While there are many scientists and virologists working on what omicron will mean, the initial indications are it could be bad. The biggest thing known so far is how fast this new variant is spreading. There are plenty of things we don’t know, but the spread is somewhat easy to track.
Then there are the questions about the level of protection provided by the current vaccines. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged people to get the booster. This is because some believe that just the two shot version of the vaccine protects you about the same as being unvaccinated. Yikes!
Denmark, which is one of the most vaccinated nations in the world and does COVID-19 testing seven times as much as the United States, is projecting the worst of the pandemic is still ahead of us.
At the Center for Regional Disaster Resilience (CRDR) that I lead, we are planning a series of maritime resilience workshops from February to April. Our hope was to have a hybrid offering for each of these, with most people attending in person and then offering a virtual version as well.
We also have an Election Security Workshop coming up in April. That was being planned as a 300-person, in-person event — just like the old days. Hmm, that too could end up being entirely virtual.
While we know things change, I’m still waiting for a permanent change for the better when it comes to the pandemic.
Be well — and get your booster shot!
