Top officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently appeared before Congress to answer questions about the most recent variant in this relentless pandemic.  The sound bites posted to all media were, frightening some near-apocalyptic in their predictions.  According to the Washington Post’s coverage of the Congressional hearing, fifteen million people were newly diagnosed in the past week.  The USA’s “hockey stick” spike of new cases mirrors the trends across the globe.

The Pandemic Lives On

Today’s Omicron variant requires us to think and act with intention. Our pandemic experience reminds me that any new, uncharted territory can be filled with unexpected risks and landmines. Sadly, we need to harden our defense against Omicron despite last summer’s premature celebration that the pandemic was in sharp decline.

Knowledge is Your Seat Belt

No doubt, I would love to stop writing and hearing about the pandemic just like you, but this is not the moment to drop our guard. Dr. Ozzie’s interview elucidated the Omicron variant’s special powers to spread more rapidly and effectively than past variants. Safety first, wear your N95 grade masks and return to social distancing to decrease your chances of joining the ranks of the infected.

History is repeating itself. While the Omicron variant may not be a severe as earlier variants, it continues to challenge our healthcare capacity. Ten percent of something sounds manageable, right? But ten percent of one hundred and ten percent of one hundred thousand are two very different realities. The sheer number of people presenting at emergency departments is overwhelming our system.