America will get 3 to 5 lacs cases of COVID every day after Christmas in 2021 – Hemant Kaushik (Harry)

America will get 3 to 5 lacs cases of COVID every day after Christmas in 2021

Omicron: COVID19 Mutated Variant Sparks Waves of Global Fear

Barely weeks have elapsed since scientists in South Africa alarmed the world about a 70 times more contagious mutation of the Coronavirus, and cases of infections have started skyrocketing. With over 2 lakh daily cases in the USA and one lakh diurnal new infections in the UK, the world is once again standing over the thin ice of a simmering infection wave with the potential to cost millions of lives.

On 26 November, WHO named it the “variant of concern,” four weeks down the line, Omicron has now taken over 100 countries. The worrisome data of omicron infections even in completely vaccinated individuals is highlighting the mutation’s immense capacity for higher secondary transmissions.

While more countries are detecting the omicron variant, governments are restricting travel and shutting down public places to halt the spread. As fear of the new virus grips, scientists worldwide are trying to put their heads together to explain why the variant is spreading quickly but not increasing in severity (for now).

But, with the holiday season around the corner, people have started crowding public places, giving the new mutant plenty of room to spread. Experts fear a stark spike in COVID infection to three to five lakh per day post the holidays, given instant precautionary actions are turned away.

So, in order to stop this nightmare from unfolding again, everyone needs to understand that COVID is here to stay! Social distancing and masks are the two undeniable new norms of the COVID era.

Long-Term Solutions

Battling the endemic disease will need long-range thinking, infection curbing efforts, and international coordination and collaboration. Unfortunately, stamping out the virus could take more than a decade- if it is even possible. Eventually, this lethal contagious virus will join the zoo with other viruses and diseases that the world has learned to live with, and the popular examples are Chickenpox, HIV, EBOLA, and SARS. But, for now, the future with the rapidly evolving coronavirus is uncertain.

Band-aid solutions like lockdowns can help curb the spread for some time but in the long run, the following abiding behavioral and policy changes must be taken into consideration:

  • Joblessness is at its highest since the Great Recession of 2008; thus, finding and creating livelihood, one that is COVID-resilient, must be one of the foremost priorities in both the government and non-government sectors.
  • Educational institutions have been shut for over a year throughout the world. Though the rapid adaptation of online learning has helped the curriculums continue, a completely pandemic-proof education system is yet to be adopted. Thus, in this era of uncertainty, it is critical to implement an educational support structure capable of conducting online classes and exams for everyone. In the absence of a 100% safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for children, the entire education system globally needs a 360-degree online shift.
  • With the speculation of the next global economic crash triggered by the global pandemic, this is undoubtedly not a good time to spend money on luxury items but to save for the upcoming recession.
  • Functions including sporting events, marriages, birthdays, and other parties must be kept small with fewer invitees, thus decreasing the chance of infections.
  • Masks and social distancing must be the norm until officials declare pandemic over.
  • Places like theaters, gyms, clubs, bars, hotels, resorts, restaurants, and more should be avoided at any cost.
  • The rush to opening economies without tools to measure what’s working and what’s not will be a risky bet to play.

 

The global pandemic has already cost the world millions of lives, and the irresponsible behavior now will push millions more standing on the verge of infections off the edge. With the endurance of coronavirus, the definition of normalcy has changed to wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.

“People keep asking me, ‘What’s the one thing we have to do?’ The one thing we have to do is to understand that there is no one thing. We need a comprehensive strategy, accurately implemented.” It’s high time to accept the fact that no magic bullet can bring the pandemic to an abrupt end, even not the vaccine.

Therefore, in order to stay safe everybody must continue wearing masks and maintaining a minimum of 10 ft social distancing. The failure to strictly abide by the precautionary measures could pave a path for fifth, sixth, seventh, and more COVID waves, each more deadly than the other. Patience for the 100% proven cure for the COVID-19 or complete eradication of the coronavirus from the face of the earth are the only options we have to pin our hope to, for the time being.

Happy, Safe & Healthy Holidays!

About the Author: Hemant Kaushik (Harry)

Mr. Hemant Kaushik (Harry) is CEO and Chairman of one of the world’s leading business consulting companies International Brand Consulting Corporation and globally admired USA TV NEWS Corporation, Berkshire Media, and the World Economic Conference. Currently based in the US, Mr. Kaushik is renowned for his practical business-world & economic knowledge and global market analysis. In the great depression of 2008, his analysis helped many global companies prepare for the financial crisis beforehand and save billions of dollars. Having worked with the most renowned brands and businesses, Mr. Kaushik has written many insightful articles covering varied topics of the global economy.