OMICRON Puts the World On the RUN!
Viruses are living adaptable creatures. In this space over the last twenty months, we have emphasized that viruses mutate only if they proliferate. Safe and effective vaccines have been developed and represent our best protection against proliferation. Even though vaccines are available to every American over the age of five, there are still approximately 60 million US citizens unvaccinated. Couple these individuals who are unvaccinated by choice with those billions of people around the world who do not even have assess to vaccines, the US and the world are fertile ground for the emergence of COVID-19 variants. It is therefore no surprise that a new “variant of concern” has been identified. As has been the case with so much of the coronavirus related news, unsurety and rapid evolution continue to be the hallmark. All too often by the time information is written there is new contradictory news. So, expect change and anticipate that what you hear today may not be the case tomorrow.
Currently we know that the newest variant, dubbed as “Omicron” by the World Health Organization, has been initiated identified in a considerable number of people in The Republic of South Africa. As it turns out the scientists in South Africa are touted to be some of the best in the world as far as virus surveillance and genomic identification. They have alerted the world regarding the presence of the variant in their country and within literally hours the variant has been identified in Europe, Australia, Asia, Israel, and Canada. It has not been identified in the US as of yet, but it is likely here already. The response of our government has been to band travel from South Africa and seven neighboring countries, the UK has blocked some international travel and increased testing, contact tracing, and masking; Israel, has completely closed its borders to foreign travelers for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, virus variants have no respect for borders and the travel bands will only delay the inevitable spread of this variant around the world. A better useful solution to slowing the spread would be a dramatic increase in PCR testing of travelers, surveillance testing, contact tracing, forced quarantine, and masking.
Why is there such concern regarding this Omicron variant, which has been an issue for only the last four days? The early reaction and concerns revolve around two times the number of spike protein mutations on the Omicron compared to the deadly Delta variant. Although the clinical consequence of these mutations is not clear, the epidemiologic data from Gauteng province near Johannesburg reveals that positive swab tests increased from 3.6 percent to 9.1 percent in just two days. Additionally, sixty-one passengers on two flights from South Africa to Amsterdam (Netherlands) on November 26, 2021, tested positive for coronavirus and the Omicron variant was the strain identified in 16 of those cases. All passengers had either been fully vaccinated or tested before departure from South Africa. The questions as to whether Omicron is more contagious or results in more severe or deadly disease than Delta are legitimate, but yet unanswered. The possibility that this new variant will escape the immunity conferred by available vaccines or prior infection is also extremely concerning. Measures which are extraordinary to some are being implemented out of an abundance of caution, since it will be two weeks before these questions will have data-driven answers.
It appears that the world’s more vigorous response to Omicron is influenced by the severe health and economic impact of Delta. The US continues to lose nearly one thousand citizens per day from the Delta variant. New Covid-19 cases, almost exclusively caused by Delta, have increased in approximately thirty states and hospitalizations have increased 10% around the country.
In pop culture it is said “Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.” In our fight against COVID-19 and it’s current and future variants we should RUN to get vaccinated/boosted and WASH our hands; hide our nose and mouth behind a mask when in public places; and hide out at home when we are ill. If we also maintain appropriate social distancing, then our hope that Omicron is not as bad (or worse) than Delta has a better chance of being realized!
