Will the next variant be more virulent?
Answering this Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said, the next variant of concern will be more fit, i.e. it will be more transmissible because it will have to overtake what is currently circulating. However, “The big question is whether or not future variants will be more or less severe.”
Speaking against theories that the virus will continue to mutate into milder strains, she added, “There is no guarantee of that. We hope that that is the case, but there is no guarantee of that and we can’t bank on it.”
The next iteration of Covid may also evade vaccine protections even more, making the existing vaccines even less effective, she pointed out.
When will COVID end?
This completely depends on us and how we behave.
Noting that COVID is not over yet, Kerkhove said, “You won’t have to wear a mask forever and you won’t have to physically distance forever. But for now, we need to keep doing this. We will get out of this, but we’re not quite there yet.”
What are the risks of long COVID?
Another reason we want to stop the spread of the virus is that COVID has long-term effects, Kerkhove said, “And we don’t yet fully understand post-COVID conditions or what is long COVID”
She further pointed out, that pre-Omicron there was an estimate that 1 in 10 patients suffers from long COVID. And we are yet to understand whether Omicron will change that.
“So, please do not willfully expose yourself to the virus.”
What one should do at an individual level?
At the individual level, people must know what their risks are to the exposure of the virus and take measures accordingly.
In these last two years, many people have become accustomed to thoughts like let me get the mask, let’s carry the hand gel, let’s wash my hands etc., she said.
Source: LIVE MINT
