Here are two things to look out for.
 | By Alexandra Sifferlin Senior Staff Editor, Opinion |
Like everyone else, I would really like to know what the coronavirus has in store for us next. Is this period, post-Omicron surge, a true pandemic turning point or is it simply a respite before a new variant and another spike? |
It's become clear that Covid will become endemic. And at a certain point, the pandemic chapter will close. But if the virus is not going away, then what does that mean for our everyday lives? |
These are the questions I put to Jeffrey Shaman, an infectious disease modeler and epidemiologist at Columbia University, whose team built one of the first Covid-19 models. |
As with so many aspects of this pandemic, there is a lot of uncertainty, and solid answers are few. "However, there are signs and factors that we can all watch for, which provide indications of how Covid-19 will affect our lives in the seasons and years to come," Shaman writes in a guest essay. Specifically, Shaman says, people should look out for outbreak frequency and severity. |
As he details in his essay, the future frequency of coronavirus outbreaks is strongly linked to immunity levels and how the virus changes. The severity of outbreaks will depend on multiple factors including the capacity for new variants to make people sick, for example. If many more variants emerge that can skirt the immune system, there could be waves multiple times a year. If these kinds of variants become less frequent, then there may only be surges once a year or so. By becoming more familiar with the dynamics Shaman outlines in his essay, you can look at the situation from a more informed perspective — similar to experts like him. |
With cases, hospitalizations and deaths down substantially, it's clear the United States is in a safer point of the pandemic. But it's still worth being prepared, writes Shaman. This includes getting vaccinated and boosted, and keeping rapid tests on hand. In the meantime, let's hope we can enjoy this lull for a little while. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. |
Contact us If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment