"The pandemic isn't done yet, but I'm optimistic..."
Experts today suggested that Omicron could
signal the end of the coronavirus pandemic's "emergency phase," with
the caveat that we must all be watchful and vaccinated for this to happen.
"There are several possible scenarios for how the pandemic will progress
and how the acute phase will finish. However, it's risky to assume that Omicron
will be the last variant or that we've reached the endgame, "Dr. Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization's (W.H.O.) head, said at a
meeting of the global health organization's executive board on Monday. "On
the contrary, global conditions are excellent for the emergence of more
variants." Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, W.H.O. Regional Director for Europe,
made a statement that you should also know about. Read on for five pieces of
life-saving advice.
1. Dr. Kluge Says "Our Work is Not
Done" and Warns of New Variants
"Our work is not done, even though Omicron
provides plausible hope for stabilization and normalization. There are still
significant gaps in vaccine access. If 2021 was the year of vaccine production,
then 2022 must be the year of vaccine equity in Europe and beyond, "Dr.
Kluge warned. "Too many people who need to get vaccinated aren't getting
it. This promotes transmission, prolonging the pandemic and increasing the
chances of new variants emerging. Like all others before it, this pandemic will
come to an end, but it is far too soon to relax. With millions of infections
expected worldwide in the coming weeks, combined with waning immunity and
winter seasonality, new COVID-19 variations are almost certain to emerge and
return. But, with strong surveillance and monitoring of new variants, high
vaccination uptake and third doses, ventilation, affordable equitable access to
antivirals, targeted testing, and shielding high-risk groups with high-quality
masks. Physical distancing if and when a new variant appears, I believe that a
new wave will no longer necessitate population-wide lockdowns or similar
measures."
2. Dr. Kluge Says Those Being Hospitalized are
Mostly Unvaccinated People, As Expected
"While Omicron appears to cause far less
severe disease than Delta, the sheer number of infections is causing a rapid
increase in hospitalizations. This is on top of a Delta burden that hasn't
completely gone, as well as a large number of unplanned admissions.
Fortunately, Omicron hospitalizations result in far fewer ICU (intensive care
unit) hospitalizations. As expected, most persons in need of intensive care in
the Region are unvaccinated."
3. Dr. Kluge Thinks We May End the
"Emergency Phase" Sometime shortly
The COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and Central Asia
is entering a new phase, which is being driven by the highly transmissible
Omicron form, which is sweeping the region from west to east, according to Dr.
Kluge. "Although the pandemic is far from over, I am optimistic that we
will be able to end the emergency phase in 2022 and focus on other health risks
that demand urgent attention. Backlogs and waiting lists have increased, key
health services have been disrupted, and plans and preparations for
climate-related health stresses and shocks have been halted across the
Region."
4. Dr. Fauci Says Here's the Worst Case and How
to Prevent It
"The only wild card in all of this, which
leads to the possibility of a worst-case scenario," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the
president's chief medical advisor and director of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle today. "What
can we do to prevent this? We now have the tools we did not have just a few
years ago, and we have excellent vaccines. And, as we know from CDC research
released only a few days ago, boosting people has a significant positive impact
in protecting you against serious disease, even if you have Omicron. So you
want to make sure that as many individuals as possible are vaccinated. We need
to incorporate testing now that a half-billion tests will be accessible soon,
followed by another half-billion. So, who's infected, and who might be
spreading it to others? So a combination of vaccination, testing, and the use
of essential antiviral drugs, which we'll have a lot more of in the future,
especially pharma like Paxlovid, which are extremely successful in avoiding the
progression of severe disease. We might be able to incorporate into some
normality if we have all of those elements in place, even if it's a novel
variety."
5. 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.