Omicron the Latest in a Nightmare series

OMICRON, The name sounds like some Electronics company or the name of a variety of noodles but this name has inspired dread in the hearts of people and governments worldwide. The reason for this is simple... Its a simple name that denotes the latest in what seems like a long series of variants. While such variants are expected their appearance is still alarming to a world that is just returning to normalcy.

The rise of a new variant that has far more mutations than the previous Delta variant along with the greater difficulty in confirming it with conventional tests has led to a rise in panic regarding the disease. Since it was reported in Africa November of 2021 it has swiftly spread across the world and infected 5 continents.

However in the midst of this doom and gloom there are silver linings. The most important one being that the infection severity of the Omicron variant appears to be far less than that of the previous ones. This variant has been shown to be more prevalent in the upper respiratory tract and bronchi thus sparing patients from the difficulty of struggling for breath.

Advantages we have now:

• We now have multiple vaccines that have proven efficacy against the previous variants unlike with the first and second waves.
• We have already tried out public safety protocols and isolation measures.
• We have tried and tested methods of testing such as RT/PCR for detecting the cases.
• Our hospitals and medical professionals have experienced previous covid waves and are better equipped and prepared than the first time around.

We the people have also gone through the emotional, financial and psychological difficulties associated with the first and second stages of the pandemic. But this variant is on a race with us to see whether our protective measures or its infection rate will win.

What to do in this case?

• The main thing is to adhere to the basic tenets of preventing transmission by following proper social distancing procedures.
• Always use masks when going out, sanitize frequently touched surfaces properly and often.
• Avoid going to crowded locations and having prolonged contact with strangers.
• If possible work from home unless your job or business demands you to go places.
• Make sure you and your loved ones are vaccinated
• Take a booster dose of the vaccine or get one for your loved ones, especially if they are at risk due to age or comorbidities.

There is hope!

Postponing travel plans, socializing less and staying at home if possible are all salient measures that will definitely test our patience and will power.

The coming economic impacts can also be debilitating but we have weathered it before and we can this time too.

Based on the previous waves and the amount of time it took for cases to go from 1000 to 10k this particular Omicron variant is predicted to reach its peak within 1-2 months and then fade away.

It's on us to make sure that time frame is not extended by adhering to the protocols that have been put in place by the government and vaccinating if and when possible. It is important to understand that our knowledge of this disease is growing with each day and so is our ability to head off adverse effects. What is important is that we move forward as a society so that we can return to normalcy.