Image Credit: World Health Organization

By Mel Rothenburger

Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: It would be easier not to panic over Omicron if message was clear

Dec 1, 2021 | 4:22 AM

THE OMICRON VARIANT is either a major new threat or nothing to worry about, depending on which expert you listen to.

Only a few days after its existence became public, the variant has spread to several countries and is now in several Canadian provinces as well. The first case in B.C. was confirmed yesterday, and more are almost certainly on the way.

Initial news reports painted a picture of a new Super COVID, a variant with several dozen different mutations that might spread more easily and be more deadly than even the Delta, and likely has a higher ability to re-infect. It might even be resistant to existing vaccines.

The World Health Organization says Omicron is a “variant of concern” and that the global risk is “very high.” Variants of concern, or VOCs, are those that, among other things, show signs of higher virulence and may challenge the effectiveness of current containment measures.

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All the talk yesterday was around new travel restrictions spurred by the emergence of Omicron.

The World Health Organization, however, says travel bans don’t work and tend to discourage nations from reporting new variants.

As all this has been going on, some experts have been downplaying the potential consequences of Omicron. Noting mild symptoms in some who have been infected, they say it’s possible Omicron might not be any worse than other variants, even if it has higher transmission rates.

One doctor even said Omicron could be a blessing in disguise because it will provide a way for the drug companies to develop a new vaccine that will be highly effective against all COVID variants.

The experts are consistent on one thing — that we shouldn’t panic.

OK, but it would be easier not to panic if our healthcare experts could speak as one about the details rather than fracturing the message and leaving us wondering whether to be worried, or not, and how much.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.