THIRD WAVE OR ENDEMIC?
In 2019 a nerve-racking virus started from Wuhan Lab China. World stopped and we all were locked up inside our homes. Work from the office turned into work from home and education was now on phones/laptops. Health care took a digital turn and now instead of going to clinics you can video call the doctors and you’ll get the treatment. As the years passed Coronavirus mutated and variants evolved as soon you think the pandemic is ending the next moment you are again locked up. Now after 2 years when things were finally getting back on track a new variant evolved that is OMICRON VARIANT.
The Omicron variant is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on 24 November 2021. Since Coronavirus is a man-made virus it has no cure, vaccines are also partially effective and people who are vaccinated are also getting infected with Omicron. The severity of the patient is less but the danger is still there. The level of variation in SARS-CoV-2 has led to concerns regarding its transmissibility, immune system evasion, and vaccine resistance. It was not late that this virus was designated as being of concern with the rate it was getting transmitted it raised concern around the globe and again it was time to sit at home and chill.
Milder but more transmissive:The Omicron strain is milder than prior strains, particularly when compared to the Delta strain. When compared to previously found variants of concern, Omicron is thought to be less able to enter deep lung tissue, leading experts to believe that this is the explanation for a lower likelihood of severe disease needing hospitalisation. Since the severity and death rate is low the transmissible rate puts pressure on health care and beds availability in hospitals.
When we heard that finally scientists made a vaccine and we also got the shots we thought it’s finally the end of covid but is it really the end?
Here’s the twist: people with double vaccination or with booster shots are also getting infected with covid and now the number of children getting infected has also increased. Vaccines against other variations, such as Delta, have proven to be helpful in reducing severe disease, hospitalizations, and death. Omicron’s recent emergence underscores the significance of immunisation and boosters. Scientists are attempting to discover how effective existing COVID-19 treatments are. Some medicines are likely to remain helpful despite Omicron’s changing genetic make-up, while others may be less successful.
Now the question arises: What are the symptoms of Omicron Variant? In the early stages, omicron symptoms include body aches, generalised weakness, fatigue, headache, and fever, and later on, they may develop a dry cough, as well as a cold with water from the nose, sneezing, and other symptoms. The cough is usually dry and goes away within a few days. Fever usually resolves within the first three days in 80 percent of patients, and if it does not, it is an indication of a mild to severe infection that requires constant monitoring. The importance of isolating at the correct moment and avoiding infection from spreading to other family members cannot be overstated. That is why using the rapid antigen is critical, and if the rapid antigen is negative but you are still experiencing symptoms, utilising the RTPCR will ensure that you do not miss any covid omicron cases and that you do not spread the disease to more individuals. Because the omicron infection is far more infectious than the other mutants, we must exercise extreme caution. It is highly infectious, which is why we must be adequately masked in public places and in high-risk areas such as hospitals, where medical facilities are critical. When you have symptoms and need to leave the house for whatever reason, you must wear a N95 mask. If you’re coughing and have symptoms, a simple cloth or surgical mask may not be enough.
Doesn’t matter how many doses of vaccine you have taken, you can still get the virus and can spread it among your loved ones. So, should we consider this as the third wave of covid? Or an endemic? And start living with it considering it as a normal flu? Well this still remains a debatable question because coronavirus is just not making an exit from the universe and coming back every year as a new variant and this confirms the virus has no treatment and prevention. Our safety is in our hands and our life is in our own hands because we can’t stay inside our house forever right? We need to learn to live with it and go with it
