Omicron is coming. Complacency is our worst enemy in fight against this variant.
Having been a professor of public health for several decades now I am compelled to make an effort to warn the people of Lexington against what is typically the main reason epidemics flourish even after viable control measures are established: complacency. History shows examples of this with HIV/AIDS, pandemic influenza, and the Zika virus epidemics. The new variant of COVID-19 (Omicron) is not a surprise to anyone who understands the evolution of pathogens that are propagated from human-to-human. The virus will adapt to ensure its continued propagation – this is a predictable certainty. As it evolves we will be engaged in a deadly game of also evolving to outwit the virus (as occurred so nicely with vaccine development happening in a very short time span). We may simply hope that this new variant – or its successors – will allow for a similarly rapid response from companies that develop, test, and ultimate manufacture vaccines. But, that hope is childish and foolish, especially given that very low uptake of the first generation of vaccines against COVID-19.
The time has come to take responsibility for one another, and to end the complacency that has cast its shadow over public safety. As the “center” of Lexington and a place bringing in students from around the globe, it is time for UK’s President Capilouto and his board of trustees to follow the lead of nearby universities and mandate student vaccination. As a leader in the community, the university can also model restricted indoor dining as well as social distancing protocols in classrooms (meaning fewer seats are occupied) and other settings that are otherwise overly crowded. These measures are basic – others may need to be added as this fifth wave of COVID-19 enters Fayette County.
The leadership role of the university must also be made very public, so as to inspire and diffuse these protective actions throughout Lexington, where UK students, faculty, and staff reside in what they consider as a safe place to live. That safety is now more fragile than ever. Other leaders in the community must also act to end the current “status quo” complacency about COVID-19. People are becoming more lax about wearing masks in places like grocery and retail stores, with far too many store employees wearing their mask below the nose – thereby compromising its purpose. Social distancing has become a thing of the past, so it seems – this too is a sign of poor human adaptation in that deadly game of evolution against a formidable viral pandemic. Let’s not wait until the hospitals are once again spilling over with COVID-19 patients before we end this complacency and get back to the task of outwitting the virus.
Richard A. Crosby, Ph.D. is the Good Samaritan Endowed Professor at the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky. His views are independent of UK.