Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a great and safe holiday season. Recently there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Below are the variants and the differences between the two.
- The first notable variant was the Delta variant. According to the CDC, this variant was first identified in India. At the time, the Delta variant spread more easily than other variants.
- The more recent variant we are experiencing now is the Omicron variant. This variant was first identified in South Africa, however, the first U.S. case of the Omicron variant was identified in December of 2021.
- The CDC reports that the Omicron variant may spread more easily than other variants, including Delta. The CDC also reports that monoclonal antibody treatments may not be as effective in treating the infection with Omicron.
COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and decrease the risk of severe illness and hospitalization. COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved for use in patients ages 5 years and older. A booster shot is recommended 6 months after completing the primary COVID-19 vaccination series for patients ages 18 years and older. The Pfizer COVID vaccine booster is approved for patients 12 years and older, 5 months after their second dose. Common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine include pain, redness, and swelling to the injection site, fatigue, muscle aches, chills, fever, nausea, and headache.
Based on the recent increase of cases we recommend wearing a mask when around large groups of people. Hand washing is a key factor in preventing the spread of illness as well. Please note that children under the age of 2 should not wear masks for safety reasons. You should also wear a mask if you have health conditions that place you at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 infection. If you experience symptoms of COVID-19 isolate yourself and get tested!
Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care opened in 2006 in San Antonio, Texas. With multiple locations in San Antonio and Dallas, they are open seven days a week with extended evening hours and see walk-in patients or through an online check-in system. They accept walk-ins until 30 minutes before close. They accept most commercial insurance and Medicaid plans. More information about Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care can be found at www.littlespurspedi.com.
