The COVID Carousel
Something ‘Omicron’ this way comes…
I imagine it’s like looking at a tidal wave. You know, the kind in the movies. The wall of water coming at you. You could run, but it would be pointless. Its height is utterly terrifying. It has you. All you can do is close your eyes and wait for the inevitable. Such is the Omicron variant of COVID.
The same thing was largely true for the Delta variant, as I wrote about here five months ago. But this feeling of utter helplessness feels even more pronounced because it (seemingly) is more pronounced. This version is spreading far faster than anything before it. To the point where it is already crashing over the UK. The ramp is starting in NYC. And it will be all across the US in the next few weeks, max. As someone who lives on the west coast of that country, this is the calm before that storm we all know is coming.
I’ve been following this fairly closely because we were actually supposed to go to the UK for a family trip yesterday. We pulled the plug at the last minute when it became clear what would happen. And it did. Oh boy, did it.
And yet, while we mainly pivoted due to a still unvaccinated three year old, the secondary reason wasn’t a fear about my wife or I getting sick — both of us are fully vaccinated and boosted — it’s because of the logistical shitshow that was likely to be the fallout of this situation. Again, it’s already playing out. Each and every day the UK government seems to be implementing new mandates and rules. You have to feel sort of bad for them. They clearly have no idea what they’re doing because no one really does. They just have to showcase that first to the world. And we can all learn from their mistakes.
And yet, it’s unlikely we will in the US. Because this is all fully political. To be clear, it is in the UK as well, which is exacerbating the bumblefuck. But the US is about to make the UK look like a quaint tea party, as it often does.
Omicron is going to hit us hard. Both because we’re a huge nation, but also because we’re a stupid nation. If everyone was vaccinated, let alone boosted, it would likely be fine. Instead, we have nearly 40% who remain unvaccinated. FORTY PERCENT. Days away from 2022. What the literal fuck.
This variant is going to rip through our country and wreak havoc on those forty percent (and unfortunately, other immunocompromised people who those 40 percent refuse to protect, like true jackasses). Milder or not — data is promising, but the jury is still out for a host of reasons — this is going to be ugly. Time and mutations may be naturally blunting the virus, but the true stopgap, the vaccines, remain up for debate because our country is broken.
There may be some silver-linings here. First, this wave may be bad enough that it gets significantly more vaccine hesitant morons (which, to be clear, they are at this point), off the bench. Seems unlikely given everything else that has transpired in the past two years, but maybe! I mean, this is going to be bad! Second, this wave may also be bad enough that it infects enough, quickly enough, without as much deadly force, that we end this. Again, this seems unlikely as there will undoubtedly be more variants, but it does seem more likely that we move closer to the end game with this.
To that end, I worry that this Omicron wave crashes on us, things are ugly for a few weeks, then it recedes rather quickly — this may be happening already in South Africa. That may lead to another great spring and summer where it feels like the end, and then… whatever Greek letter is next (assuming the next one doesn’t offend some group we don’t want to offend, ridiculously) hits. Rinse. Repeat.
Anyway, it feels like we’ve been inching towards the end of this for a long time now. Omicron will be the latest disaster, but could push us closer to the finish line once it recedes. Anyone who isn’t vaccinated and/or boosted should do so immediately. But anyone reading this who still isn’t vaccinated won’t because “freedom” which sounds a lot like a combination of selfishness mixed with stupidity. Round and round we go.
One more thing: I do wonder if a third, wild card silver-lining here isn’t that governments wake up to reality. Again, in the wealthy countries, we’re not going to move the needle further on vaccinations so let’s just… move on? Restrict the fuck out of anyone not vaccinated and let the rest of the country get back to a life which is as normal as possible. We’re all going to get Omicron, vaccinated or not. The difference is that the vaccinated will be fine. And may not even know they have it, it seems.
Yes, we have to worry about Long COVID. But there’s unfortunately not much we can do there. Again, this is happening, like it or not. The wave is crashing. We’re all getting this. So let’s act accordingly, including stopping the restrictions and loosening rules which are often silly defensive gestures happening too late anyway. Let’s make it simple. If you’re vaccinated: life goes back to normal. You’re likely to get sick, but not too sick. If you’re not vaccinated: sorry. And I do mean that. But you played yourself. Come with us if you want to live. Otherwise, enjoy home. And good luck.
