By: Manny Otiko, IVN
Worldwide — If you thought you were done with the coronavirus, then think again. The world currently faces two new Covid-19 threats.
The first one comes from Europe, where several countries are currently facing new waves of coronavirus. Germany and Austria have already gone into lockdown to contain the current waves of Covid-19 patients.
And several medical scientists say what happens in Europe is usually a forerunner of what happens in the United States.
American TV audiences watched in horror as army trucks carted bodies out of Italian homes in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. New York City residents were inundated with sirens as ambulances carted Covid-19 patients to overwhelmed local hospitals a few months later.
The other Covid-19 threat comes in the form of a new strain of the disease called Omicron. South African scientists first discovered the Omicron variant.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus mutates every time it interacts with unvaccinated bodies. Since there are still millions of people unvaccinated, the coronavirus had plenty of new hosts. And that’s how we got the Omicron strain.
However, since the Omicron strain is so new, there is insufficient scientific data to predict its effect on patients.
The Center for Disease Control (DC) said we understand how to contain the coronavirus, and we should use the same tactics to fight Omicron.
“We know what it takes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. CDC recommends people follow prevention strategies such as wearing a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high community transmission, washing your hands frequently, and physically distancing from others. CDC also recommends that everyone 5 years and older protect themselves from COVID-19 by getting fully vaccinated. CDC encourages a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for those who are eligible,” according to a statement posted on the agency’s website.
President Joe Biden recently commented on the threat of the Omicron strain.
“As a precautionary measure, until we have more information, I am ordering additional air travel restrictions from South Africa and seven other countries. These new restrictions will take effect on November 29. As we move forward, we will continue to be guided by what the science and my medical team advises,” said Biden.
Biden also encouraged Americans to get vaccinated and called on the World Trade Organization to loosen intellectual property rights so less-developed countries could get the ingredients for the vaccine.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading virologist, also said we need to approach the new Omicron strain with caution.
He told the president that we will have more information about Omicron in about two weeks.
Fauci continues to be a controversial figure on the right. Many conservatives see him as a tyrannical bureaucrat. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has called for Fauci to be prosecuted. And Fauci has engaged in a long-running battle with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
Fauci continues to be trashed by right-wing commentators such as former “60 Minutes” correspondent Lara Logan. She recently compared him to a German war criminal.
“What you see on Dr. Fauci – this is what people say to me: that he doesn’t represent science to them. He represents Joseph Mengele. Dr. Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor who did experiments on Jews during the Second World War and in the concentration camps,” said Logan on “Fox and Friends.” Logan’s comments were widely condemned.
In addition, the United States may also face a new wave of the coronavirus because many people traveled home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Post-holiday periods usually see an increase in Covid-19 patients.
