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Omicron Emergency Alert Update
Omicron U.S. daily cases close to 800,000. Add the unreported and the undiagnosed, about 1 million new infections per day. The infected in a few days, will infect a new group of People. Cycle repeats again and again until most of the U.S. Population COVID finally infects. Mission accomplished? No. Shocking? No. Numbers don’t seem to alert People anymore.
We’re spreading the virus to each other in an Emergency Level. Government Recommendation, more test kits. People’s Demand, more test kits. Real life, test kits won’t stop the Omicron Surge, it’s People adapting in their everyday lifestyle the infection safety guidelines we were taught last year.
Last year because I don’t think this year’s COVID prevention guidelines are safe at a time we’re dealing with a more aggressive, evasive variant. In fact, it appears the new safety guidelines both by CDC and Individual Employers are accelerating the surge.
What People don’t understand is that once everyone is doing the self COVID test and there is a drastic decline in COVID Public Health reporting, we will have a false data that COVID is now Endemic and that we can go back to normal without caution. We will be falsely informed that we have reached Herd Immunity while Hospitals are having double to quadruple patient influx.
What’s really happening in our Nation?
Emergency Rooms overwhelmed by “The Mild” but highly contagious COVID variant Omicron. No surprise there. Warnings and predictions were made months ahead.
Patients Drive Hours to ERs as Omicron Variant Overwhelms Rural Hospitals – The Wall Street Journal. No surprise their either. Expected every Surge. Will get worse with the next big surge as vaccinated Medical Staff are being infected by the Omicron. There is also a sad trend of Medical Professionals leavening bedside care due to exhaustion and trauma.
There is a disproportionate ratio of more leaving than being replaced. Biggest lost? Years of knowledge, wisdom and skills. Those actually are irreplaceable, and can’t be bandaid with short term relief like the National Guard or expensive temporary Travel Doctors and Nurses.
What’s happening in our own communities?
Medical Providers are back to telephone and virtual appointments with Patients having Flu-like symptoms to avoid being infected with COVID themselves, their Staff and other Patients who don’t have COVID. Patients unable to make appointments with their Primary Care Physicians from days to months. Urgent Cares fully booked. Now, this, I’m surprised. I wasn’t expecting a repeat of this after vaccinations and very convincing assurances. I really thought Healthcare Systems are done with rationed care, but no.
Emergency Rooms becomes the last option to be seen in Person by a Doctor even if the wait times can be 6-8 hours on a busy day. Emergency Rooms looks like scenes from a disaster movie. It’s the hub of the sick waiting for hospital beds and for Walk-in Outpatients. E.R. is where everyone waits sharing the same poorly ventilated air space. In short, Major Super Spreader Infection Destination.
Hospitals are back on outdoor tents to find room for the volume of Patients they have to see.
“I don’t care anymore” attitude is now officially Viral.
COVID 2022 Public Safety Guideline at the height of the uncontrolled Omicron Surge: Asymptomatic Essential Employee may go back to work on the day of confirmed positive COVID.
Zero Home Quarantine for the Asymptomatic COVID Worker that provides direct customer service and patient care.
What does this mean? More Infections in all Public Settings that requires direct customer and worker interaction. Schools included.
Students Are Walking Out Over COVID– The Atlantic
The upside, we may reach the Endemic phase of COVID or “Herd Immunity” after Omicron. May because COVID is an organism that continues to evolve. It is determined to survive and outlive its host. I would watch and see rather than give false assumptions that we are close to the finish line.
There is something horribly wrong to how we are responding to this year’s Winter Delta and Omicron Surge. We may not see it yet, but both the young and old, everyone including you and me will pay for it. The susceptible who didn’t get it previously will likely get COVID this year. Those who are more resistant to COVID plus the immunity boosting vaccines may never get it ever like some never get Flu in their lifetime.
For Healthcare Workers, it’s Dejavu 2020-2021 Winter Surge Adrenaline rush on edge insane thriller excitement all over again.
