,” Dr. Ben Weston told WTMJ on Tuesday. “It’s a time for preparation.”
He says the best way to prepare is still by getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
“We can leave the preparation to our scientists and our health officials to figure things out like how well does the vaccine work and how transmissible is it, and how severe is it,” Dr. Weston said.
“But as an individual, the best thing you can do is make sure you are as protected as possible with vaccines and with boosters.”
When it comes to Omicron, Dr. Weston says it’s best to focus on what we do know and what we don’t know.
“When we look at data in South Africa, it seems to have out-competed the Delta variant, which certainly suggests that it’s more transmissible” Dr. Weston said.
“Now what we don’t know is whether it’s more severe and what effect our vaccines will have against it.”
