Omicron
And So It Continues
Embedded Files
Written By Stella Coleman-Janiszyn
January 2022
As COVID continues to plague the planet, we seem to have one problem after another. Whether it's dealing with a political crisis or attempting to bring about social justice, the world can't catch a break.
Through it all, the pandemic may be the number one challenge for humanity. And now there is Omicron. Identified as the pre-eminent health crisis, Omicron was previously well-known to scholars as the 15th letter in the Greek alphabet.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in mid-November, the Omicron variant of COVID was first discovered in South Africa. This variant was predicted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to spread faster than any other variant. Omicron is more transmissible and is much easily spread from person to person.
Most significant, perhaps, Omicron can infect individuals who have been vaccinated. Fully-vaccinated people have gotten the virus, though the CDC says the vaccine will protect a person from severe illness and hospitalization. Since the immunity of the original two doses starts to wane after two months, people who haven't yet gotten boosters are much more likely to be infected by Omicron.
Many health care professionals and organizations such as WHO (the World Health Organization) and the CDC (Center of Disease control) have been begging people get vaccinated because when people stop being vigilant about infections and protocols for safety and health COVID has time to mutate.
The appearance of Omicron, in itself, is alarming. But paired with the lack of a mask mandate in an overwhelming number of countries (including the United States) around the globe and the rate of infection, the future appears grim in terms of the spread of the pandemic.
In another piece of gloomy pandemic news, the Omicron is also predicted to spread to young, healthy people. Like stated previously, young vaccinated healthy people are reported with the Omicron variant. People under 30 account for 20% of cases.
However, despite this dark report from the front lines of the pandemic, at this point, it appears that vaccines will protect an inoculated individual from severe symptoms of COVID, whatever its variant.
To assist in this year’s long struggle with the virus, the CDC has doubled down on the importance of masks and vaccines since both of these strategies will protect those most vulnerable (immuno-compromised, elderly, people who do not have access to a vaccine.)
And the CDC is not alone in sounding the battle cry. Many countries, such as The United Kingdom, Germany, China, Inda, Mexico, Spain, Ukraine, now have mask mandates in place. Indonesia has mandated all adults to be vaccinated by February. Austria will be the first European country to mandate vaccines by February. Masks have proven to be effective in slowing the spread.
Unfortunately, America does not have a mask mandate. Consequently, Omicron is ripping through the nation. By late December, Omicron had accounted for 73.2% of COVID cases in the United States, according to the CDC. New York as of January 7th has the most cases, with an average of 69,956 cases a day that leads to 10,783 hospitalizations per day.
United States federal and state officials have warned that eventually this new wave of Omicron will bring the most cases seen yet in the U.S. However–as a consistent part of the COVID discussion–Omicron is universally predicted to be far milder than previous strains. We have seen far less deaths than expected, seeing more moderate cases then severe. On average the US has 1,404.3 deaths per day, according to The New York Times. As of the end of 2020 the US’s average deaths per day was 2,776, according to Our World in Data.
Even though infection rates are skyrocketing, we have seen less hospitalizations in general. However, despite the fewer number of hospitalizations there is immense stress on hospitals.
To maintain one’s perspective concerning Omicron, it's important to understand the overwhelming amount of hospitalizations that resulted in the original wave of COVID. The world was, quite frankly, unprepared for a pandemic. People can recall the desperate photos of the overflowing hospitals, which literally filled to the brim with patients. In the United States alone there have been a total of 116,026 hospitalizations daily from all types of covid. The average of hospitalizations at the end of 2020 was 119,908 daily, according to Our World in Data. It has gone
As Vermont fared better than the rest of our country in the past waves, one might consider themselves safe (relatively speaking) in the Green Mountain State. 78% of Vermonters (of all ages) are fully vaccinated, making it the most vaccinated state. According to the New York Times interactive map, Vermonters average 1,071 cases a day, a positive figure compared to states close by like New Jersey, which averages 30,496 and Massachusetes at 18,979.
Two Vermonters–in the week before Christmas–were diagnosed with Omicron, however. The first infection reported included a fully-vaccinated 30-year old resident of Lamoille County (a county near Burlington that includes Stowe).
Some states, such as New York and California, reinstated universal indoor mask mandates with Omicron's arrival. Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, in the VTDigger on December 18th, appeared alarmed at the onset of Omicron.
“I can’t emphasize this enough: All Vermonters need to be as protected as possible, as soon as possible,” Levine said. “So get vaccinated, get children aged 5 and older vaccinated, and if you are due to get your booster shot, get it as soon as you can.” In his pre-Christmas remarks, Levine also predicted that Omicron would become the dominant strain of the Coronavirus.
No matter if Omicron can infect those vaccinated, the CDC and WHO encourage all people to be vaccinated, since the vaccine protects from severe symptoms.
Omicron–identified in all 50 United States and 89 countries around the globe–though less deadly, is still highly infectious. For this reason, health experts warn that it is important for individuals to take Omicron as seriously as previous strains. They caution that just because Omicron is not as severe doesn't mean it isn't dangerous.
Sadly, one thing that hasn't varied between strains involves its impact on teens. Online school and its resulting isolation have caused a spike in mental health issues, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Specifically, the United States has seen a significant rise in depression to the point where the suicide rate in teens (both male and female, though female have a larger spike) have gone up.
The CDC reports the number of ER visits due to attempted suicide has risen by 51% from 2019 to 2021. It's gotten so serious that it has been declared a national state of emergency in children's mental health by AAP, American Academy of Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association.
Not only has mental health suffered due to COVID. Academic performance for young people has declined as well during the years of the pandemic. It's been reported by the NWEA that math and reading averages from 3rd to 8th grade are lower than usual this fall. According to Icon school.org, 1 in 5 children have a mental illness and 80% of kids will go without the care they need. According to the New York Times, students in poverty have suffered the most in terms of their education. Tying into the rise in mental illness, poor mental health can influence grades heavily. A study done by Aisnsw.edu showed that students with high levels of anxiety score lower on IQ and achievement tests than peers.
So what can be done? You’ve heard that you should wear your mask and get your vaccine, but what else? It's important to not expose yourself to tons of people. As lots refer to it have a “pod”. Pods are people you trust and know are being safe, the thing of being a pod is who you can see, hang out with, and be exposed to each other. Pods can be family or friends and are typically small groups. Another thing to do is be conscious about your hands and touching your face. Washing them and using hand sanitizer or even wearing gloves can keep unwanted covid germs off your hands and far away from your face. Touching your mouth, eyes, and nose is a huge no-no. These places are called the T zone and are the easiest way for germs to enter your body. So don’t go around sticking your hands in your mouth. Lastly, wear your mask properly. If it doesn’t cover your nose it's not effective. Having your mask below your nose puts everyone including yourself in danger.
Page updated
Report abuse