On November 26th, The World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement identifying a new strain of the Covid virus identified in Botswana and South Africa. Dubbed "Omicron" following the Greek letter naming conventions, this variation was declared a "variant of concern" in accordance to its high mutation and unpredictable response against circulated vaccines.
This new scare has once again prompted shutdowns worldwide, many countries banning flights from South Africa, while some countries closing off all foreign travel. As of now, the nature of Omicron is still being looked into with caution. Results so far have been concerning but ultimately inconclusive. The only positive case in the U.S. experienced short-term mild symptoms, however, they were fully vaccinated beforehand. The lethality and transmissibility is still to be determined, but even so, stay safe and mask up.
If you plan to vacation this winter, expect cancellations and be extra careful, as viruses thrive in the cold.
Discussion:
1. How does the appearance of new strains affect the administration(or lack thereof) of vaccines?
2. How does one explain to a child how Santa operates amidst a global pandemic of a highly transmissive virus? (or the global pandemic's effect on the growing youth)
25 comments:
The new variant has already pushed Pfizer to request that 16 and 17 year olds be approved to get the booster by the FDA. As of right now, the booster is only available to those over 18, however, the CEO of Pfizer made it clear that he is hoping to provide protection for people “particularly in light of the new variant,” of course referencing omicron. With a case now solidified in the United States, it is more likely that the FDA would want to make sure that the booster is safe for those aged 16 and 17 as quickly as possible. Although the booster may be approved by the FDA, I am sure that those who have not received the first vaccine won’t be likely to start getting them then. However, If the first variant was not enough to get a booster shot or even the original vaccine, I would only hope that people begin to see why it is important to remain wearing masks and get vaccinated.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/11/30/1060281550/pfizer-fda-covid-booster-16-and-17-year-olds
Unfortunately, I don't think the new variant will be the ultimate push to get unvaccinated people to change their opinions on vaccinations. However, vaccine companies like Moderna and Pfizer are pushing harder for vaccinations. The CEO of Moderna said that "We’ve lowered the dose of a booster of a current vaccine, and so we have a lot of safety data showing that we could go back to a higher microgram dose at double the dose of a current vaccine, which should provide better protection than the third dose booster at 50 micrograms. So that's the first line of defense, actionable right away." On top of this, researchers are scrambling to discover whether vaccinations are effective against the Omicron variant, yet we won't completely know for another few weeks. Drug-making companies are definitely stepping it up to fight against this variant in a timely manner.
^^ https://www.thedailybeast.com/stephane-bancel-moderna-ceo-says-omicrons-effect-on-vaccines-will-not-be-good
With the new strain of the Coronavirus, Omicron, there are many questions of if the vaccines we have right now are even helpful. In a New York Times article, Omicron is more transmissible and better able to evade the body’s immune responses, both to vaccination and to natural infection, than prior versions of the virus, experts say in interviews. Vaccines have continue to ward off severe illness and death, although booster doses may be needed to protect most people. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, with the most effective vaccines against the Coronavirus, are preparing to reformulate there shots after further research is done. As said in the post above, there have been very few cases in the U.S. with Omicron, positive cases have shown mild symptoms even being vaccinated. I'm willing to say that there will be a need for a new and improved vaccine for this new variant of the Coronavirus.
Link to New York Times Article
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/health/covid-omicron-vaccines-immunity.html
Further than health concerns, the Omicron variant will most likely exacerbate racism and xenophobia in the country. First, it was hate directed toward Asian Americans due to its origins in China; and now, racism towards African Americans due to the new variant in South Africa and Botswana. Previous national emergencies, such as the Great Depression and World War II, galvanized the country. COVID-19, though, has successfully pandered to the nation’s worst instincts. As people hunker down in the midst of the pandemic, a single cough or sneeze might seal their fates. But, for Asian Americans and African Americans, the color of their skin often holds the key to their destiny. Prejudice remains the besetting sin of America.
