The Omicron Wave Was Deadlier Than Delta for Older People
The dreaded virus keeps morphing and just won’t quit.
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The above title grabbed my attention in The New York Times. I had to find out what was going on.
Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron — are all variants of the Covid-19 virus. What could be next?
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is constantly changing. New variants are an expected part of the virus's evolution, according to Yalemedicine.org. They add that "monitoring each one that surfaces is essential in ensuring the U.S. and globally are prepared."
Omicron is more transmissible than Delta was. However, Omicron is less severe. Yet, more data is needed to assess this variant's potential to cause severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
I don’t usually write about current happenings, yet Covid has been the exception. I first wrote about it in my article; A ‘Very, Very Contagious’ Coronavirus Subvariant Is Causing Cases to Rise Again, published on Medium on May 6, 2022.
Covid and me
I had Covid in early May, despite having two Pfizer vaccines and one booster. The advice is that we all should get the second booster.
I was holding out for the second booster as the information I gathered was that it may not be effective if another variant appeared. It could weaken our immunity to fight it off. Now, I wonder if this information was valid.
I had a fever of 99–101, for three days, with chest congestion and coughing. It has taken three weeks to feel the chest congestion ebbing and cough, too.
I am a robust, active senior who eats a healthy diet and exercises daily. I suspect this helped me have relatively minor symptoms.
Omicron symptoms were mild for most
The New York Times reports that the Omicron variant killed more older people during this winter's wave than it did last year. Many had long delays since their previous vaccine. This is even though Omicron’s symptoms are milder than the earlier variants.
While overall per capita Covid death rates have fallen, older people account for a greater share.
