Omicron is here, and we're red!

As you read this you'll know that the country is now back into the red traffic light setting. The Omicron variant of COVID is now out in the community and, given its transmissibility, expected to spread widely and quickly. In the press conference yesterday it was acknowledged that there is likely undetected transmission of Omicron in the community. Omicron has likely been transmitted by flights around the country (a flight attendant was infected with Omicron) and people also have attended a wedding and visited various venues.

The Omicron variant has been known about only since November, but the experience overseas is that it's highly transmissible, and it can get out of control very quickly. Without trying to dampen down transmission, it's likely that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with cases.

Sure, it seems that the Omicron variant results in less severe illness for many people, but for some, that will still mean ending up in hospital, and potentially dying from COVID. Being vaccinated confers good protection against serious illness.

We've been extremely fortunate so far that we've had only 52 deaths from the approximately 15,000 cases. The number of cases is likely going to shoot up quite quickly, but the effect of a largely fully-vaccinated eligible population is to reduce the severity of illness should you contact COVID. As of today, nearly 94% of the eligible population are fully vaccinated, with boosters rolling out 4 months after peoples' second dose (I got mine last week), and children 5 - 11 now being vaccinated.

I'm encouraged by the high vaccination numbers of adults and adolescents - and it seems likely that that will translate into rapid uptake of vaccination of children. We must never forget those unable to be vaccinated though, through factors such as being immunocompromised, and also those under 5.

I also think that it's pretty lucky we're experiencing this during summer when people tend to be outdoors more. It might have been a different story if it had arrived in winter. Still, looking across to Australia, the situation there is quite dire, and they're experiencing summer at the same time as us!

Omicron transmissibility is a game-changer. It's really not going to be possible to completely eliminate it, as we've effectively done with COVID in the past. It is going to become endemic. Keith Lynch (one of our Bravo Award winners from last year) wrote a good explainer article in Stuff.

The key takeaway from this is to continue to scan and, if you're eligible, get boosted, and limit social interactions. I, for one, will be staying home and avoiding large crowds.