Omicron: COVID-19 Variant

The identification of a new COVID-19 variant has reminded the world that the pandemic is not yet over. We have been told repeatedly that the COVID-19 pandemic will be with us for some time. We are all aware of the Delta Variant and the hundreds of persons who have died from that strain of the coronavirus. In recent times we have seen a disturbing trend of an uptick in COVID-19 cases all across Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Austria has returned to a full national lockdown as protests against new restrictions aimed at curbing Covid-19 infections spread across Europe. From midnight, Austrians have been asked to work from home and non-essential shops have closed. New restrictions have sparked protests throughout Europe. Infection rates have risen sharply on the continent, prompting warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO). This trend has been especially worrying given that the COVID-19 vaccination rate for Western Europe and North America is relatively high compared to other parts of the world. Large sections of Europe have once again implemented lockdown measures in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a more recent COVID-19 variant. Those who thought the pandemic was over are clearly in for a rude awakening. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a new coronavirus variant to be "of concern" and named it Omicron. In a statement on Friday the WHO said the number of cases of this variant, initially named B.1.1.529, appeared to be increasing in almost all of South Africa's provinces. The WHO states that the virus has been identified as having 30 different mutations already. By comparison, that is twice as many as the Delta variant, which has been the most prominent variant in many parts of the world. In South Africa, only 35 percent of the populated is fully vaccinated, the variant has begun to spread rapidly. A number of factors could be contributing to the rising caseload, including the nation’s low vaccination rate. Researchers are also working to determine if the mutations make the variant more easily transmissible or if it has a mechanism that allows the variant to escape a natural or vaccine-acquired immune response. It said the variant had a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggested a possible increased risk of reinfection. It was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on 24 November, and has also been identified in Botswana, in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Canada, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong and Israel. The variant, dubbed Omicron by the World Health Organization has been detected in 22 patients in South Africa. In neighboring Botswana, four cases of the new variant were found. The government announced that the four cases were all foreign diplomats who had since left, and that contact tracing was continuing. The WHO has said it will take a few weeks to understand the impact of the new variant, as scientists work to determine how transmissible it is. Travel Restrictions On Friday, the European Union and the United States announced restrictions on flights from Southern Africa. The U.S. restrictions will apply to travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. Other nations which have impose travel restrictions from travelers arriving from Southern Africa include Jamaica, Canada, Bahrain, Belgium, Oman, Thailand, Britain, Croatia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore. Many countries have only started to experience a slow recovery after almost 2 years of lockdown and curfews. However, with the identification of this new COVID-19 strain many economies which are reliant on tourism will be severely impacted. South Africa and Botswana are dependent on tourists from the United States, Europe and China. South Africa’s tourism minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, described the temporary travel bans as “devastating.” On Friday Grenada became the first Caribbean country to impose a travel ban on travelers from Southern Africa. Will the government of Jamaica also impose travel restrictions from travelers from Southern Africa? The Jamaican healthcare system cannot cope with another wave of the COVID-19; our healthcare workers are overworked. The coronavirus COVID-19 vaccination has highlighted the gap between rich and poor nations. In Europe and North America and the rich Arab States the vaccination rate is much denser than in poorer countries such as those in Africa. According to Statistics from the online platform “Our World in Data” shows that 7.8 billion COVID 19 vaccine doses have been administered; 53% of the world’s population has received at least 1 dose. Countries: Percentage of Population COVID-19 Vaccinated Jamaica 16.9% Trinidad and Tobago 45.7% Guyana 34.5% Grenada 30% Barbados 47% Haiti 0.6% Turks and Caicos Islands 70.1% Cuba 80.5% Cayman Islands 83% USA 59.1% Canada 76.1% United Kingdom 68.8% India 30.6% Japan 77.0% Brazil 60.4% Russia 38.1% United Arab Emirates 88% Chad 0.4% Ghana 2.7% Yemen 1.8% Mali 2.9% Australia 72.4% Norway 71.0% Finland 72.7% It is often said that numbers do not lie. The above table shows us that the poorer nations continue to struggle to access COVID-19 vaccines while richer nations are administering boosters COVID-19 shots. We should not be surprised that a mutated form of the COVID-19 has emerged on the continent of Africa where access to the vaccines while not a cure is in short supply. The international community clearly has been rattled with this latest strain of the coronavirus. The New York Times reported that stocks around the world fell on Friday and oil prices plunged, after evidence of a new coronavirus variant in South Africa prompted another round of travel restrictions and reactivated economic concerns brought on by the pandemic. Be On Your Guard As we await more information regarding the Omicron COVID-19 variant, let us remain vigilant. The truth is many of us have let our guards down after almost 2 years of living with this COVID-19 pandemic. It is inevitable that the Omicron variant will reach the Caribbean and eventually on your shore regardless of where you live. Regrettably, we are seeing fewer individuals wearing masks and oftentimes there is no social distancing in public spaces. As we approach the Christmas season we can anticipate more social gatherings and perhaps fewer restrictions, unfortunately, this is a recipe to spread the novel coronavirus. A number of critical questions are yet to be answered. How transmissible is this strain of the coronavirus; does the current COVID19 vaccines offer protection from this variant? We therefore must continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols which include face covering; social distancing and the sanitization of our hands. Continue to remain safe. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #Omicron #covidvariant