In regards to Santa's shenanigans, children can easily be satisfied with an explanation that Santa is an omnipresent being with innate immunity to all variants of COVID-19. Because children aren’t immune, Santa will definitely be wearing a mask this holiday season, as all the other children should, and still expect some presents and that holiday love.
I don't think this new strain is going to push people to get vaccinated. We had the delta variant who was shown to be dangerous and very easily transmittable but now it isn't in the media anymore. We “survived” that. People also know little about this and the one case was mild, but this was because he was vaccinated but I don't think people are going to care about the little amount of information we have don't worry anti vaxxers. They'll just see it like the dela variant who affected them little to none. The continuous strains that are developing are causing more lockdowns to happen, the youth are getting more and more back to normal wearing masks and getting vaccinated, but we can't get back to normal with people who don't believe in covid and individuals who don't get vaccinated. Many young people are losing their childhood and youth experiences because of anti makers and anti vaxxers who are selfish and self centered.
I really liked Amanda's point on racism. I was recently reading an article that mentioned the irony that South Africa probably wasn't the first country to possess the variant, they were simply the first to bring it to the world's attention. In general, we really need to focus on the deaths and health aspect of the pandemic as opposed to who's fault it is, simply augmenting the problem we have on our hands. Furthermore, in more recent news we can see that New York has now reported 5 cases of Omricon in NYC metro area, meaning that this problem is drastically spreading. One case of this variant has been reported in both California and Colorado. The tricky thing with this variant is that it's been so heavily mutated.
Another question that we'll hopefully see answered in the future is our vaccine response to Omnicron as well as how the double dose compares to the additional booster shot that some parts of the population have. I'm also interested in seeing the statistics techniques being used to analyze these variants and vaccine efficacy. For example, NYC has publicized that they are doing a random analysis of 15% of the tests that are sent to them. I think this is a good strategy but at this point, it may be helpful to increase this number to 25% or more because the number of cases is still small and we can prevent the spread as much as possible. On the other hand, some may argue that this spread is inevitable and instead of wasting our money on increasing our knowledge of the variant spread, we should work towards increasing booster shot accessibility and other prevention techniques (bringing vaccines to countries like South Africa to prevent the occurrence of another variant).
As for the question surrounding Santa's shenanigans, I'm a strong believer in Santa's collaboration with the parents. Santa is obviously double vaccinated with a booster and masked at all times, but he also coordinates with parents to leave presents just outside people's houses instead of entering so that he does not enter the houses of millions of kids and spread or come in contact with any indoor germs. Parents also have this opportunity to exercise creative freedom :) Santa's "immune" elves could come in handy in such conversations.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/02/new-york-omicron-covid-variant.html
I am mildly hopeful that this new variant will encourage unvaccinated Americans to seek out the vaccine. According to a New York Time article, the leading reason for people getting vaccinated over summer was the Delta variant, and so I hope that trend will continue for this upcoming winter and the new Omicron variant. Additionally, remembering last winter, there was a serious spike in cases around the holidays when many people went to other households to celebrate inside and away from the cold. These conditions encouraged covid to spread throughout the nation, and we must make an effort to ensure that we don’t experience these spikes again. The bottom line is that most people in America have access to the vaccine, and I believe that if you can, there is no excuse not to get it. Hopefully, the fear of this new variant will encourage the remaining people who are unvaccinated.
As for Santa, I think parents can tell their children that he is fully vaccinated with a booster and he will be wearing a mask. I also have a feeling that he can figure out a way to utilize the chimney so that he doesn't actually have to go inside:).
New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/health/covid-delta-variant-vaccines-survey.html
In terms of vaccination, it seems like vaccines might have to be adapted to deal with the omicron variant. According to The Mercury News, the omicron variant has similar mutations to the beta and gamma variants, which were seen earlier in the pandemic. Although all these variants are more resistant to current vaccines, I’m hoping that the similarities will help scientists figure out a better vaccine quicker. The omicron variant could possibly have an effect on whether or not Biden’s national vaccine mandate for healthcare workers gets passed as it could influence some Congress members to worry more about COVID-19, however this could also be unlikely as people’s beliefs are hard to change. If the mandate gets passed though, it could influence corporations other than healthcare to start making vaccinations mandatory as well. Whatever happens, people should continue wearing masks and getting tested to try and help keep themselves safe.
