n article a week ago in The Atlantic caught our attention—and it seems a lot of others around the globe. Its author, Ed Yong writes "Omicron’s main threat is its shocking speed, as my colleague Sarah Zhang has reported. In South Africa, every infected person has been passing the virus on to 3–3.5 other people—at least twice the pace at which Delta spread in the summer. " Given the exponential rate at which viruses spread, this country's medical facilities could quickly become overwhelmed.

The Philippines has one glaring problem staring us in the face: the population density in our major cities—compared to those of other countries—is sky-high. For example, like it or not, Metro Manila was not designed with social distancing in mind. It was designed to pack as many Filipinos as possible, into jeepneys, and buses, and trains, and malls, and movie houses, and restaurants, and homes. It has been this way for decades, and Metro Manilans are simply used to it.

Well, that was all well and good, or at least tolerable, before the Wuhan virus reared its spikey little head. In what were once called "squatter areas" informal settlers set up huts right next to each other. Oftentimes, only a piece of tarp or plywood separated one dwelling from the next. If rooms were available, up to a dozen people sometimes shared a single room. In these situations, it is simply impossible to social distance.

Yong notes in his article that "Omicron may also be especially difficult to catch before it spreads to others, because its incubation period—the window between infection and symptoms—seems to be very short." Given all these, omicron could spread like wildfire across our cities, and quickly overwhelm hospitals and medical facilities.

The only way to head off such a catastrophe is for the government to vaccinate the eligible population as quickly as possible. Everyone should be required to get vaccinated. And those already vaccinated should also get a booster. Other countries are trying to reduce the six-month waiting period for boosters, down to four months. Our CDC should look into this as well. And our government should make a concerted effort to get, as many as possible, vaccinated. Relevant government agencies should coordinate on a multimedia campaign, using traditional media (newspapers, radio, and television), as well as online media, to convey this urgent message.

And if omicron turns out to be less virulent, a highly vaccinated populace will be better at fighting off any future variants of the coronavirus. But if omicron turns out to be as virulent as some suspect, countless lives will be saved, and our economy will be spared from significant damage. But we must move fast.

Published 12/20/2021