I wrote this week that a number of vaccinated and boosted politicians and media members were infected with mild cases of COVID-19.
In fact, the highly contagious new variant seems to have devolved to the point that it no longer impacts smell or taste and behaves very much like a common cold.
Early evidence suggests that for most people, at least for those who are up to date on their COVID vaccines, omicron appears to result in mild illness that can resemble the common cold, another form of the coronavirus. Poehling, who is also a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which helps guide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decisions on vaccines, said there appear to be prominent symptoms from omicron:
- Cough
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Congestion and runny nose
Unlike in previous variants, the loss of taste and smell seems to be uncommon, she said.
Clearly, new variants are evading the vaccines. Therefore, the need for constant boosters is questionable, especially in light of the subsequent natural immunity that will develop once infections subside.
Therefore, with these developments, sensible politicians and public health officials would stop focusing on vaccinations and start turning toward the availability of treatment options.
Yet in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom is bitterly clinging to vaccines and now mandating the booster shot for the state’s healthcare workers.
In a statement posted to Twitter, he cited the rise of the omicron variant in the state. Omicron is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the country, according to federal health officials.”With Omicron on the rise, we’re taking immediate actions to protect Californians and ensure our hospitals are prepared,” Newsom said in a tweet.More information is expected in an announcement on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, state publications like the Los Angeles Times are ginning-up fear of Omicron to pair with this mandate.
While there are early indications Omicron might cause less severe illness than other variants, if enough people are infected, hospitals could be overwhelmed nonetheless, health officials say. That comes as the system already faces multiple challenges, including significant staffing shortages and increased demand for other healthcare services like flu treatment and procedures that were put on hold earlier in the pandemic.
California is viewing the pending mandate with skepticism.
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