Reference links:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/12/03/omicron-vs-delta-comparing-covids-most-worrisome-variants/
https://www.cnet.com/health/biden-vaccine-mandate-halted-for-now-update-on-who-must-show-proof-of-covid-vaccination/
I'm also hoping that the news of this new, more infectious variant will push more Americans to get vaccinated, as well as the increase in family gatherings during this Christmas/New Years time. However, I've seen that this might not be the case. In response to the news of the new Omicron variant, some Americans have expressed frustrations that there is yet another variant, and are inclined to try to ignore it. I agree that it's frustrating, but I agree with integrating hope into the news: encouraging booster shots and working together towards the end of the pandemic.
The Omicron variant also brings up a different viewpoint on the effect of virus discovery in the world. As Amanda brought up earlier, scapegoating and racism towards people from South Africa has occurred, as it was the origin of discovery of the virus. According to a CNN article I found (https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/africa/africa-travel-ban-omicron-variant-intl-cmd/index.html), the African countries banned by many first world countries (including the US) are unhappy with the response from the west. Doctors in South Africa were the first to report the virus; it's not necessarily the location of the origin of the virus. However, they feel they are being blamed with all the restrictions placed against them. African countries need all the support they can to increase vaccine distributions in their country, but are feeling abandoned.
This creates a dilemma: If countries that warn the world about a virus get negative treatment, countries may feel reluctant to report their findings. However, we would want to know ahead of time, in order to prepare our responses as best as possible.
So, I believe that for all situations, we should seek to educate ourselves fully on the situation, before forming opinions and bandwagoning on strong emotion.
The appearances of new strains affecting the administration of vaccines are patients questioning and becoming more hesitant to receive our current vaccines due to its response to the new strains. The blog explains how someone in the United States, that was fully vaccinated, had faced mild symptoms with the new strain. What vaccine had they received? How are these new strains similar or different to Covid in the United States? The global pandemic’s effects on the growing youth can go one of many ways. I believe it is best to educate children about what is going on in the world, in order to keep them more aware and to be an influence by following safety protocols to avoid the virus.
I think that the appearance of the Omicron variant highlights the effects of the US and the international community failing to act with full haste to counter COVID-19. The idea behind vaccination is to administer vaccines to everyone as soon as effectively and as soon possible, so that the virus cannot transfer to anyone and eventually recedes. The time constraint is the possibility of a new virus variant appearing and being resistant to the vaccine. If we do not vaccinate fast enough and new strains appear that our vaccines are less effective against before the virus is eradicated, that sets us up for a never-ending cycle of remaking vaccines to counter new variants. We need to make and administer vaccines fast enough to eradicate the virus before a new strain can develop.
One such strain is Omicron, although the research is still in its very initial phases it seems it could be slightly more resistant to vaccines than the other variants, so the situation is not as grave as it could be. Omicron is a warning that we need to pick up our vaccination rate so that we can finally eradicate Covid-19 - not just in the US but in 3rd world countries who do not have the resources to manufacture and administer vaccines, and make sure it does not mutate further. The US needs to work with the international community to give vaccines to poor countries and strongly encourage other countries and their peoples to get vaccinated and end this once and for all. Then and only then will we be able to return to normal.
I agree with Julien that the new Omicron variant exposes flaws within the US distribution of vaccines but I would also like to bring up that it also reflects the American public as well. Some people just plain oppose taking the vaccines with many sports players like Aaron Rodgers filling headlines for refusing to take the vaccine. With this in mind, it would be impossible to get everyone in the country to take vaccines considering how some people feel about it. I personally disagree with their intentions and what they believe since the vaccine’s harmful effects are very very rare and I feel it is more dangerous on you and your friends and family when you don’t take the vaccine. The Omicron variant only highlights that as the virus continues to live if everyone doesn’t get fully vaccinated.
