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Vaccinations and New Variants: Omicron
We are once again closing borders and running with our heads cut off. We have a new variant in our midst of a virus that is able to mutate with ease. Here is the problem with our approach. While I am waiting to get my booster, it’s time, we are lagging in vaccinating the rest of the world.
There are factors at play here.
The first is that as long as the virus has hosts it will continue to infect and take over cells and it will continue to change. What scientists call mutations. Most mutations are worthless and do not affect us, or make the virus better. Or at least better from the perspective of the virus.
What does this mean?
Do these mutations make it far more infectious. In other words, instead of infecting three people on average, it infects five, seven or more. That makes the speed of transmission. Meaning more hosts, which leads to more useful mutations.
Is this deadlier? This is the critical question. If this is more infectious, but generally speaking leads to more benign disease, then it’s not entirely bad. But if this turns out to be deadlier, then we may be in trouble.
This is why business is panicking. The recovery is well on the way. But this could slow it down, or stop it.