WASHINGTONDC — Health experts are quickly beginning to understand the characteristics of the Omicron variant. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the president’s chief medical adviser, has been a voice of reason, reassuring the public that people who are fully vaccinated with boosters are at little risk of serious illness if they do get infected.
Pfizer and Moderna, makers of the mRNA boosters, have both confirmed that their use significantly increases protection against the severity of infection with the Omicron variant, and Moderna announced in late December that its booster increased neutralizing antibodies against the variant by 37-fold in laboratory tests.
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The Omicron variant of COVID differs from mutations because of its astonishing transmissibility, which can have serious repercussions on the unvaccinated population. However, it appears that after the initial spike in transmission and cases, the Omicron variant is indeed a milder form of COVID. In fact, the doctor who discovered the first case in late November, Dr Angelique Coetzee, national president of the South African Medical Association, told various media outlets that her country may already be at its worst. “What we are seeing now is that the number of cases is decreasing. In Gauteng, which was the epicentre, the numbers are much lower,” she said.
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In the United States, where the variant became the dominant strain just before Christmas, the surge in cases is expected to continue through the winter, according to John Cordier, CEO of Epistemix, which creates models to help trade show organizers determine effective mitigation strategies. “The data shows that cases will peak in southern cities in early February, in northeastern cities in early March, in west coast cities in mid-March, and finally in midwestern cities in early April,” Cordier said. “Early data from South Africa suggests that Omicron infections are milder, although we are still waiting to confirm this as cases increase in the U.S..”
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Cordier says the best solution for trade show organizers is to require a layered approach to mitigating risk. “We recommend that event and gathering organizers continue to wear masks indoors, consider rapid testing before gathering in groups, and request a booster shot if you haven’t already.”
Contact John Cordier at john.cordier@epistemix.com