Since the COVID-19 global pandemic has swept almost the world, where more than 5.3 million people have died from the virus across the world which also includes 806,000 Americans as per the real-time data which is compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
As per the recent statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has been revealed that around 61% of the population of the US yet alone is completely vaccinated against COVID-19.
However, the new variant named Omicron has been surging in the country which is also dangerous because of the combination of higher transmissibility and most importantly, the variant has also the ability to make the vaccinated people mildly sick due to the disease according to Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said on “Good Morning America” Monday.
“While there are still a lot of unknowns about omicron’s severity, Jha said cases with this latest variant’s surge are “doubling in numbers about every two to three days.”
“That’s unlike anything we’ve seen,” he said. Jha said, “I do think lots of people are going to get [omicron].”
“It’s an incredibly contagious variant. I think people should understand that the goal cannot be to avoid infection at all cost — that’s an unrealistic goal,” he said. “The goal should be: prevent deaths and severe illness, which vaccines will do, [and] keep our hospitals from getting crushed, which again, vaccinations and testing can help with. This is very contagious. Lots of Americans will end up getting it. Let’s just make sure that they don’t get very sick from it. “
It was also highlighted that people traveling over holidays, the airplanes are pretty safe but he also recommended wearing a good quality mask because airports don’t always give better ventilation.
Looking forward, Jha said, “I think we’re going to be in much better shape next year.”
“I am not saying COVID will be gone next winter. It will be around, but we should be able to get better and better at managing it,” Jha said. “This winter is so much better than last year and I expect next winter will be so much better than this year.”
