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Omicron seen as the biggest current threat to global public health

As the Omicron variant gains momentum in Europe and the U.S., the variant is now considered the “biggest threat to global public health.”

WHO, US scientists say Omicron no worse than other virus variants
The Omicron variant has forced dozens of nations to re-impose border restrictions and raised the possibility of a return to economically punishing lockdowns - Copyright AFP Andrew KUTAN
The Omicron variant has forced dozens of nations to re-impose border restrictions and raised the possibility of a return to economically punishing lockdowns - Copyright AFP Andrew KUTAN

As the Omicron variant gains momentum in Europe and the United States, the variant is now considered the “biggest threat to global public health,” health ministers from the Group of Seven countries agreed at a meeting Thursday. 

The statement issued by the UK, which currently holds the G7 presidency, described developments as “very worrying” and said it is “more important than ever to closely cooperate, and monitor as well as share data.”

As Reuters is pointing out, just a few weeks ago, health experts were predicting the world would begin to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic in 2022. However, as the Omicron variant is gaining momentum, scientists are rewriting their expectations for the COVID-19 pandemic next year.

The new Omicron coronavirus variant – identified first in South Africa, but also detected in Europe and Asia – is raising concern worldwide given the number of mutations, which might help it spread or even evade antibodies from prior infection or vaccination.

Data as of Dec. 17.
Source: GSAID; Reuters reporting

Already, in many countries around the globe, earlier pandemic restrictions are now being employed again: restricting travel, reimposing mask requirements, advising against large gatherings for the winter holidays, and urging people to get fully vaccinated.

“People are sick of the pandemic and God knows I am, but unless we can get some urgency to compel our leaders to take action, I really see 2022 being a lot of more of the same that we saw in 2021,” said Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.

President Biden issues a dire warning

President Joe Biden, during a meeting of his COVID task force on Thursday, said,  “we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death” for unvaccinated Americans, the Washington Post reports.

States across the Northeast and Midwest are reporting an increasing number of new coronavirus cases, with New York, the first epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, recording an average of nearly 12,000 new cases per day.

 Some Southern states, especially Texas and Florida, are also beginning to see their case counts increase. In Harris County, home to Houston, hospital officials are bracing for another crush of infections after seeing cases skyrocket in recent days.

There is still the hope that the coronavirus diminishes to the point where it is no longer disruptive. But like the flu virus, COVID will be around for a very long time. People will need to be ready to adjust when the next variant comes along, said Dr. Tom Frieden, chief executive of Resolve to Save Lives, a global public health initiative, and former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“There’s always going to be a baseline number of COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “A lot of people haven’t come to terms with that.”

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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