Reuters: Explainer: Why you should still try to avoid catching Omicron

As it has become clearer that Omicron is more contagious and mild compared to previous COVID-19 variants, many have begun to question the value of avoiding infection. With the rationale that everyone at some point will be exposed to Omicron so why try to limit the spread now. Experts have several issues with this line of reasoning though. Despite Omicron being considerably less severe than other variants like Delta, the fact remains that due to Omicron’s extreme contagiousness more people in totality are experiencing severe illness than before. This can be seen in the hospitalization numbers hitting record highs with many hospitals becoming overwhelmed. Also, antiviral medicines such as GlaxoSmithKline and Paxlovid which were found to be effective against Omicron, are in short supply. Looking forward, Omicron’s possible long-term effects can’t be known right now, and the more the virus spreads the higher the likelihood of new variants mutating. The full article by Nancy Lapid can be read here on Reueters.