HLN #13: Of Variants, Virulence, and Vaccines: Addressing Concerns About Omicron
To communicate for change, we must respect people's gifts of doubt.
In the past week, I have had conversations with people whose opinions differ from mine, on issues ranging from overpopulation and birth control to uniqueness and survival of species by lifespan and gestation periods… The topic that seems to have interesting engagements is vaccination and COVID-19 variants.
Some months ago, I learned what not to do when engaging with people who share a different view on COVID-19. I had come across a tweet where someone stated that he would block anyone who did not want to get vaccinated.
While that was quite a strong take, it had me reflecting... What happens to real-life friends, colleagues, and family members who hold a different take on vaccination? The past two years have shown that the most important, common enemy or problem is the SARS-COV-2. We are only having conflicts about a virus or disease, not with ourselves. I think that, at this point, SARS-COV-2 deserves a thumbs down👎 for what it's doing to our minds too.
In fact, we seem to have progressed lately with spelling the COVID-19 variants using the Greek alphabets. When I wrote about Nigeria's porous borders in March 2019, I did not know that a virus would have me mentally go back to elementary school level just to learn how to spell from Alpha to Omega. But here we are: at Omicron.😕
From my conversations so far, there has been a lot of speculation about the possibility of the Omicron becoming the normal flora variant. Some colleagues opine that Delta is still a deadlier variant, though Omicron has more mutations. One had told me that there would be more variants as long as nature keeps playing survival of the fittest with the gaps in the wave graphs. "Wait o! How many more booster shots do we have to take?" Another is curious to know.
Let's digress because it's important to simplify these terms–mutation, variants, virulence–should you also need them to speak with a patient, friend, family member or the public.
Mutation is a change in, or an alteration of the genetic material of a microorganism or living thing.
Viruses make copies of themselves (replication), in order to grow and overwhelm the body's defenses. These copies can undergo changes (mutations) that make them different from the main/reference virus. These viruses whose genetic makeup now has undergone changes are called variants.
Virulence, in this case, means how severe or harmful and rapidly spreading an infectious disease is. It is based on the nature or disease-causing ability of the microorganism and can be observed in the disease rate (morbidity) and death rate (mortality).
Like I earlier said, you will find humans with differing opinions around you. It is important that you acknowledge their concerns, that you respect their opinions, and that you engage with them from an angle of trust and reliability. People are free to express their doubts and we are free to respect their gifts of doubts and their courage to think differently.
However, to address this issue, we need to understand that science is not static. I have found two words to describe these times, which I prefer to the cliché, unprecedented. Complex and shifting are adjectives that speak to our current situation as inhabitants of an ever-rotating-and-revolving planet. Science is not static because the times are complex and shifting. Variants are evolving and no one knows the end from the beginning, so we must as healthcare professionals, communicate the evidence-based findings we know, and the ones we are yet to. Nothing must be wrapped in mystery. Secrecy, half-truths, or false information only foster the spread of misinformation especially in restricted settings like WhatsApp.
This works, because I find that every time I have shared on my WhatsApp status about getting vaccinated, acknowledging concerns about side-effects raised by others, or just sharing about my vaccination status, someone reaches out to me to find where to get a shot. While not all are convinced, what I know is shutting out people will only aggravate fears and suspicion.
When in doubt, do not just make reference to materials by health authorities, seek to understand each person and to respect their opinions. Understanding does not mean validation or agreement. It means that the person is much more important than the common problems and deserve to be heard irrespective of how we feel about the topic.
Got questions or comments? Please reply to this post or via email, healthliteracynotepad@gmail.com
A quote I am ruminating on
“Doubt is an incentive to truth and enquiry leads the way.” — Hosea Ballou
“When inquiry is suppressed by previous knowledge, or by the authority and experience of another, then learning becomes mere imitation, and imitation causes a human being to repeat what is learned without experiencing it.” —Jiddu Krishnamurti
Resources for Further Reading:
This TED Audio Collective on What we miss when we focus on the average shines light on why even the “unpopular” data outside the best line of fit, is an important part of the story
Opportunities of the week:
Scholarships to attend the 24th International AIDS Conference Virtually and in Montreal Canada
Apply for a fully-funded online Master’s program in Sexual & Reproductive Health Policy and Programming at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Apply to the Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Programme
Register to attend the First International Conference on Public Health in Africa
Some Important health events in December
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Dec 05-11: National Handwashing Awareness Week
Dec 06-12: National Influenza Vaccination Week
Dec 06-10: National Older Driver Safety Awareness Week
Dec 10: Human Rights Day
Dec 12: International Universal Health Coverage Day
Dec 27: International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
Download the calendar of 2021 health events here.
Don’t forget to read again, on 15/12
Keep sharing HLN
Chidindu Mmadu-Okoli
Health Literacy Notepad