Why some experts believe that omicron may be the end of the coronavirus pandemic

After almost two years, the Covid-19 pandemic is still present in our lives. The appearance of a new variant, omni, has caused an escalation of contagions in recent days around the world. However, despite the greater transmissibility of this new strain, some experts say that the end of the pandemic could already be near and date it for next year, 2022.

Many think that omicron is a clear example that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic is near. They explain that the fact that there was a lower incidence in the ICU during this last wave is a symptom that the Covid-19 vaccine works and that, therefore, the pandemic could be over in a short time.

Some of these experts give an example of what has happened in South Africa, where the omic variant of the Covid-19 was generated. This means that there is an almost vertical rise in the contagion of coronavirus, however, the drop is the same, abrupt. They therefore believe that this increase in contagion produces an immunity that helps put an end to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Javier Zulueta, former head of Pneumology and Intensive Care at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, supports this optimistic reflection on the possibility that omicron will mark the end of the pandemic: “We are looking at a different thing and looking at the incidence curves in South Africa and in some Nordic countries, we can start to think that this fall is as sharp, as fast as the rise that has been, could indicate that so many people will be infected that it could lead to the end of the pandemic. It is an optimistic reflection”.

The World Health Organization has explained that 2022 could be a key year for the Covid-19 pandemic, as they believe it is the time when it will end. For this reason, they have described this year as “hopeful”. However, they warn of the need to continue vaccinating against Covid-19, although they say that the campaigns of the third dose “prolong the pandemic”.

They criticise the fact that there is no equitable distribution of the Covid-19 vaccines, so ending the Covid-19 pandemic is becoming more complicated. They regret that it was a “lost” year, as there are areas of the planet, such as the African continent, where the immunization rate is very low.

Bill Gates, co-founder of the technology company Microsoft, has shared through Twitter his predictions about the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the wave of the new omni-variant coronavirus “should last less than three months and the pandemic may end in 2022”. However, when he says that the Covid-19 pandemic will end in 2022, he means “the acute phase”.

“It might be foolish to make another prediction, but I think the acute phase of the pandemic will come to an end sometime in 2022, “Bill Gates wrote. In addition, he says that “the world is better prepared to deal with potentially bad variants”.

Pfizer, one of the suppliers of Covid-19 vaccines, has also moved forward to date the end of the coronavirus pandemic. From the company, they are convinced that it will take two or three more years of Covid-19 for it to really end. In addition, they have dared to advance two types of finals.

First, they believe that the pandemic could definitely end much sooner than they thought. Secondly, they are studying the possibility that the Covid-19 will weaken and therefore will no longer be so strong that it will no longer be taken into account. All these statements come at a time when the Covid-19 vaccine is showing its effects, since although there are more infections, the number of beds occupied in the Intensive Care Units is much lower.