We're Playing the JV Team
Jan. 12th, 2022 08:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerAs we see how the Omicron strain of Coronavirus is playing out in the U.S. and other countries there is some reason to take heart. While it's more transmissible than previous strains and able to creep around the protections of the vaccine (vaccines are, what, 80% effective against it vs. 90-95% against Alpha and Delta?) the sickness it creates is less severe. People have milder symptoms, recover faster, and experience lower chance of death. This leads to a mindset of complacency. People argue, "Well, we're all going to get it eventually, and now it's not that bad, so let's stop trying so hard to avoid it." But here's the thing: we're playing the JV team.
For those not familiar with U.S. terminology, "JV" is Junior Varsity, the lower division of sports teams at schools. Omicron is like a lower division Coronavirus team because of its relative mildness. But what if the next strain to come around is first division? Premier league? The Sigma strain, let's call it; suppose it combines the high transmissibility & ability to sidestep the vaccine that Omicron has (or worse) with the severe sickness of Delta (or worse). If we've given up on public health by then we'll be screwed.
For those not familiar with U.S. terminology, "JV" is Junior Varsity, the lower division of sports teams at schools. Omicron is like a lower division Coronavirus team because of its relative mildness. But what if the next strain to come around is first division? Premier league? The Sigma strain, let's call it; suppose it combines the high transmissibility & ability to sidestep the vaccine that Omicron has (or worse) with the severe sickness of Delta (or worse). If we've given up on public health by then we'll be screwed.
