Welcome Omicron

As expected the virus that has changed the landscape of our lives mutated once again to what is now known as "Omicron". We actually know little of this new mutation but the race to find out what it does is going at high speed. Some countries have detected it in their new arrivals, pushing them to close down their borders. For us, only selected countries are placed on a red list but the move to slowly open our economy continues.

You know that feeling when your hunch suddenly becomes right and real? I've been thinking about it the whole time. When quarantine restrictions loosened and children were already allowed to go out of their homes, I knew we were in for a trap. Yet the vacuum of enjoying the temporary freedom that we have might be worth it for some. I see families happy as they are able to bring everyone for a day out, including their pets. Businesses are starting to get into the groove of the new market --locals who have spending power that is enough for them to get by. The smiles make up for so many disheartening moments in the pandemic but it is only good while it will last.

Think of it as pseudo-liberation, one in which our time in the hourglass suddenly expires. Right now, national officials manning the team in the COVID-19 response are mulling to implement stricter protocols and the first item in their list is the bringing back of the notorious face shield. What a way to welcome the new mutation. It would have been a welcome development if the usage of such a hideous head barrier was backed up by science. The problem is it isn't. What would actually make sense is to totally close the border. If it couldn't be helped, the return of stringent measures for returning OFWs to be able to detect this new variant.

Then again our brains are wired to get attuned to the Christmas fever. We are so engrossed with low cases and the loosening of guards that once (in theory) aided the situation as it is now. This shifts the focus of some from the response to organizing Christmas parties and campaigning for the elections.

What is logical to do now is to beef up the preparation for another surge. While it may sound too anticlimactic, it is realistic. We need to reevaluate the lapses done during the Delta surge and make it as a point of comparison in case Omicron enters the country. It is a matter of prioritizing and heeding this early call. The other side of the world has already folded up once more, it wouldn't take too long for us to feel the same effects as well.

In a few days, we will get to know more about this Omicron variant. I hope it is not as bad as that character in the Transformers universe. I'm starting to get worried.