How can I protect myself from the new omicron variant? For all the attention omicron is getting, the overwhelming cause of infections and deaths in many places remains the extra-contagious delta variant. Omicron is an uncertain threat,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, told The Associated Press. In the meantime, “what we need to do is add more layers of protection,” says Dr. Julie Vaishampayan of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. But it also could help ensure safety before holiday gatherings, even if everyone attending has been vaccinated, Vaishampayan says.