Weird to be back on a Pandemic Mode post COVID vaccination. Over Optimism Bubble has burst. Bizarre World led and influenced by bizarre People.
So, we move on and try to enjoy life like there’s no more COVID Danger because it seems that is the new guideline and message of “The Experts.” Perhaps they are right and I’m too cautious. Whatever.
Wear a mask? If we want. Don’t wear a mask. If we want. Go to work, do groceries, shop, hit the gym, eat in restaurants, ride public transports infectious? If we want. 2022 is all about what we want. Already is. Nothing can stop us know.
Infecting one another appears acceptable and okay now, tough I don’t agree that it is. But this is how we live now. This is the truth we have to accept or bury in our subconscious. Don’t panic or get anxious when standing next to a coughing person. It will become more normal in time.
What to do? Do the COVID Home Test 5-7 days post exposure if Asymptomatic or at time when Flu-like symptoms appear. Follow-up with your Healthcare Provider if negative but having symptoms because false negative is possible. Some symptomatic turn out positive after a third test.
The Covid Race to Watch: Vaccines vs. Variants- The Wall Street Journal
Endemic, stable COVID may take another 3 years to settle down. Impatience and Recklessness has to chill because we’re burning too fast with the annoying wildfires we also created.
“Found out today, I will be taking care of the overflow Patients of the emergency room and see all COVID patients that walks-in. That Free COVID Test Kit better come on time and 4 per month is not enough if I work 4 days a week alone. As I said before, there is a price for Free stuff, in this case my health and life. I’m fucked again, but so are all the Frontline Healthcare Providers in the Country. Shit-shit-shit.”
This Man's Journey 
What happens after the booster? Will it be an endless booster shot?
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Yes, twice a year likely depending on new strains, I will like get second booster this year for omicron alone. There would be a discrepancy however among the rich and poor countries as it is now.
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Oh wow, I don’t want to depend on vaccination that is still in its experimental stage. Here in our country, they have prevented unvaxxed from going out but still the positive cases keep rising. As I have said those fully vaxxed are sometimes over-confident not knowing that they are asymptomatic and they could pass the virus to others.
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I agree. With omicron , the best safety cautions are the original guidelines, of mask, distancing, avoid crowds, no gatherings , and vaccination of a branded vaccine either Pfizer or moderna. Catching up on the next strain is the new race game. Healthcare workers have no choice but updated booster as they are the first to get exposed to new variants from their everyday patients , same to all Essentials like airline crews.
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🙂
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You’ve raised some good points about the rapid anitgen tests. I’ve heard Omicron is harder to detect on them and a negative result may be misleading. And if someone does test positive, they may not want to then get a PCR test or report it. Here our government isn’t requiring people to get a PCR test to confirm the results of rapid antigen tests. How can scientists model cases and hospitalizations when the data isn’t reliable? Here we go again. Best of luck on the frontline.
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Yes, here we go again. A reporter from one of the news network said, “swab my nose, negative covid. But when I swab my throat in turned positive.” The self test has more negativity results for symptomatics than PCR depending on timing, method of collection and the kit itself. Thanks. Stay safe.
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I’m very sorry that work has once again placed you into a very vulnerable and precarious position. Hoping everything will be ok and safe. And take good care of yourself. I hope your February break gets here soon.
You brought up a good point about the rapid antigen tests that I never thought of. How they can and will skew the case counts. But as you noted, it’s come to a ridiculous point now in the US where number almost become meaningless and the citizens have become some numb and tired of the pandemic that common sense and safety has gone out the window.
The good news, if there is such a thing, is that Omicron seems to be peaking in some parts… where we are at least.
Hope this current wave passes soon. Take good care. 🙏🙏🙏
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Thanks Ab. We were promised light at the tunnel so many times that it doesn’t work anymore. This January was worst than last year. It was chaotic at work today because hospitals keep changing their protocol without warning. Sink or swim. Hopefully tomorrow, it’s more organized. Frontline workers have the last say in a work they are the first one to be in direct care to any infectious Patient. Our words are really nothing when the powerful CEO’s, adminstration and management are the main players and decision makers. We’re just worker bees, as always. Same anywhere else.
