Health section.qxp_Layout 1 16/12/2021 14:42 Page 62
MENDIP TIMES
Here we go again
THERE’S nothing remotely surprising about a new variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus taking over. We’ve known for a long time that this virus isn’t going anywhere, that it mutates all the time, and then selects those mutations that allow it to spread more quickly. That’s called evolution and you can’t stop it. The only surprising thing about By Dr PHIL Omicron is its name. HAMMOND Why we choose the Greek alphabet to name variants of concern is beyond me, but we’ve had quite a few since Delta that have passed unnoticed. Every one from Epsilon to Mu hasn’t been able to out-compete the big D. Beta was big in South Africa but barely troubled the UK. Nu sounds like new and Xi sounds like the Chinese leader so before we knew it, we were up to Omicron. Next in line is Pi, and the government has been taking that in large volumes for at least a year, with all their departmental parties (sorry, “gatherings”) as we were all supposed to be following the rules. And then to deny such gatherings ever happened and even if they did, all the rules were followed! It’s a never-ending Pi take. No-one yet knows whether Omicron will cause more hospitalisation and death than Delta, but even if it is no more virulent, it will likely cause more harm by spreading further and faster and will very likely become the dominant strain. So what should we do? We couldn’t stop the SARS original, grew a huge wave of the Alpha variant within our borders and then carelessly imported a huge loading dose of Delta from India which spread like wildfire. So our chances of stopping a variant that is even more transmissible than Delta on our over-crowded, liberal island are negligible. The best we can hope for is to flatten the wave of infection to take the heat off the NHS, but the only way of doing that in the past has been through lockdowns which are themselves very damaging and everybody hates them. Even more people will be spreading the virus, most won’t actually get Covid but they could pass on the virus to those more vulnerable. Given how many of us could theoretically test positive without having any symptoms, it could be the mother of all pingdemics ahead. The economy could grind to a halt again. The good news is that human ingenuity will in time suppress each new variant. There is a world of difference between failing to stop a virus before we had vaccines and failing to stop a variant when we do have vaccines that should still provide decent (if diminished) protection against hospitalisation, harm and death, and are already being altered to be omicron-specific and effective against multiple variants. We were always likely to need boosters against a mutating virus, so get yours when you are called. It’s the single best protection you have against serious Covid illness. In addition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has now approved two antibody treatments, sotrovimab and ronapreve, which can dramatically improve outcomes for those seriously ill with Covid if given within five days of symptoms. These add to the growing number of proven treatments for Covid. The harm the virus does will be greatly reduced in countries who can afford the drugs and vaccines. But to reduce the risk of future variants we need to make these available to the whole world . . . Dr Hammond’s Covid Casebook, a Sunday Times best seller, is out now
PAGE 62 • MENDIP TIMES • JANUARY 2022
Plop the Raindrop
I ONCE spent almost an entire winter on a reindeer, ranging over the ice in the far north, with the brilliant glow of the northern lights swirling in the darkness. The reindeer were being herded by the Sami people. I know some of you associate reindeer with an old man with a big white beard who zooms about on a sled at Christmas. I have to confess I didn’t see anyone of that description. But then the Arctic tundra covers a very big area. This was a long time ago before cars or anything else like that were invented. So the Sami were selfsufficient and cut off from human beans everywhere else in the world. That means everything they needed, from food, shelter and warmth, they had to provide for themselves. With the help of the reindeer, of course. Being a tiny water droplet, like me, does have its privileges. It means I can observe the world around me undisturbed. And I’ve been doing that for millions and millions of years, since I first arrived unexpectedly from deep space on what you call Earth. I’ve seen all kinds of catastrophes and mass extinctions, not to mention some of the most interesting events in your history. Do you want to know who invented the wheel? I’ll see if I can remember her name. Anyway back to the reindeer. They are quite small, with large splayed feet which helps them to walk on snow. Their fur is thick and layered to keep out the cold. I was snuggled in it, together with a few million bugs. So reindeer are perfectly adapted to their environment, as are camels in the desert and gorillas in the rain forest. And in the same way, you have adapted to the environment where you happen to live, usually in harmony with the wildlife and local environment. Just think about how you tamed dogs and horses to help you. It was the same for the Sami people. They protected their reindeer from predators. The reindeer pulled their sleds and provided them with food, clothing and shelter. The reindeer probably got the worst part of that deal, but it was an arrangement that seemed to work. There’s a kind of harmony that helps all living things to get along together. If that breaks down, it can end in disaster. In my case the reindeer rolled in a big pile of bear pooh and left me in it! MENDIP GRANDAD
