Once yet again, when we had begun to think that the COVID pandemic had faded out, the number of new cases has suddenly spiked up in many parts of the world, largely due to the Omicron variant with its 30 plus mutations.
The prevailing sense of “coolness” in most people despite the rising numbers is due to two factors. One: many who have received two doses of the vaccine are enjoying a sense “protection” from future infections. And if indeed we do get infected, they feel, it is bound to be mild and transient. Second, initial evidence from South Africa has given us an indication that the outcome of infection with the Omicron strain is usually non-serious or non-fatal.
Why bother then?
The Omicron variant is 4 to 6 times more contagious than its predecessor, the Delta variant. Hence the number of people likely to be infected are huge. And due to its several mutations, protection from Omicron by vaccine derived antibodies are not likely to be good.
But why bother still, if it runs a mild course and does not have the potential to kill, as Delta did?
The best way I heard an international health expert sum up the situation was “A small portion of a very large number is still a large number!”
And as predicted, hospital admissions, have started climbing steeply in many parts of the world, many of whom are double-jabbed. Deaths are also not too far behind; Russia and east Europe are reporting large numbers already.
Further, children are falling ill much more this time than they did during the first two waves.
Governments of several countries who had become smug with the success of successful vaccination programs, are jerking up and imposing “restrictions” once again; closing restaurants, theatres, public gatherings and schools.
Health administrators are feeling the heat and sanctioning booster jabs, that they had been COVID Third Wave and the Omicron variant resisting. They are back once again to the drawing board “creating” beds and health care facilities, reminding me of the saying, “A mistake repeated twice is a conscious bad decision”.
And health administrators are once again in TV studios extolling the virtues of “mask” and “social distancing” while allowing crowds to swell in rallies and protests.
One silver lining is the availability of two new anti-viral drugs: Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, both at the threshold of their launch. If taken early in the infection, they seem to block viral replication and reduce the risk of “serious” outcome.
The COVID story seems far from over, and as the French president recently cautioned, “the next few weeks or months are likely to be challenging”. Let us err on the side of caution!
