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Omicron changed the course of the pandemic a year ago and is still in control. what’s next? – Whole country

Dr. Laura Hourylak says she sensed something more was coming.

In November 2021, a Toronto-based critical care physician just experienced the toll the delta variant of COVID-19 can take on the human body. But something told her that her health care workers weren’t dealing with the pandemic yet.

“By the time Omicron reached that level of general consciousness, it was thought that another subspecies would be needed due to the previous wave of subspecies we’ve seen,” she told Global News. rice field.

“The most important thought that came to my mind was… ‘I hope it doesn’t get as bad as the delta waves we just lived through.'” To have to go through it again, and so many People struggled to breathe and the concern of seeing so many not survive – the thought was just heartbreaking.

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New COVID-19 variant identified in South Africa worries scientists

A year ago, on November 24, a group of South African scientists alerted the World Health Organization (WHO) to a new variant of the novel coronavirus characterized by numerous mutations. Two days later, on November 26, 2021, WHO declared it a variant of concern and named it Omicron.

Omicron “changed the course of the pandemic” by infecting millions of Canadians, resulting in further strain on the health system, said Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Teresa Tam in a 2022 pandemic review. said.


Click to play video:

Health Canada Approves Pfizer and Biontech’s Bivalent Omicron Vaccine


Omicron has been the dominant COVID-19 strain since it emerged a year ago. What does this mean for the future of the COVID-19 pandemic?

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“From an evolutionary perspective, no other subspecies has evolved better than Omicron. Because the virus continues to circulate in someone’s lungs somewhere on Earth, many of us watching this That’s why we’re always walking on eggshells, Toronto’s University Health Network.

“These viruses are mutating millions of times. there is.”

Omicron’s “Most Notable” Pandemic Variant: Tam

Omicron’s arrival last year marked “perhaps the most notable rapid change in the epidemiology and public health response of COVID-19,” Tam said in the State of Public Health Canada 2022 report. .

Compared to the Delta variant, Omicron was highly contagious and was able to evade both vaccines and acquired immunity. Tam said weakened immune systems and more indoor gatherings during the winter months exacerbated the spread of the disease.

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Despite being less severe than Delta, Omicron has resulted in increased hospitalizations and deaths, and more infections have been reported, according to Tam.

It took four weeks for Omicron to gain ground, and by January, the number of daily confirmed cases was more than five times the maximum previously reported. What’s more, COVID-19-related hospitalizations are double his previous peak, Tam said.

The rapid spread of Omicron overwhelmed the testing infrastructure, resulting in many states changing their eligibility for PCR testing and promoting the use of at-home rapid antigen testing.

The first wave of Omicron reintroduced public health measures such as capacity limits in some areas to protect health systems. Hospitalization rates began to decline in February and many of the public health measures began to be eased as Canadians rushed for vaccinations and boosters, Tam said.

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The atomic structure of the Omicron variant spike protein is shown in purple and bound to the human ACE2 receptor in blue.

UBC/Dr.Shriram Subramaniam

In Hawryuck’s intensive care unit, she said, Omicron didn’t have the same impact as the Delta variant, which further drained the energy of medical workers as understaffing continued to plague the system. rice field.

However, the WHO is currently monitoring over 300 Omicron variants, and concerns remain about the proliferation of new variants.

“Every time a new variant emerges, whether it’s a subvariant of Omicron or a new variant, the fear is that it will become more aggressive and more virulent,” Hawryuck said. says.

“It’s going to take a while for the anxiety to go away.”

Where will the pandemic go from here?

This summer, Omicron BA.5 emerged and became the dominant strain in Canada, with increased infections and severe consequences. The number of hospitalizations and deaths in his first seven months of 2022 surpassed those reported in the previous year.

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COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in Canada remain stable but higher than in past summers

Dr. Craig Jenne, an infectious disease expert at the University of Calgary, says Omicron has beaten off many subspecies that are still vying for supremacy, and that Omicron will continue to serve as a platform for new mutations. .

“We were now experiencing breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, but what is very remarkable is that vaccines still provided excellent protection against serious diseases.” he told Global News.

“Someone can get infected, but the vaccine has worked very well to limit that infection…and as a result people have less symptoms and not just the original Omicron, but these subs. Most of the variants also reduced the risk of hospitalization and admission to the ICU.”


Click to play video:

Omicron Variant Fuels Concerns About COVID-19 Reinfection


In recent weeks, Canadian officials have urged citizens to stay up-to-date on vaccinations and wear masks indoors as COVID-19 and a relaxed environment lead to a resurgence of influenza and RSV. I appealed to

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With influenza vaccination now available, Health Canada has approved a number of COVID-19 vaccines adapted for the contagious variant of Omicron.

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COVID, flu shots reduce ‘danger’ of needing other health measures this winter, says Trudeau

As the holidays get closer and winter settles in, it will be important for Canadians to take these measures to stay protected, Bogotch said. However, there is still uncertainty about where COVID-19 will go from here.

“There are different variants, and how much protection does vaccination and hybrid immunity provide? There are still many uncertainties down the road,” he said.

“It makes me a little uncomfortable to hear people say, ‘It’s over.’ think.”


Click to play video. Tam urges Canadians to consider using masks and get the latest vaccine amid COVID-19 surge.

Dr Tam urges Canadians to consider mask use, get latest vaccine amid COVID-19 surge


Hawryuck hopes that in the coming months, more Canadians will choose to wear masks indoors.

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“It’s the little things that we do. I don’t think anyone is saying we have to wear masks forever. If we’re wearing masks now…and it helps just a little bit.” Or if it makes a difference to one person, why don’t you?” she said.

“Omicron, Delta, one of the most important lessons we have learned from this whole pandemic is not just about ourselves, what is comfortable for us, how we assess risk, but ‘we’. It means you have to think about reality.”




Omicron changed the course of the pandemic a year ago and is still in control. what’s next? – Whole country

Source link Omicron changed the course of the pandemic a year ago and is still in control. what’s next? – Whole country

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