I can see the new variant having a negative effect on the distribution of vaccines. I feel like people will wait to get booster shots or vaccines since they want to get the vaccine when it covers the new variant. Others may want to get the vaccine now hoping that it would provide more protection against the new variant. Of course, there will always be those who don’t want it entirely.
It’s kinda scary that the Omicron variant was found in San Francisco so it could be spread throughout the Bay Area without us knowing. In this SF Chronicle article, 5 cases were discovered in an East Bay wedding (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/At-least-five-omicron-COVID-cases-detected-in-16673754.php). If anything that shows how rapidly it is spreading weeks, days upon discovery. The Omicron variant spreads very quickly and is very unpredictable given the lack of information around it. I remember reading that the variant could be infecting a large sample of the population in countries before we even realize that it’s within the country. It spreads that fast. I fully agree with Jonathan that the Omicron variant may disrupt what we’ve gotten going the last few months as holiday plans may be cancelled. It is also very important to mask up just like before with the threat of this new variant.
I think that the appearance of new strains will significantly hurt the attempts to administer vaccines to as much of the population as possible. Already, the invention of booster shots has lowered public confidence (among those who did not believe in the vaccine in the first place) in the vaccine, with many seeing the booster shots as proof that "the vaccine is not effective." An article about this very problem is here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/health/covid-boosters-unvaccinated.html
I think that with the new variants, and with so many reputable scientists expressing the true scientific fact that we cannot possibly yet ascertain whether or not the new variant is more resistant to vaccines/boosters, the population of people who have yet to become vaccinated may become even more hesitant. This is simply more proof for them that the vaccine is not effective and should be avoided, even though a higher population of vaccinated individuals is still exactly what the nation--and the world--needs to finally fully recover from the pandemic.
It might be difficult to explain to a child how Santa operates amidst a global pandemic of a highly transmissive virus. It sends a conflicting message. We're supposed to self isolate! We must limit contact with as many people as we can! And yet, here is this man, going to every single house in the world, exposing himself down chimneys and under Christmas trees, eating every family's milk and cookies. It is difficult to explain to children how Santa makes sense right now. Perhaps parents can tell their children that he had his elves engineer a Santa Specific Ultra-Protective Vaccine, that only works for Santa. I have no idea. Maybe it is simply time for the truth about Santa to come out (which by the way, also doesn't have to be that bad! Link here explaining a fantastic way to explain the reality of Santa to children. Not that any of you are parents... and I'm not sure why I'm including this link. But it is sweet: https://www.goodthingsguy.com/opinion/explain-santa-kids/).
The general effect for children, however, is definitely negative. It is impossible for children to fully understand what this pandemic is. For children, its a horrible hurty hurty breath that is stopped by magical pieces of cloth strapped to your face. Be careful not to go within 6 feet of best friend little Timmy! Especially if he is coughing! He might have the hurty hurty breath! Young kids will not understand. What they will know is that they must separate from their friends. They must be wary of some sort of sickening disease rather than just mindlessly playing tag and doing belly bumps in the courtyard. It adds a mature element to the lives of immature brains, which is ultimately going to have negative effects on their childhood.
The appearance of the Omicron would definitely affect the distribution of vaccines greatly; with those who are already vaccinated and very worried about their health, they're likely to push to get booster shots in order to protect themselves against this new variant. This can vastly affect how those who aren't vaccinated as they may not be able to receive the vaccine to protect themselves among other variants. However, there's still the chance that the new strains are resistant to these variants and wouldn't be affected by them at all.
Part of the holiday season is the magic that comes with it; Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated winter holidays is purely fueled by the want to give and a little bit of creativity/imagination. Children might not understand the pandemic around us, for better or worse. They might not even question how Santa would be affected since Santa lives in the North Pole with a bunch of elves. Elves clearly aren't affected by Covid so Santa is safe! However, they are definitely missing out on the holiday parties which leaves the parents to either be creative or honest in order to explain why.
