After Omicron, Should We Be Aiming at 'Zero Covid'?
Two years into the pandemic, yet another Covid-19 variant has emerged. Some still advocate for government intervention and lockdowns in an effort to reach “covid-zero”, while others say this virus is destined to become endemic. Should we be trying to eliminate Covid or is a different strategy needed? Join Agustina Vergara Cid as she interviews infectious disease expert Amesh Adalja about the Omicron wave, immunity, risk-assessment, and more. Among the topics covered: ● What Omicron’s high transmissibility means for hospital capacity; ● How government Covid policies have changed from the early months of the pandemic; ● The problem with focusing on case numbers rather than hospitalizations and deaths; ● The merit of a harm-reduction approach to Covid-19 versus an “abstinence only” approach; ● Why the virus that causes Covid-19, unlike the measles virus, cannot be eliminated; ● The effectiveness of the currently available vaccines against Omicron; ● The benefits of vaccine boosters for different populations; ● Whether measuring every patient hospitalized “with Covid” is a good indication of hospital capacity; ● Omicron’s effect on children and the value of pediatric vaccination; ● The next generation of Covid-19 vaccines; ● The protection offered by natural immunity before and after the arrival of Omicron; ● The merits of Paxlovid and other antiviral therapeutics; ● What explains the unavailability of Covid-19 tests, and their effectiveness at detecting Omicron; ● The validity of the CDC’s new recommended isolation period. Mentioned in the discussion is Adalja’s article “‘Abstinence only’ approach to COVID failed in 2021 — missed opportunity for teaching harm reduction,” published in The Hill. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:46 Contagiousness and hospital capacity 0:03:23 Changing government Covid policies 0:06:23 Case numbers versus hospitalization, death 0:08:27 Harm-reduction versus "abstinence only" 0:17:16 Why Covid-19, unlike measles, can't be eliminated 0:20:27 Vaccine effectiveness against Omicron 0:28:13 Benefits of vaccine boosters 0:30:23 Measuring hospital capacity 0:32:44 Omicron and children 0:36:12 New Covid-19 vaccines 0:38:50 Natural immunity 0:42:25 Paxlovid and other antivirals 0:45:28 Covid-19 tests: availability, effectiveness 0:50:54 CDC's recommended isolation period
