Confirmed coronavirus cases recently surpassed 50 million in the U.S., and the omicron variant is adding complexity to the pandemic's second winter.

The rate of newly confirmed cases is rising, and health experts are urging the world to double down on vaccines and other preventative measures to mitigate transmission.

“I think the good news is that we have the tools to fight omicron,” Dr. Asha Shah, Stamford Health director of infectious diseases, said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above). “We’re in a very different position now than where we were at the beginning of the pandemic. We have great vaccines, we have testing, and we have masks. And all three of those things are effective in preventing the spread of COVID.”

Though there is still much unknown about the new variant, preliminary data has indicated that while it may be more transmissible than the delta variant, it does not appear to cause serious illness in fully vaccinated and boosted individuals.

“So for unvaccinated individuals, they’re still at risk,” Shah said. “And this continues to be a disease of the unvaccinated. And we try to encourage all of those folks to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Get boosted

There are currently 61.1% of the total population who are fully vaccinated and 72.3% who have received at least one dose. Additionally, about 27.6% have received a booster shot as immunity wanes.

“What’s important for everyone to do is to go out and get your booster,” Shah said. “If you’ve been fully vaccinated, partially what we’re seeing is that the vaccines, there's waning immunity perhaps over a course of six months, seven months after your second dose. Getting a booster really helps to prolong the duration of that immunity.”

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the booster doses from Pfizer (PFE) and Moderna (MRNA) produces sufficient antibodies to combat the omicron variant.

"Our booster vaccine regimens work against omicron," Fauci said during a media briefing. "At this point, there is no need for a variant-specific booster."

And while the booster may be vital to increasing vaccine efficacy against omicron, Shah said there are other ways to be cautious as well.

"The other thing that individuals can do is stay home when you’re sick, wear a mask when you’re indoors, especially when you’re in areas of high COVID transmission, and get tested often," She said. "Get tested if you’re sick. Get tested if you travel. Get tested before a holiday gathering. All of those things can really help curb the spread of this disease.”