For the last two years since the eruption of Pandemic Covid -19 our life activities remained paused due to changes that it brought in the daily life of the people almost across the world and new physical and mental stamina is yet to come to make the living fully normal as it was in pre-disaster phase. In fact, it was a human disaster which affected more than two hundred countries and locked all human wish by putting them in a state of house-arrest with utmost in-house precautions and we were bound to live with anxiety, isolation, and frequent loss of love ones forever, who till recent lived with us attached in the beautiful chain of individual, family and social relationships. In the phase of Pandemic nothing appeared permanent as plans of everyone stood cancelled or constantly changing because of influence of this health emergency. During the periods we all were immunity conscious to live with good health in all the time irrespective of their age, climate and place and it became undeniable fact of life to protect our body against viral invaders. The major problem of the time was how to eat, how much to sleep and what type of exercises to complete. Physical apart, there were several mental issues like, depression, isolation, loneliness, mental stress and psychological problems while, before the daily bread earners, shortage of cash and other household goods remained at the top of priorities. Closure of schools and colleges and several restrictions in public places minimised children’s outer activities. Suddenly, people learnt how to live simply with life-supportive activities, such as, more sleep, meditation, eating well, feeling lighter despite external chaos. On the other hand, the coming of Pandemic Covid-19 motivated us to give more to others and inspired us for kindness and charity for needy people across the world.
Omicron: The new variant
Despite vaccination of Covid-19 single dose to most of the people of the world and second dose to near fifty percent of global population along with beginning of buster or precautionary dose in developed countries including India in January 2022, the fear of its spreading looms large all over the globe and it’s a matter of close concern for nations of the globe. In European countries including the US and Britain and other advanced countries, still there id no respite from the disease and waves of infections continuously occurring affecting lakhs of people with significant death rates while in many Asian nations due to increase of cold the second/third wave approached and many states/ regions have started imposing Covid-19-related precautions, particularly in South Indian states it relaxed hardly specially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu which registered significant number of Covid patients on regular basis. The current variant of the Pandemic called Omicron. The World Health Organisation (WHO), on 26 November 2021 designated the variant as B.1.1.529 and named Omicron and issued advisory on the basis of evidences presented in its different forms. As per the decision of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAGVE), it has several mutations that have an impact on behaviours and it spreads easily with severity of illness. There onwards, it has expanded in many countries of the world like Covid-19 and nation’s governments are revamping their health systems to fight the virus and check/control it at the earliest. Beginning in South Africa first, the new variant is more transmissible compared to other variant, like Delta, and today can be found in most countries of the world with difference in number and severity of illness, but people with the history of Covid-19 infection more likely to be its easy prey than others and recovery periods may prolong for days or weeks.
Presence of both: Covid-19 and Omicron
In most of the countries where Omicron has showed its presence and also spreading with speed are facing both types of infections simultaneously. In many countries of the globe Covid-19 infected people are coming in number of lakhs and the new variant has also registered its presence. Although, people with both doses of vaccines are safer than others but still they are facing the after effects of Covid-19 and fearful about this new variant. In most countries’ booster dose have also been initiated to avoid further infection of virus and make people healthy and fit, it is taking more time than assumed by many and likely to continue the whole of the year 2022. In the situation, the new normal of post-Covid phase is something different to which we are not yet accustomed. In earlier days we don’t take self-care seriously, moving more frequently, least care about immunity, no mask no distance no sanitation or washing of hands by habit. Now, in the same kind of situation, we try new things and pandemic-related precautions like more focus on reducing stress, boosting immunity, getting more rest, different ways of connecting others, socializing outside, maintaining safe distance and to be more acquainted with social media. In addition, apart from physical precautions there are number of mental or psychological tips that must be followed in the coming year.
With the presence of both types of infections- Covid-19 and Omicron, people all over the world are fearful about its severity as they have witnessed in last two years, however, the availability of different vaccines and most of the people taken the required dose its effects are hoped to be less, if not least.
Hopes and Expectations
With the presence of both types of infections- Covid-19 and Omicron, people all over the world are fearful about its severity as they have witnessed in last two years, however, the availability of different vaccines and most of the people taken the required dose its effects are hoped to be less, if not least. At the same time the WHO and its entire team of experts are busy day and night in getting the rid of this deadly disease which took the costly life of lakhs of people across the world. The intensive and extensive way of studying the virus with its new variants- delta and Omicron etc., are on to suggest preventive as well as curative methods for the welfare of whole humanity. In the context, several developed countries of the world are also busy in making the perfect/long lasting vaccines and medicines to defeat the infection at the earliest in a short span of time to save human life, money and resource as well. Despite all odds it is clear that the worst has become the thing of past and a better future is in the pipeline which will see the light of the day in 2022.    Â