For the first question, the appearance of new strains (including Omicron) will pressure more people to get vaccinated. Also, the government will start to take harsher measures to fight against Covid-19. Just over an hour ago, New York City's mayor Bill de Blasio announced a vaccine mandate for all private sector employees. This is most likely in light of the new Omicron variant as well as an expected increase in cases during the winter season. Covid-19 testing is no more an alternative. As demonstrated by that vaccine mandate, the government will just make vaccine mandates more strict and wide-reaching to combat new variants.
I also agree with Danielle and Freja that people who aren't vaccinated yet won't get the vaccine due to new variants (unless they're forced to). However, I disagree with Freja's argument that "many young people are losing their childhood and youth experiences because of anti maskers and anti vaxxers who are selfish and self centered." I completely understand the frustration, but children would be losing their childhoods even if everyone was vaccinated. Over 87% of SMUHSD students were vaccinated as of November 3rd, and there has been no change in the school's Covid-19 policy. Moreover, people are concerned enough about breakthrough cases and the vaccine's effectiveness that masks, self-isolation, and other precautions would still be taken if everyone was vaccinated. Earlier in the pandemic I had the same opinion. I directed my anger at anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers because not everyone had access to the vaccine yet and deaths were climaxing. However, a lot of time has passed and many more people are vaccinated now. What are we still doing? Masking, self-isolating, testing, and watching Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden, and Jen Psaki tell us the new variant of the day. Covid-19 has changed how Americans will look at disease in the future (in some ways, that's a good thing). People forget that the Flu is actually deadlier for children than Covid-19. Why didn't we mask and self-isolate before 2020? Hard to say. If you want evidence, according to a chart from New York City Health, the Covid-19 mortality rate for children ages 0-17 was 0.06% before May 13, 2020 (no vaccine, obviously). According to health expert John Elflein, during the 2019-2020 season, the flue mortality rate for children ages 5-17 was 0.3%. That is a staggering difference, and confirms that the flu is much deadlier to children than Covid-19. So, in the future, if Covid-19 is somehow "controlled," the flu will still be a danger to children (which means masking, social distancing, self-isolating, testing, the whole gamut). By the standards government officials are setting, we will be masking indoors for eternity. Of course that is not what is ruining childhoods, but if anyone expects to return to life before March 2020, that sadly isn't going to happen.
Citations:
Covid-19 Mortality Rates: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/
Flu Morality Rates: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1127799/influenza-us-mortality-rate-by-age-group/
Private Sector Vaccine Mandate: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/06/world/omicron-variant-covid
I think the variant could possibly help with vaccination rates — if people are scared enough, they might just go and do it. If the new variant actually triggers a new wave, I’m sure the government is going to push vaccines even harder and probably instill harsher, more widespread vaccine mandates. Hopefully Moderna and Pfizer can develop a vaccine that’s effective against the Omicron variant fast enough, but there are a lot of concerning mutations. Unfortunately, I don’t think another wave or another quarantine is out of the question — it seems unlikely now, but it also seemed unlikely back in March 2020 that the entire following school year would be conducted virtually. The lesson is to always expect the worst, I suppose.
In regards to how children and their perception of Santa might be affected, I’m going to have to be honest and say that is an excellent opportunity to expose them to the harsh, brutal reality of life: Santa isn’t real. You’re going to have to take the band-aid off at some point, and it’s better to just rip it off than draw out the pain, in my opinion. Also, this generation of younger children is probably a little mentally screwed up from the extended isolation they were in during the crucial years of brain development in which social interaction is essential. Therefore, we probably shouldn’t mess further with their perception of reality.
Another alternative is to utilize this situation to teach children the importance of following health and safety guidelines. Tell them that Santa died of COVID-19 because he wasn’t washing his hands or wearing a mask or refused to get vaccinated — after all, he is in many of the most vulnerable demographics. He’s old, overweight, and frequently travels internationally, so it all makes perfect sense. This will definitely teach kids a lesson and ensure that they’re extra careful with the rise of the new Omicron variant.
The new appearance of Omicron will definitely cause more people to get vaccinated, including the booster shot. The more fear that is created around Omicron, the more people will be willing to get the vaccine. Although Omicron has more than 50 mutations, health experts are still suggesting that 3 doses of a vaccine will still provide some protection (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/will-current-covid-19-vaccines-stand-the-test-of-omicron#Spike-protein-changes). The best way to explain how Santa operates is to tell them that Santa is fully vaccinated and that he is vaccinated. You could also use the "naughty or nice" ideology, and state that he is making sure that kids are wearing masks and are vaccinated. The youth have been greatly affected by the pandemic, especially within the schooling system. Masks and vaccines (or weekly testing) have been required by many school districts. Covid cases will likely rise because of how viruses tend to thrive in cold weather. There is also supposed to be a pill coming out that is supposed to provide protection similar to the vaccine. I do believe that there will be people that will decide to take this form of protection, but we still have yet to see how effective it will be.
With the new variant on the rise, it is even more important than ever to get as many people as possible vaccinated, with their first round of vaccines and also people’s boosters. Especially for the younger population that was more recently approved to get the vaccine (October 29), it is important to continue vaccinating them--really whoever is qualified should get the vaccine. While we continue to face a large number of resistant anti-vaxers, hopefully, the rise of this variant will push people to get their vaccines. After all, we have the vaccines and now it is their responsibility to take them to protect themselves, and more importantly, others. However, for those who still refuse to get vaccinated, I believe we need to enact stronger mandates to regularly test unvaccinated employees and students. Especially with the holidays around the corner, we need to ensure that health precautions are taken to slow the spread of the virus. Granted unvaccinated probably don’t care much about the pandemic, they probably don’t take their own safety precautions (especially around the holidays), so we must ensure that they are taken.
To be honest, parents should use the Omicron as an excuse to explain why Santa won't be giving any presents this year. This way, parents will not only avoid contributing to the excessive, wasteful, and environmentally harmful impacts of consumerism that skyrockets during the holiday season, but they will also be saving money and teaching their children about the detriment of the virus. Given the severity of the ongoing pandemic, parents could carefully explain to their children that Santa will have to hold back from traveling the world to send gifts this year to avoid transmitting viruses everywhere he goes. After all, how else would young children better comprehend the need to stay masked, vaxxed, and avoid unnecessary travel that could expose them to the virus?
In all seriousness, parents and educators can use this as an opportunity to reiterate the necessity of maintaining health precautions this holiday season to avoid exacerbating virus transmission and to better ensure their health and wellbeing.
The emergence of a new variant should be an opportunity for the urgency to promote vaccinations. People need to get vaccinated, we cannot risk another shutdown as they have proven to be a blow to our economy and mobility of our country. I agree with Julien that this is a mirror to our international community, and the inability to roll out vaccines quick enough. Vaccination is the key to the containment of this pandemic, people need to understand that it is safe, and that there is no microchip going into your body once the needles is injected into your arm. Regarding Santa, I feel like this is the season for parents to get creative. Either explain to them that Santa got stuck in Reindeer traffic, that Santa only comes to houses whose members practice COVID after protocol, or just wait until the children go to bed and act as if it was just a regular Christmas delivery for Santa. However, this is the best time to explain kids in a nice way about the extremity of what is going on. A child's comprehension can be easily molded through kind and positive thoughtful explanations, make it simple for them. A fun lesson on survival!
The new variant has forced Pfizer to allow vaccinations for 16-17-year-olds to get the booster. I feel that with new strains vaccines will need to evolve with the variants in which the test of human bioengineering will be tested. However, with the speed at which new vaccines are being released along with the positive trend of lower spreading with cases of omicron, I see that the administration is working hard but in the end smarter. I feel that amidst all of the vaccine news we are receiving that people will continue to understand the importance of wearing masks and keeping up with maintaining precautions to prevent the further spread of new and future variants.
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