| The issue is the R naught. (Arrr Not) This is the number of people you will spread the infection to. Flu has a R of 1. Covid Alpha/Beta have a R of 3-5. Delta has a R7-9. Omicron is allegedly 15+, and unlike anything we’ve ever seen outside Measles. Giving you a death rate of 1% infected, to keep it easy. Current numbers in the US are 1.56%. So, 1% dead of spread of a R1 is going to be a lot slower and manageable versus 1% of R7. The exponential (Logarithmic?) rise of infections will kill a lot more, a lot faster, and have knock-on effects everywhere within the healthcare system, and society as a whole. The only hope is that by rule, typical virus evolutions are less virulent, but we’re still not sure of that at this time. The big fear with omicron is that the spike protein mutations are immune-system dodging and faster infecting/more contagious, but that the payload within is still functionally the same. The mutations not on the spike are not changed enough that virologists are hopeful at this time. Sorry, wall of text. Hope this addresses the question. |