PITTSBURGH — While reports of cases of the Omicron variant are emerging, industry experts are not surprised by this new variant.
“There was a surge in cases this summer, with the main variant being the Delta variant. The fall surge is the Omicron variant, and we expect there will be another surge in the spring,” said John Cordier, chief executive officer of Epistemix. “It will be a seasonal pattern.”
Epistemix is a computer modeling software company that develops simulations to fight disease and inform policy.
It’s important for the trade show industry not to panic, Cordier added. “The mitigation strategies that are in place, including vaccination, masking and testing at events, will help ensure that everything goes smoothly,” he said.
It was reported this week that a person who attended a recent anime convention at the Javits Center in New York tested positive for the omicron variant after returning to Minnesota. New York Governor Kathy Hochul told the The New York Times The Minnesota resident was vaccinated and experienced mild symptoms.
About 53,000 people attended Anime NYC 2021 over three days. “Thousands of people gathered and one got infected, that’s better than the national average,” Cordier added.
The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa. Shortly after South African scientists announced the discovery of the new variant, Britain banned travelers from South Africa. South Africans say they feel they are being punished for alerting health authorities.
“New variants are going to emerge all the time. It is important that information is disseminated quickly and widely so that others can prepare,” Cordier said.
Closing international borders is not necessarily the best solution to ensure the protection of populations, he added. “It could have been a solution in October or November 2019, but not now,” he said.
Cordier emphasizes that events do not necessarily have to be canceled, as protocols can be implemented to ensure the safety of attendees and exhibitors. These protocols include mandatory mask wearing, vaccination and testing.
“Events were held safely in September, October and November with thousands of people and protocols in place,” Cordier said. “This is something that is now manageable.”
Contact John Cordier at john.cordier@epistemix.com