Remember when South Africa faced West’s scrutiny after alerting the world of Omicron variant? Now, West is at the helm of COVID pandemic surge and ironically, there is not much ado about anything.
Highlights-
- U.S. registers 1 million Omicron cases in a day setting new record since beginning of pandemic.
- France already registered 12 cases of IHU, the COVID variant that is much more contagious than Omicron.
- Australia faces desperate shortage of health workers, recalls COVID positive nurses to work.
Since last two years, the new year’s eve ritual goes like this- people raise a toast in hope for pandemic to end with the changing year while partying at hotels packed with hundreds and thousands of people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated. And this is where the problem with the COVID led pandemic comes to the highlight- the uniform action on ending the virus outbreak is missing miserably. When one part of world stays at home due to stringent lockdown, the other celebrates and mass socialize like nothing ever happened.
And here is the major truth bomb- developed nations are the biggest motivators behind the prolonged pandemic. They are easily getting away with the lapse that they create in global recovery from virus outbreak and the blame often shifts to the developing nations. Multiple evidences state the fact- vaccine hoarding, no acknowledgement of new variants originating from West, easing restrictions during holiday season and more.
It has been more than two years since COVID took over the world and can we expect that the end of pandemic is near? The answer is unfortunate NO. The world is, in fact, neither able to adapt nor to fight the invisible enemy.
Here are some of the terrifying and worrisome COVID developments from the developed world that leaves a big room for contemplation.
Healthcare Crisis in Australia — COVID Positive Nurses Filling Up Staff Shortage Amid Pandemic
This is probably the last action that the world would expect from the government of a developed nation. But here it is- in Australia, nurses who infected with COVID are recalled to the hospitals due to the staff shortage at hospitals.
Omicron variant has took drastic shape in the most populous state of the country, New South Wales (NSW). And as the nation struggles to manage the out-of-control case counts, hospitals are desperately falling short of staff.
More than 2500 healthcare workers are in isolation in NSW and these infected, asymptomatic nurses are now working alongside the non-infected staff and patients. Reports have revealed that these nurses actually exhibited symptoms like sneezing and coughing.
The U.S. set new record with 1 million cases in a day
On Monday, the world’s superpower diagnosed 1 million Americans as COVID positive, thanks to the Omicron outbreak. As the nation witnesses yet another blistering wave of COVID outbreak, top U.S. pandemic officer Anthony Fauci said that U.S. was registering “almost a vertical increase” in COVID cases.
The cases are actually expected to be north of the number given that most Americans are using home testing kits to diagnos the infection.
Ironically, not many countries have imposed a travel ban on the U.S. in the wake of meteoric rise in the cases. Hong Kong is one nation to take the step unlike others who were quick to restrict travel from South Africa after Omicron outbreak.
France identifies a new variant IHU, but not much ado
Omicron variant is largely being termed as “mild” and “not dangerous” in terms of severity and symptoms. And while it is spreading like wildfire, the negligible death toll remains the silver lining. However, amid the chaos, another variant has been identified- IHU, this time in France.
It is being termed as much more contagious with 46 mutations in comparison to 32 mutations of Omicron and worse is the timing. When the nations are struggling to keep Omicron wave in check, the new variant makes matters all the more complicated.
France has already diagnosed more than 12 cases of the IHU variant. And while the virus is currently only diagnosed in France, the country has already shifted the blame on Cameroon, saying that the first patient returned from the country shortly before being infected.
Ironically, global approach to yet another mutant is quite different this time. When the news of Omicron discovery escaped from South Africa, West took no time in imposing travel restrictions and issuing public advisories. However, France has immaculately escaped all the scrutiny. No travel restrictions have been imposed against nation from any other country. France itself doesn’t seem to bother much about the outbreak. Social distancing norms are settling down and everything appears to be normal.
No matter how mild or severe the situation be, the apposite handling of the pandemic lies in the uniform action. And while developing nations easily become the scapegoat of the virus that just doesn’t seem to leave anytime soon, the hypocrisy of developed world is no longer under cloak.
