Earlier in the pandemic, contact tracing data showed us where COVID-19 was predominantly spreading . Unfortunately, because our contact tracing efforts have slowed down, we dont have as clear of a picture regarding where people are mostly likely to contract omicron and its subvariants.

What we do know is that, while the virus has evolved to be much more transmissible than previous variants, the way COVID-19 spreads hasnt changed. Nothing has changed in terms of how any individual right now, regardless of their day-to-day activity, can pick this virus up, Mark Cameron , infectious disease researcher at Case Western Reserve University, told HuffPost.

Because of that, we can assume there are some hot spots for omicron subvariants compared to others. Here are common places where COVID-19 still spreads, according to experts:

Crowded, indoor events

By now, weve all heard it a million times. COVID-19 spreads in crowded, indoor settings think: gyms, restaurants, concerts, bars and the like.

Cameron said theres no shortage of anecdotes about how the virus is spreading at such events. Massive outbreaks have recently been recorded after Phishs four-night concert run , the White House Correspondents Dinner , and the annual Washington Gridiron Club dinner , as well as on cruises and after high school proms .

In crowded, poorly ventilated indoor settings, aerosols containing the virus can spread in the air and easily be inhaled by many.

Similar to other COVID variants, [omicron subvariants] spread more easily in crowded, indoor locations with limited ventilation, said Bernadette Boden-Albala , director and founding dean of the Program in Public Health at the University of California, Irvine.

Households

COVID-19 is also known to spread easily between family members and roommates who live together. Research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February shows that COVID-19 now has a household transmission rate of about 53%. Transmission is even more likely to occur when members of the same household are unvaccinated along with those who dont wear a mask or isolate.

The ability to transmit from one person to another in close quarters, that will still happen. Nothing has changed in terms of how we can catch this very infectious airborne virus when we are in close proximity to someone else, Cameron said.

Boden-Albala said household spread is especially prominent in apartment living and multi-family homes, which reaffirms that COVID-19 and all its strains can be a disease of disparities.