As there have been a lot of casualties of the Delta variant of the Coronavirus and Americans are still struggling to deal with it, the introduction of the Omicron variant in recent times is a major cause of concern for healthcare authorities in the country. As per Dr. Topol, Americans are “sitting ducks for the next wave” of Covid as Omicron has entered U.S shores.
Americans Are “Sitting Ducks For The Next Wave Of Covid”, Says Dr. Eric
As per him, those who have received 3 doses of vaccine against the coronavirus, that is, the first two doses along with the booster shot should be deemed as fully vaccinated rather than just 2 shots. The health experts need to reach out to the American public and ensure that maximum people achieve the booster shots at the earliest as the booster shot might be the best chance for America to fend off the Omicron variant.
To avoid another situation, like in the case of the Delta variant, where Americans weren’t prepared well to fight against that particular mutation, the administration of booster dose might give an advantage against the Omicron variant by providing an added layer of protection and thereby reducing the number of casualties.
While the delta variant still remains the dominant variant in America, the Omicron variant now makes up about 3% of all active Covid cases in the U.S and the strain is spreading faster than any other strain recorded so far.
Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and the founder of Scripps Research Translational Institute, in an interview, said that the American Health Officials are lagging behind in their preparation against the Omicron variant and that 3 shots should be deemed as fully vaccinated.
There has already been a surge in hospitalizations across the country and that is likely to keep on rising. Health officials are trying to monitor the variant as minutely as possible in order to ensure that the spike in the number of covid cases doesn’t go out of control.
Dr. Topol’s comments came after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House Chief Medical advisor said that there is no need for an omicron specific shot and that the best possible defense against the Omicron variant would be to get vaccinated and receive a booster shot at the earliest.
When the Omicron variant emerged in South Africa, it was expected to be the most contagious and deadliest variant of the Coronavirus that we have seen so far. The rapid spread of the virus across countries confirms the fact that it is highly contagious but the death rate due to omicron is still under control.
The Omicron infections are seen to be milder and a major reason for this is the rate of vaccination across the world. People are immunized against the coronavirus, either through the vaccines or due to being infected by the virus at a prior stage, says Dr. Topol, but the rate of spread can become a major issue in the coming weeks as the cases are almost doubling on a daily basis.
The healthcare system was tested to its limits during the rise of the Delta variant as there were a huge number of cases that kept piling up, no beds were vacant in the hospitals across multiple states and the death toll kept rising.
With the decline of the delta variant due to the rise in vaccinations, the situation is under control, but the surge in cases due to the new omicron variant that has been challenging the vaccine efficacy is being reflected in the hospital records. The University of Pittsburg Medical Centre reported that its network of 40 hospitals and 8,700 beds is already close to capacity.
