Want to get Omicron and get over it?That’s why this is a bad idea

Millions of people COVID-19 in the US every week And the FDA warns that most Americans will one day get the virus.There is increasing evidence that it is a variant of Omicron May cause mild illnessSome people may be thinking: why not encourage Omicron to infect us so that we can enjoy life again?

According to infectious disease experts and doctors, this is not a good idea for many reasons. Don’t even think about throwing away your mask or hosting the Omicron version, a 1970s-style pox party. The reasons are as follows:

1. You may get sick more than you want

“Even those who are boosted, you can still be pretty miserable for a few days just because you didn’t go to the hospital,” said Ashish, Ph.D., Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Public Health at Brown University. Dr. Jar says. About All Things Consid.. “I don’t know why I need to look for it.”

Omicron seems to cause mild illness to many, but “the truth is probably somewhere between what you think of a common cold or flu and the COVID we had before.” Is called Dr. Emily Landon, UChicago Medicine infectious disease specialist. “And there are still many risks of getting a COVID.”

And of course If there are risk factors that fall into the vulnerable category, You can still get sick, including your age.

Even if it is very mild, you will miss your life while you are isolated.

2. Can spread the virus to vulnerable people

Infection with COVID can unknowingly spread to others before symptoms appear. Ohio State University epidemiologist Bill Miller states that grocery stores can expose family, roommates, colleagues, or random people.

“And you may have consciously decided to expose and infect yourself, but those people aren’t making the same choice,” he says. And they may have a higher risk level than you.

You forced others to make your decision, and that decision may cause serious illness or even death, Miller says.

Alternatively, you can spread it to children who are still too young to be vaccinated, says Dr. Judy Guzman Kottil, a pediatric professor at Oregon Health & Science University. “Nationwide, and in my own state, I see more sick children hospitalized for COVID pneumonia, croup, and bronchitis,” she says.

3. Your immunity will last for months instead of years

Unlike chickenpox, getting a COVID-19 infection has long been not a free jailbreak card.

Jeffrey Townsend, a professor of evolutionary biology and biostatistics at the Graduate School of Public Health, explains that two main things affect how our immunity protects us. First, antibody levels: Immediately after getting a shot, booster, or infection, the antibody spikes and you are less likely to get sick. Unfortunately, these levels do not remain high.

Second, changes in the nature of pathogens: As the virus evolves and mutants emerge, our declining antibodies may not be able to accurately target new mutants of the virus. Omicron is a prime example of a virus that has mutated so that it can continue to infect us. This is the meaning of the term immunity avoidance.

So how long does the infection buy you?

It’s hard to say exactly, but the Townsend team estimates: Reinfection can occur somewhere between 3 months and 5 years after infection, The median is 16 months. It is based on the analysis of data from previous antibodies against the previous coronavirus.

“You should get a notification in 3 to 16 months,” he says. “The clock is starting to pass again.”

4. You can add to the crisis of the medical system

Given that hospitalization At the high price of a pandemic, And hospital resources and staffing are growing thinly in many areas, your infection may increase tensions, Miller says.

“Your decision to infect yourself can often unknowingly cause a series of infections, which leads to the need for more people to be in the hospital,” Miller said. increase.

Currently, healthcare professionals are not only stressed and exhausted, but patients with other health problems Even turning your back and dying Due to the flood of COVID patients.

Contribution to it is socially irresponsible, says Landon: “You don’t want it to hang in your head from a karmic point of view.”

5. If you get sick now, you may not have access to the treatments that are still lacking.

Injection of monoclonal antibodies, one of the most effective treatments to prevent serious illnesses caused by COVID, is currently in short supply.

“Because of the low levels of monoclonal antibodies, we can’t save people as we do with Delta,” says Landon. “We are completely [Sotrovimab] I don’t know when another package will arrive at the hospital. “

Other hospitals reported Similar shortage Of monoclonal antibodies that have been shown to be effective against Omicron.

This is the same problem with new antivirals such as Pfizer’s drug Paxrovid, which should be given within the first few days of symptoms for the symptoms to be most effective. Landon says her hospital’s supply is limited. “Currently, it’s not available to most people,” she says.

Jha also told NPR that it is likely to retain better treatments in the future. “We plan to get more treatments over time. So whatever we can do to delay more infections-they may be unavoidable, but now do it. There is no reason to do it. “

6. Possibility to get long COVID after Omicron is not excluded

Omicron, like its variants in the past, wasn’t long enough to know if it could cause long COVIDs. Vaccination reduces the risk of developing long-term COVIDs, but “but I don’t know anything about how it works in Omicron,” says Landon.

We know that some people with mild infections have longer COVIDs, she says. And many healthy people end up with COVID symptoms that last for weeks or months, Miller adds.

“I still don’t know how long COVID will be in Omicron, but I argue that the opportunity isn’t worth it,” he says.

in conclusion…

Experts agree: Omicron’s party is out.

It may seem unavoidable, but “preferably not getting infected with COVID is still worth it,” says Landon.

So why was the pox party different?

“Infecting the Omicron mutant is not the same as infecting chickenpox — it does not provide lifelong immunity,” says Guzman-Cottrill.

Ali Mokudad, chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington, said that even with chickenpox, those who get sick can develop shingles later in life, but those who have been vaccinated do not. Point out.

Without knowing the long-term effects of COVID, whether Delta or Omicron, he says, “It’s better to get immunity through a vaccine.”

Guzman-Cottrill says that avoiding infections could protect us all. Concerns for 2022. “

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