Editorial | COVID-19 again

Rising cases of COVID-19 virus are triggering alerts from health authorities and infectious disease experts in many countries. According to figures from our own Ministry of Health and Wellness, there were 55 confirmed cases of the coronavirus for the period June 18-24. As many as 21 of these confirmed infections were detected in the Kingston and St Andrew metropolitan area. There were only 24 cases in the week before and half of these were in the Corporate Area.

Meanwhile in the United States of America, people are being advised to take updated COVID-19 vaccines which will be released in the fall of this year. Driving the new surge of COVID-19 are the KP.3 and KP.2 strains variants which are related to the JN.1 variant and among the so-called FliRT variants that are said to be responsible for more than half of the new cases. Equally troubling is the E.G.5 variant which has been described as common.

The coronavirus has persisted for more than four years spreading around the world. Even though the new variants and sub-variants are not up to pandemic levels, countries with fragile health systems such as ours is obliged to start thinking of survival strategy in preparation.

Without seeking to create panic, we urge the health minister to take into account the fact that summer is traditionally the high travel season with thousands of visitors expected to flood the island. Many of these visitors will be coming from the United States where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting rising coronavirus cases in 44 states.

ADDED WORRIES

Added to COVID-19 worries are the respiratory irritants like the Saharan dust and burning garbage either from a private property or the municipal dump which are experienced periodically especially in the cities.

The question people may be asking themselves is whether it is time to get back into their masks and maintain a healthy distance from strangers. Citizens, including those who are medically vulnerable, will no doubt be looking to the Ministry of Health and Wellness for guidance as to how they ought to prepare for a possible onslaught since most persons had let their guard down and fewer people are testing.

Could it be that the COVID-19 virus will remain a health concern well into the future? Memories of COVID-19 deaths, lock-down and constant disruptions to daily life are still fresh in people’s memories. Undoubtedly, some important lessons were learnt from that experience.

For example, it became evident that public confidence in vaccines did not grow with the severity of the pandemic. In the aftermath of the worldwide pandemic some vaccines have been withdrawn and their efficacy is now being questioned. What then would be the response were there to be a new outbreak which require vaccination? It seems the Ministry of Health and Wellness needs to effectively develop along with other partners, a strategy to conceptualize and execute a public education in the face of any new pandemic.

Above all individuals should understand that they are responsible for their own health and may therefore want to adopt a cautious posture about the travel and socialising which comes with the summer holidays, in order to minimise their exposure to any of the looming variants.