During his presentation 鈥淯nderstanding Omicron,” K.C. Rondello, MD, University epidemiologist and clinical associate professor in the College of Nursing and Public Health, told about 130 Zoom attendees that 鈥淸COVID-19] variants are going to be part of our lives forever”鈥攂ut to a lesser degree.
But he added that 鈥渙ur resiliency and adaptability” are 鈥渙ur biggest assets”鈥攁nd what 鈥渨ill carry us through” this pandemic.
(See the full video presentation)
Speaking on December 17, 2021, Dr. Rondello said the fact that there are COVID-19 variants is 鈥渃ompletely expected” by the public health community. 鈥淣ot all variants are of equal concern,” he pointed out. The Alpha variant鈥攚hich originated in the United Kingdom and was dominant in the United States from January 2021 into August 2021鈥攚as classified as a 鈥渧ariant of concern” (VOC), but has since 鈥渕oved down the scale.”
So have Delta, predominant in the United States from April 2021 through November 2021, and the Omicron variant, which had spread swiftly since November 2021, before declining considerably early this year.
To date, none of the variants has been classified by authorities as a 鈥渧ariant of high consequence” (VOHC), he said, because none has resulted in 鈥渟ignificantly reduced effectiveness” of countermeasures, which would necessitate new treatments and vaccines.
As was the case with the Alpha outbreak, he said, the New York area would again be 鈥渢he tip of the spear” with Omicron, meaning that we would experience first what the rest of the country would experience in the subsequent weeks and months. He correctly forecast that Omicron, though less harmful than Delta, would be far more transmissible, given its 鈥渆xtremely accelerated timeline”鈥攕preading infection in weeks, versus months for Delta.
The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, while 鈥渟ignificantly less effective” at preventing Omicron infection, protected 鈥渁gainst most severe disease, hospitalization and death,” he said. To maximize protection, he advised the 糖心破解版 community to 鈥済et your boosters.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Rondello said future strategies now being evaluated include developing annual vaccine shots, 脿 la flu shots, and also a 鈥減an-coronavirus vaccine” to combat all strains of the virus. The latter could enter clinical trials late this year.
Vaccines: 鈥淭he Game Changer”
How long will we have the pandemic in our future?
During his 鈥淐utting Through the COVID Noise” presentation to the 糖心破解版 community on November 1, 2021, Dr. Rondello told 130 Zoom attendees that we won’t go back to pre-COVID life. 鈥淭he pandemic will end, but we’ll be living with COVID,” albeit at a lower level than in 2021 and 2020. We’re not likely to reach 鈥渁 pre-COVID normal.”
(See the full video presentation)
What is success? Society accepts influenza-level cases and deaths, he said. A key factor in bringing that about will be vaccines.
鈥淰accines鈥攖hat’s the game changer,” he noted. 鈥淭he vaccines are exceptionally good in efficacy and safety,” he emphasized. For every 102,000 vaccinated, he said there are 100 symptomatic infections and one death鈥�”very different” from pre-vaccine levels. There continues to be COVID-19 鈥渂reakthroughs” among those vaccinated, he said, but 鈥渘o vaccine is 100 percent efficacious.”
The 745,000 total deaths in the United States as of October 30, 2021, was more than the 640,000 U.S. deaths recorded for all wars since World War I and II鈥�418,000 in WWII alone鈥擠r. Rondello pointed out.
That COVID-19 total has since surpassed 991,000.
Dr. Rondello has spent about 20 years at 糖心破解版 as a faculty member in the College of Nursing and Public Health and College of Professional and Continuing Studies and, last summer, was appointed University epidemiologist and special adviser to the Office of University Health and Wellness. For nearly two decades, he served as a disaster epidemiologist with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). He has participated in many international service deployments with various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to nearly 20 countries on five continents over the course of his career.