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I agree with you that frontline workers have take the mental, physical and emotional brunt of the pandemic. The industry is in a crisis right now with burnout and also people leaving in droves. I’m very sorry. It sounds so stressful. Thanks for hanging in there and doing your part! 🙏🙏🙏
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It is. The sad part, there seems to be a cover up of sorts happening right now. My work place is kind of acting in an emergency mode like last winter surge but no alarm and warning being made. We just to keep adjusting to sudden chances week per week, day by day. It’s crazy but we can’t respond like it’s crazy. Public Health is no longer making announcements of what’s really happening in the community. So are the Leaders. Non-Healthcare Americans don’t see what is happening behind the scenes of Omicron. The falsely labeled “Mild,” is not mild when from 1 case 6 weeks ago, jumped to 800,000 per day. I think at this point the Government wants people to infect one another at the quickest amount of time to see if herd immunity can be reached that way where the vaccines has failed due to vaccine hesitancy and freedom fighting. People are so distracted with COVID kits and having free kits that the danger of the repeated surges have been overshadowed. There would be a trend of rise and some decrease every 2 weeks as the cycle of infection-recovery-reinfection keeps happening across America. People can be newly reinfected by omicron too. And yes, there’s the chance of another variant replacing delta by Summer. I agree with one expert, this is really a race now between Variants versus Vaccines that targets that Variant. Whoever is faster and more aggressive wins. People are just the host, and kind of the Guinea Pig of the ongoing scientific experiments . So if it’s me, we need to just appreciate our borrowed time and make the most of them. We know what we need to do to hopeful never get sick and use that to do what we love as quick as we can. Living in the moment has never been more important. Take care Ab.
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I feel your pain. While I’m not a healthcare provider, I have followed this pandemic since its onset with so much absolute sadness. So many lives lost which are preventable. So many selfish acts. It is beyond belief. Thank ou for continuing to write about your experiences. Thank you so much for your service. There are some who care!
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Thank you for your kind words. We were given a false assurance it would be better this year, when it’s worse than last year at a similar time frame. It is true that many healthcare workers feel like their communities has turned against them and that no truth nor warnings will change people’s careless attitude and behavior, not after 2 years of restrictions. Pandora’s box is open, no turning back. Take care, stay safe.
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I think the way people have behaved during the pandemic will forever break my heart. Thank you for keeping your voice out there. While it often seems like no one is listening some are.
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I agree. It kind of confirmed that this really what most of Humanity will behave when a prolong hard times like COVID. Some rise up to the occasion but but some is not enough when compared to majority. We can only hope, pray and try and perhaps one day, that it is enough. Take care my Friend. What matters we don’t lose sight of what we need to do.
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Make it easier for hospital staff to care for covid patients. Don’t mandate PPE except to protect from patient body fluids. Don’t quarantine without symptoms–let hospital staff come to work. Stop the constant testing of staff. Don’t fire unvaccinated staff.
Gee, I wonder why we don’t have staff today???
Stop the mindless protocols.
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Gotta ramp up those covid positive test numbers or we can’t drive the panicked sheep to take the vaccines!!!
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You Said A mouth full there. Thanks for the hat information. Pray ypu are well and safe Thoughtfully Yvonne in UK
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Thank you. It’s been very frustrating to work in a profession that has no ending for covid yet infection is a possibility everyday. Nurses and Doctors are the most used and abused in this Pandemic just because their hearts can’t refuse serving and helping others even if it means being sick or worse die as well. Then there’s the unresolved , continued PTSD. We’re not Heroes. We’re just collateral damage in a war of powerful People and People not willing to change to end this Pandemic and it’s surges. Stay safe too. We are vulnerable to this virus.
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Order placed. Thank you, brother! And yes, thank you Biden administration for taking COVID-19 seriously.
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