Allow me to make two bold predictions: this is the year we come out of Covid – and by the summer, the pandemic will be over.
I am not convinced that this crisis will end naturally.
South Africa has been dealing with Omicron for weeks, which clearly shows that the deadly variant of Covid is far less dangerous than we are.
South Africa had 162,987 confirmed cases per week on December 13. This is more than any other time since the pandemic.
And yet the number of deaths that resulted was nearly ten times lower than at the previous peak – 428, compared to 4,027 in January last year.
There are now 25 percent fewer new infections than in previous seven days.
It is important to remember, however that approximately 25% of South Africans have not been fully immunized.
Allow me to make two bold predictions: this is the year we come out of Covid – and by the summer, the pandemic will be over, writes PROFESSOR KAROL SIKORA
My confidence that the crisis is coming to a natural end is not based on empty optimism
Covid absentees seem to be declining in London, Omicron’s hotbed. While cases are increasing nationally, the number of deaths is still low.
Actually, there are now 42 confirmed deaths in Britain from the virus, as opposed to the 143 reported on December 27.
We are witnessing a very common phenomena in biology. This virus is adapting to the human host, and not becoming more deadly (as in sci-fi horror movies).
Covid can be described as a parasite. Covid needs to spread among larger organisms. Those organisms include us.
Covid absentees seem to be declining in London, Omicron hotbed. Even though cases have increased nationally, there are still very few deaths.
A parasite aggressive enough to decimate its host will soon be unable to find other hosts. It can evolve to be milder and achieve environmental stability.
This has happened many times over human history. For example, it’s how we contracted the common flu that constantly infects our populations.
We should not impede this evolution with rigid lockdowns or border controls, which keep the virus from spreading beyond a small geographic area.
Sometimes, it would burst out creating a new wave.
We must not be complacent about Covid’s threat.
Because of staff shortages, many hospitals must provide limited services. Covid epidemics are likely to continue in the future.
Our recovery will be hampered by the insistence on imposing unnecessary restrictions.
This two-year-long ordeal will not be over with mandatory isolation, closed borders, or zero-Covid policies which see millions of people symptom-free being tested for an illness they aren’t aware they have.
We must find ways to avoid living in constant fear of the virus. It will make your life miserable.
It is a brand new year. We need to look to the future – and put the pandemic behind us
It is possible that we could make things worse and put at risk the lives of hundreds of thousands more people living with serious illnesses like cancer.
Fear is our worst enemy now. Collective hysteria has gotten us into this mess.
We seem to be prepared for the economy to collapse, vital freedoms to be restricted, hospitals to close, and wait lists to soar rather than taking any chance of getting a mild illness.
It is important to get over this fear. We are at great risk as individuals, and as a community.
We will not be able address the root cause of our service’s poor performance if the NHS continues to use Covid.
All kinds of crimes and abuses will not be reported if graphs and statistics are the main focus.
It is a brand new year. We need to look to the future – and put the pandemic behind us.
Karol Sikora, a consultant oncologist at the University of Buckingham Medical School and professor of medicine is Professor Karol Sikora.