"Just know that we're in the middle of a viral blizzard."
Although the Omicron form of COVID-19 is proving to be "less severe" than Delta, enough individuals are becoming ill that basic needs—such as health care and transportation—are being disrupted, not to mention hospitals are quickly filling up due to Omicron's contagiousness. How can you keep yourself safe? And how long do you have to be worried about this upsurge? Dr Michael Osterholm, Director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, came on MPR News with a terrifying report on the current viral blizzard. "Read on for five life-saving tips.
1. Virus Expert Warned, "It's Only Going to Get Worse."
"It's terrible now, and it'll just become worse," Dr Osterholm said. "I think everyone could just take a step back; you know, de-politicize it." "Know that we're in the middle of a viral blizzard. As I mentioned a month ago saying, "The viral snowstorm is here, and it's only going to grow worse before it gets better. But it is only temporary. I believe that in three to four weeks, case numbers will begin to level up, if not drop precipitously. So there you have it, the good news. Please hold out for a while; this will take months. This wave will arrive in the next weeks." Please continue reading to find out what he has to say about how it will affect you right now.
2. Virus Expert Said Hospital Staffs are Overwhelmed, and What if You Need to Go?
According to Dr Osterholm, the rising cases are affecting not just patients but also the doctors, nurses, and staff who care for them—"you don't have anyone to take care of the patients," he says. "And so we can expect to see — and we're seeing this now in several states — 20 per cent to 30 per cent of health care workers suddenly [are] not there. And that is a huge challenge. In fact, we already have examples in dozens of states where they've gone to crisis-level care standards. They're asking doctors who test positive for COVID and have minor symptoms (like a cold) whether they'll continue to work with a N95 respirator on and cohort them or place them with patients who are already infected. So, they're unlikely to cause any harm except from their infection. But that is where we are at the moment. This is a situation I've never seen before in my entire career."
3. Virus Expert Said Here's Why You're Going to See People Going Back to Work While Only Quarantining for 5 Days
Osterholm says he agrees with the CDC's suggestion that essential workers who are symptom-free and wearing a mask return after five days of quarantine. "Right now, we're in a crisis of care standards," Osterholm added. "I'd rather have someone who is infected with COVID, is quite healthy, and is wearing an N95 respirator at the bedside of someone alone for eight hours. That's the situation we're in. This is true; as we call it in the military medical terminology, this is triage medicine. So that's the problem we're dealing with right now."
He continued, " "The mainline is that, if at all possible, we don't want infected persons near work areas. We do not want them in our schools. We don't want them in the healthcare industry. We don't want them in our day-to-day business. However, in emergencies, you may not be able to get individuals life-saving drugs or life-saving health treatment. We don't have much of choice, in my opinion."
4. Virus Expert Said What Good is it Having Kids in School is Everyone is Out Sick?
"To have teachers, support staff, and bus drivers who can safely supervise your children as they go to school on any given day? We're seeing 25 percent to 30 percent teacher absenteeism in many places right now because they're sick or infected at home. As a result, I believe now is the time to take a step back from the schools. We all want our children to attend school, and they should. But, at the same time, how can you suggest that having them at school will be beneficial to the kids if you don't have the staffing to hold them safely — and with good supervision?" Osterholm said.
5. Virus Expert Urges Those Who Are Immunocompromised to Get Fourth Dose
"We can't go about dosing the world every six months for the rest of our lives. It will not actually occur. But, for the time being, Israel data suggests that people who are immune-compromised will have a better response after the first three, plus one more. I would strongly advise them to obtain it as soon as possible because — once again — the difficulty is that the surge is occurring right now. And once you've been vaccinated, it'll take 10 to 14 days for your immune system to respond in the way we want it to. As a result, time is critical. You can't get vaccinated today and assume that you'll be protected tomorrow "he stated
6. How to Stay Safe Out There
Get vaccinated or boost your vaccinations as soon as possible; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you aren't sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene.