Different Takes: How Will Omicron Change The Future Of Covid?; France Has The Right Idea On Vaccination

The New York Times: After Omicron, This Pandemic Will Be Different 
Omicron is really good at infecting people and doing it fast. So fast, in fact, that by the time you read this, chances are that cases may have already reached a peak in your neighborhood. While some countries are experiencing a rapid plunge in cases, it’s unclear how smooth the descent from the Omicron surge will be in others. Some places may continue to experience spikes in cases even after initial peaks or plateaus. (William Hanage, 1/19)

Los Angeles Times: How To Persuade The Unvaccinated? Follow The French 
In the city of Los Angeles, where I live, you can’t enter a restaurant, a government building, a gym, a bar, or a coffee shop without showing proof of vaccination. I know some establishments are less apt to check than others, but each time I walk past a “no vaccination, no service” sign, my heart skips a beat. The few times I’ve entered a restaurant lately, I’ve joyfully whipped out my proof-of-vaccination card. I enjoy doing my part. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is not any kind of sacrifice. (Robin Abcarian, 1/19)

The Baltimore Sun: Vaccine-Hesitant People Can Still Change Their Minds. As A Doctor, I’m Seeing It Happen
Earlier this month, I saw an elderly patient with underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who was admitted to the hospital with a bone stuck in his throat. He underwent endoscopic removal the same day; a routine pre-procedure COVID-19 test came back negative. The next day, going over his discharge instructions, I asked if he was vaccinated against COVID-19 yet. He was not, and the room got awkwardly silent for a few seconds. But he followed up by asking if he could get his first dose now. It made me reflect on when I got vaccinated. (Prabhava Bagla, 1/18)

Los Angeles Times: In The Omicron Surge, I Am My Family's Anger Translator 
My 88-year-old Latina mother, triple vaxxed and a diligent mask wearer, is struggling with COVID. Two weeks ago, I sat outside her apartment in my camping chair as her blood pressure plunged 40 points in one day, her heart rate dropped to 50, and her hacking cough prevented her from getting any sleep. We couldn’t get her in for treatment in an emergency room, nor could we access any of the antiviral drugs or monoclonal antibody treatments we’ve heard so much about. I couldn’t even get a her a telemedicine appointment with a doctor — any doctor — for three days. (Natalia Molina, 1/18)

Stat: Fighting Covid-19 In Kibera, A Large Informal Settlement In Africa 
Nearly 10 months after a grandmother in England became the first person in the world to get vaccinated against Covid-19 outside of a clinical trial, we were finally able to start vaccinating residents of Kibera, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements. That first jab was a long time coming. In March 2021, the Kenyan government prioritized vaccination as one of the key measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, reduce community transmission, severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths. The informal employment sector had significantly closed, four out of five residents of Kibera and other informal settlements had lost their income, and a majority of households were facing hunger. The level of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, was even higher since people had literally nowhere to go every day. A successful vaccination program would allow for the full reopening of our economy. (Hillary Omala and Ogogo, 1/17)

The Boston Globe: Biden Shouldn’t Give Up On Vaccine Mandates
This is no time for the Biden administration to throw in the towel on vaccine mandates. Last week’s decision by the US Supreme Court, tossing the administration’s efforts to force private employers to be part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, was disappointing. But it shouldn’t be the end of the fight — not as long as a third of the nation’s population remains unvaccinated and the death toll grows by thousands of Americans every day. It’s simply time for the administration’s disease fighters and lawyers to go back to the drawing boards and pursue a series of smaller efforts that can still make an impact and lead the way out of this public health nightmare. (1/19)

The New York Times: Zeynep Tufekci On How To Prepare For The Pandemic’s Next Phase 
I remember thinking, as Covid ravaged the country in December 2020, that at least the holidays the next year would be better. There would be more vaccines, more treatments, more immunity. Instead, we got Omicron and a confusing new phase of the pandemic. What do you do with a variant that is both monstrously more infectious and somewhat milder? What do you say about another year when we didn’t have enough tests, enough ventilation or the best guidance on masks? And how do you handle the fracturing politics of a changing pandemic in an exhausted country? (Zeynep Tufekci, 1/18)