I read the following today in the Washington Post and thought it to be a good summary for multiple paths forward. See what you thin is the right course of action and reaction to the virus.
"A week into the new year, America is looking at a choice of three divergent paths in its battle against the omicron variant, Post contributing columnist Leana S. Wen wrote on Monday.
Returning to lockdown, she noted, is a nonstarter that lacks public support.
We could let the variant run its course, but that would increase risks to vulnerable populations and push most hospitals to the breaking point. Many facilities are already there.
A third option, and the wisest of these, Leana believes, would save our hospitals while “minimizing disruption” to the economy.
“We don’t need to ask people to stay home, but we should require that they wear high-quality masks in all indoor public spaces. We don’t need to cancel gatherings, but we should mandate proof of vaccination — and boosters — for all indoor dining, gyms, movie theaters, and sporting events.”
This third way, in Leana’s view, “is our new reality going forward. There could well be surges of new variants every year — or even every few months. As long as vaccines continue to protect against severe illness and the risk to most individuals remains low, our paradigm has to shift from preventing infection to stopping societal devastation.”
Let me know what you think. And thanks for reading.
For more public health guidance from Leana, sign up for her newsletter, The Checkup with Dr. Wen, delivered every Thursday."
