January 13th 1:08 pm | Michael B. Savitt
There is a lot of panic in our community over the omicron variant of COVID-19. There should not be! Yes, it is more contagious and spreading rapidly, but, and this is important, it appears omicron is not nearly as virulent as the alpha and delta variants were.
Data from other parts of the country and other countries indicate a shorter duration of several days and milder symptoms. Folks who have had omicron have described it as having a bad cold with muscle aches and fatigue. So, it is not the severity of the disease we should be concerned about but a large number of sick people.
Therefore, hospitals may face another surge and have problems with supplies and staffing due to the sheer volume, not the same severity. We should not be looking at positive case numbers alone. We should be looking at testing supplies, hospital admission rates, ICU beds, ventilators, oxygen, and medication availability.
We have been told the vaccines are not as helpful with omicron. There are studies that indicate boosters are making a difference. We are being told to mask up again. Let us talk about appropriate mask usage. Studies are now showing that cloth masks are not effective against omicron. Surgical/medical masks are not much better. The real protection, when fitted properly and used correctly, are the N95 and KN95 masks. Physical distancing, hand-washing, and adequate room ventilation are all very important.
Testing is important and a priority of Mayor Dave Bronson and his administration. Whether it's with the multiple testing sites across the city (anchoragecovidtest.org) or with rapid testing, this allows us to know if we can safely go out or if we need to stay home.
Remember, exercise and a healthy diet are more important than ever. We are in a much better situation than before. We have experience with this disease. We have vaccinations. We have treatments. Most importantly, we have a variant that, although much more contagious, is much less virulent. No, the sky is not falling!
Michael B. Savitt, M.D., serves as chief medical officer for the Anchorage Health Department.
See the article here:
The sky is not falling. We have the tools to fight omicron. - Arctic Sounder
