Buzz
The situation doesn’t look promising. I’m not just talking about the weather (though climate change is certainly its own pressing issue). I’m referring to the rising COVID-19 case numbers.
Back in June, with high vaccination rates, we thought the pandemic might be over, but then came Delta. Now that Delta is slowly receding, the question becomes: how do we handle Omicron? This winter won’t be easy, especially with flu season and other respiratory illnesses also on the upswing.
Vaccines remain effective against Omicron.
There's both good and bad news surrounding the new Omicron variant. The downside: Omicron appears to be more contagious than Delta, which was already far more infectious than earlier strains.
But there's a positive side too: Early evidence suggests that Omicron might lead to less severe disease. Ironically, the ideal situation would be a highly transmissible variant that outpaces all others, but only causes mild or asymptomatic illness, similar to the common cold. We don't yet know if Omicron is mild enough to be that ideal variant, but at least it isn’t more virulent, which counts as good news for now.
On the downside, there's more bad news: Vaccines (and past infections) aren't as protective against Omicron as they were against previous variants. But here's the good news: Vaccines still provide some protection against Omicron, though you might need more of them. (Make sure to get your booster shot.)
Hospitals are already stretched thin, and the situation is likely to worsen.
If you're not in healthcare or don’t know anyone working in the field, you may not realize that healthcare systems have been in crisis mode for almost two years. Healthcare workers are burned out, ICUs are constantly full, and lives are being lost unnecessarily.
Hospital leaders in Minnesota recently ran a full-page newspaper ad with the message, 'We’re heartbroken. We’re overwhelmed,' urging people to get vaccinated and wear masks. This is a sentiment felt by many. During a recent press call regarding hospital conditions, emergency physician John Hick shared that 'every shift I’m working these days is the worst shift of my career.'
If you need further evidence, just take a look at the r/nursing subreddit. Hospitals are overwhelmed, resources are running low, and healthcare workers are exhausted and underpaid as people continue to lose their lives.
Research on the state of hospitals paints a grim picture. For instance, CARES Act funding was distributed unevenly, deepening the gaps in Black communities. One study of COVID-related deaths from the previous year found that as many as 1 in 4 deaths could be attributed to overwhelmed hospitals.
What can we do?
During the press call about hospitals, I asked what actions we can take in light of the current healthcare crisis. One important piece of advice from Dr. Hick was to stay current with preventive care and address minor health issues before they become more serious problems.
Given the rise of breakthrough cases with Omicron, we can’t rely on vaccines as our sole defense anymore. Remember the pre-vaccine days, when protecting ourselves from COVID involved using a 'swiss cheese' approach—layering different, imperfect protections? Wearing masks, avoiding crowded indoor spaces, and testing when you feel sick—these are the layers that build up protection. The vaccine is like a thick slice of Havarti; it's not a guarantee, but it certainly helps, and the other layers of protection are just as essential.
As we move into this winter, we need to approach risks in the same way we did last year. Masks remain helpful, and crowded indoor spaces should still be avoided. If you're vaccinated and get COVID, the good news is you're less likely to get seriously ill or spread it to others. However, even mild cases can be concerning for vulnerable groups, such as young children and immunocompromised individuals. When these cases accumulate, they can be harmful to communities, so it’s worth continuing to take extra precautions.
