Omicron "is not a bad cold," Murphy
said. "It's a life-threatening disease."
Because the number of people infected with the
coronavirus is so high right now, there's a good chance you know someone who
has it or has had it—and there's also a big possibility that one person's
"mild" illness is another's "intolerable." The symptoms of
Omicron can range from "flu-like" (especially in persons who have
been vaccinated) to needing hospitalization (particularly for unvaccinated
people). So, do you have any reason to be concerned? Experts in the field of
virus research have been looking into the problem. Read on for five pieces of
life-saving advice.
1. Virus Expert Warns "Omicron is Not a Bad
Cold. It's a Life-Threatening Disease"
Experts are concerned about reports of people
throwing parties to catch Omicron on purpose, believing it is a natural way to
boost immunity. "Trying to get infected with this would be insane. It's
like having a blast with dynamite, "Dr Robert Murphy, executive director
of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's Havey Institute for
Global Health, said CNN. "Omicron is being discussed as if it were a bad
cold. It's not a very bad cold, "Murphy stated in his opinion. "It's
an illness that can kill you." Not only that, but keep reading to find out
how it could harm you as well.
2. Virus Expert Warns Omicron Can Cause Long
COVID
Long COVID is a constellation of symptoms that
can ruin your life, including bone-crushing fatigue, migraines, brain fog, and
other symptoms, and it affects about 10% to 30% of those who have COVID.
"We're still trying to figure out what Long Covid is," Dr Paul Offit,
head of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Vaccine Education Center, told
CNN. "I wouldn't want to catch an infection from a natural virus because
we don't understand it..... A natural virus is always referred to as the wild
type virus, and with good reason: it is uncontrolled, "Offit remarked.
"Never take the risk of obtaining an infection from a natural virus."
3. The Good News: Virus Expert Says He Expects
Cases to Fall in the Next Few Days in Boston
COVID levels in Boston's wastewater are
dropping. Dr Ashish Jha, a virus expert, told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, "I
believe it's excellent news." "For the whole pandemic, this has been
a leading sign. Look at it every few days, and you'll notice that it tends to
advance case numbers by about a week. So, if you notice an increase in
wastewater infection numbers, you'll notice it in the department of health's
case reports in about five to seven days. This is a fairly brief upward trend.
It's down by roughly 30% to 40%. The wave appears to have crested in Eastern
Massachusetts, and I expect cases to begin dropping in the coming days."
4. Virus Expert Hopes We Could See Decline
Across the Country
"We saw a sharp increase and then a rapid
decrease in South Africa," Jha said. "That does not mean that it will
happen in every population. What determines it is the population in which it is
spreading. What is the source of the immunity? That being said, I believe most
of us have been expecting a relatively swift decline, and we are definitely
praying for one. That's what we're seeing in New York City, and it's also what
we're seeing in Washington, D.C. I'm optimistic; this wastewater data adds to
the evidence that it will happen in Boston. And, of course, we'll want to see
it all around the country."
5. Virus Expert Has This Message for People in
States That are Seeing Cases Rise Now
"The places that went later, where increases are still being seen, or where the Omicron wave is just getting started, are in many ways lucky get to learn from everyone else. And if they take effective mitigation measures, they can significantly minimize the peak of the wave, saving themselves from many illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. As a result, I believe that this is useful knowledge that organizations, cities, and states could use to make better decisions." So, no matter where you live, get vaccinated or boosted as soon as possible; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 or KN95 face mask, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you're not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene.