What You Need to Know About the Omicron Variant
Why the “Omicron” Variant?
The WHO has given coronavirus variants they deem important the names of letters from the Greek alphabet. Omicron is the 15th letter. It is important to take note that the WHO may not be completely objective when naming these variants as “variants of concern.” (1)
What is the Omicron Variant?
Before we dig any deeper, it is vitally important to note that there is very little scientific data collected on the Omicron variant, and the data that has been collected strongly suggests that is not much different than the common coronavirus — or for that matter, the common cold.
Omicron is a variant of the so-called “novel” coronavirus. It was first discovered in South Africa. It has been labelled a “variant of concern” by the WHO.
For those accustomed with the common coronavirus, it will be easy to understand what this new variant likely is. Simply put, it is probably a slightly more transmissible variant of it that includes milder symptoms for most patients. (2) There is absolutely no evidence to suggest otherwise.
How Does the Omicron Variant Affect Me?
If the Omicron variant is received anything like the way the Delta variant was, then it is likely to affect you significantly, either physically, economically, or both. It is extremely likely that the governments of the world’s leading countries will impose greater restrictions on travel (as we are already seeing), business, and even public life.
Is Omicron a Threat to Your Health?
As far as the science goes, Omicron is likely of little threat to us here in the U.S. After all, it is just a variant of the original coronavirus, and therefore poses no threat to the young and healthy with a slightly greater risk to older individuals with preexisting conditions.
Viruses mutate all the time, the common flu has many mutations, and the flu vaccine is simply a combination of vaccines for the most common variants of it.
For those infected with Covid-19, the average age of death is over 80 years old. (3) (The average life expectancy in America is just 78.8 years. (4)) The average age of death as well as the survival rate (99.5%) is likely no different between a variant and the original virus. Both the WHO and the CDC have failed to show any research to indicate that the Omicron variant is any more lethal or poses any more of a risk to our health than the original coronavirus.
According to the WHO, “Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs [(variants of concern)]. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing… Current SARS-CoV-2 PCR diagnostics continue to detect this variant. …this variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in infection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage.” (5)
So basically, they are saying that they have no scientific evidence that the Omicron variant even has a higher infection rate than other VOC’s (variants of concern), but just that “The number of cases appears to be increasing…” But even if their “preliminary evidence” and ‘suggestive’ science turns out to be a valid indicator for the new variant, there is still absolutely no evidence that Omicron has a high death or hospitalization rate. Who cares about cases if all that means for patients is mild, cold-like symptoms lasting for a few days?
It is important to note that a variant of a virus may appear at first to have a higher infection rate than that of the existing variant, but that is likely do to the fact that a variant has a higher probability of getting around the body’s natural or vaccine-induced immunity to the original virus and reinfecting that person.
The Conservative Take
The Real Threat
By far, the real threat to you and your family comes from the government-imposed economic and social lockdowns. We saw this clearly on display in 2020 when “14 days to slow the spread” quickly turned into 5 years to total economic ruin.
It is our job to make decisions for our health, and not the governments. It is becoming increasingly important that we do our research and recognize when something poses a real threat to our health and when it doesn’t. When there is a real threat (or even an unknown), we must make our own, informed decisions and act accordingly. But whether there is a threat to our health or not, the cure can never be worse than the disease. And social and economic totalitarianism imposed by any government is the greatest threat currently known to man.
It was this kind of national socialism, encouraged by Germany’s post-WWI economic collapse, that brought about the National Socialist Party in Germany: the Nazi regime. (6)
Contributor(s)
Al K. Scott, Max B. David, David Hugh
