Why we’re better prepared for omicron
The new omicron variant of the COVID-19 has brought fears of another wave of crippled health systems and closed borders as the holiday season has begun. The new variant brings risks of new symptoms and increased virulence, and governments around the world have begun to close borders to control its spread. There is tremendous uncertainty around this new variant: Is it more transmissible, more virulent (dangerous) and/or able to evade our current vaccine- or infection-induced immunity? We will learn the answers to these consequential questions over the next few weeks. In the meantime, there is good news: Our scientific and medical institutions are vastly better equipped to fight it than a year ago.
When new variants of the virus do arise, our global medical and scientific community is able to characterize them much faster than ever before. The delta variant of the virus was identified in December of last year, but only labeled a variant of concern in May. For the new omicron variant, this process took just two days. With a six-month head start on identifying new strains of the virus, our scientific community has much more time to understand and determine the best ways to combat this new strain IF it turns out to be capable of dominating the country, as delta did.
What is more, Americans now have access to low-cost or free, highly effective vaccines against current strains of COVID-19, while last year at this time all we had to protect against infection was social distancing and masks. Current vaccines are highly effective against severe symptoms of the virus. While these vaccines may be less effective against the omicron variant, it is very likely that they will still offer some protection from the worst symptoms. We also have pathways to create updated versions, rapidly, should they be necessary. The best way to prevent contracting and experiencing the worst from the virus is still to get vaccinated. Right now, delta is still responsible for essentially all cases in the United States, and with booster shots, protection is very high.
If we are concerned that we have been infected by the virus, Americans now have access to faster and easier testing than ever before. Rapid COVID-19 PCR testing has changed the way hospitals operate around our country and allowed results in minutes to hours, not days. COVID antigen testing has also become widespread, letting us know when we are infectious, often through a simple home test. This ability to protect loved ones from the virus and get near-instant testing results has let many of us enjoy a holiday season filled with gatherings unimaginable a year ago.
Even if the omicron variant becomes clinically widespread, Americans will likely soon have access to two new promising drugs to fight COVID-19 infections. For much of last year, we had precious little to prevent acute symptoms beyond false hope in hydroxychloroquine. Now, Molnupiravir and Paxlovid show promise in preventing hospitalization and deaths, if taken early in the course of COVID, reducing severe disease by 30 percent and over 80 percent respectively. These drugs work via different mechanisms, and it is possible that combination therapy could increase their effectiveness beyond using each alone. These new drugs drastically increase the need for early testing, but as noted, this is now much more accessible.
Cases of the omicron variant are reported in new countries each day, and the new strain is likely already here in the United States, despite recently imposed travel lockdowns. While this new variant is concerning, the resources we have to identify new variants, protect against, test for and mitigate illness from this virus are incredibly advanced compared to just a year ago. When it comes to being prepared against a new variant of COVID-19, Americans have a lot to be thankful for.