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Omicron — let’s not panic

Omicron.

It sounds like a nefarious, shadowy organization masterminded by a James Bond villain.

And it is shadowy at this point, because we know so little about how it behaves.

Named by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, omicron is the latest variant of concern to emerge from what is beginning to feel like a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic without end.

Its appearance is certainly a sign that COVID isn’t finished with us yet.

Omicron was first detected and reported in South Africa, a testament to that country’s sophisticated testing capacity.

Cases of omicron have since been recorded in Canada and a host of other countries, including the United Kingdom, Botswana, the Netherlands, Israel, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic.

Although WHO officials have urged countries not to panic, several — including Canada — have implemented bans on travellers from Southern Africa.

And, indeed, to panic would be premature. Until more is known about omicron, there is no concrete evidence that it is more easily transmitted, that it causes more serious illness or that it is resistant to vaccines.

In a statement issued on Friday, the WHO’s technical lead for COVID-19, Maria Van Kerkhove, appealed for patience.

“This variant has a large number of mutations and some of these mutations have some worrying characteristics,” she said.

“Right now there are many studies that are underway. ... So far there’s little information, but those studies are underway, so we need researchers to have the time to carry those out, and WHO will inform the public and our partners and our member states as soon as we have more information.”

What we do know about omicron — and other COVID-19 variants — is that they tend to thrive and mutate in environments where vaccine uptake is low. And many developing countries fall into this category.

In South Africa, for example, only 24 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated against COVID19, according to Our World in Data. In Botswana, it’s 20 per cent. In Zimbabwe, 18.8 per cent. In Namibia, 11.6 per cent. Mozambique, 11 per cent, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, less than 0.1 per cent.

Canada’s rate of full vaccination is 76.3 per cent.

While we should be grateful to live in a country where COVID-19 vaccines have been so abundantly available that some jurisdictions are contemplating rolling out booster shots to the most vulnerable, and where young children are now being immunized, we should also consider that the emergence of omicron underscores the lack of vaccine equity.

In addition to reiterating the need for continued vigilance in maintaining pandemic protocols, the Canadian government should also join with other developed countries to step up its efforts to distribute vaccines where they are badly needed through COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) program.

Otherwise, we’re not really all in this together.

OPINION

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2021-12-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/282170769428674

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