While the novel coronavirus continues to surprise the world, especially after its second year, reassuring news has emerged from an American expert amidst a series of alarming reports triggered by the pandemic in recent weeks. New data from Johns Hopkins University, which has consistently reported on the pandemic since it first appeared in China, indicates that COVID-19, as a social phenomenon, is on the verge of ending.
Professor Yasha Mounk has bet that regardless of the trajectory of Omicron or future variants of the disease, the world is about to experience the end of the pandemic as a social phenomenon. He anticipates that despite Omicron's rapid spread, it is "not deadly," as the death toll associated with it remains low. According to studies he collected from friends who were infected with the new variant, they experienced mild symptoms, which aligns with findings from South Africa, the country where Omicron was first identified.
Furthermore, he noted that although the new variant is more contagious, it causes less severe complications compared to previous variants. He explained that the significant increase in Omicron cases, which has not elicited a strong response from countries, signifies the end of the pandemic.
However, he acknowledged that experts' concerns about the new variant arise from the possibility that it may lead to several mutations, which could make it more contagious and potentially more resistant to the immunity provided by vaccines.
It is worth mentioning that the coronavirus has caused at least 5,368,777 deaths worldwide since the World Health Organization first reported the appearance of the disease in China at the end of December 2019. The organization has expressed grave concerns, especially with the emergence of new variants, emphasizing that the arrival of the Delta and Omicron variants in 2021 is a clear message that COVID-19 is not over yet and continues to evolve.
