You've been here before. There is a "variant of concern" declared by the flurry of headlines. The talking heads want you to not panic, as chyrons below them repeat the word breakthrough. This isn't a repeat of March 2020 when there were no effective vaccines and little understanding of how COVID-19 spread. The fear of the unknown can cause you to fall.
Even if you knew that was unlikely, you thought you were done with it. The Delta variant of COVID-19 was supposed to be the end of the epidemic. Omicron is a variant of COVID-19 that South African scientists brought to the world's attention around Thanksgiving, right as you were about to be with family for the first time since the disease began. There was a confirmed case in San Francisco on Wednesday. A patient who hadn't traveled internationally was discovered to have domestic transmission of Omicron.
It's reasonable to be afraid by this turn. There's still doubt about what Omicron means for your plans, such as the long-awaited wedding, getting back on a dating app, and returning to an office workplace. There are new questions, just as you'd gotten used to them. How well do the vaccines hold up? Is Omicron more likely to cause more harm than Delta? Is Omicron infections only mild?
You want to make decisions based on this information, but you can't yet. The experts will know more about Omicron in the coming weeks. They say to keep calm, get vaccine or boosted, and continue practicing prevention measures, like masking indoors and testing before gathering. They're correct. The rational response isn't to spiral. The downward slide into breathless anxiety doesn't serve you or anyone else you love. Humans are terrible at managing uncertainty. They love knowing what will happen next. You are no exception.
You are looking for ways to manage. You could pretend that you're not worried because you're exhausted from worry. You could let the anxiety of the unknown affect you. There is a type of distraction. When we feel out of control, the second is what happens.
There is a calmer path between the extremes. Take note of what you see. Social media content about Omicron can be alarmist. If you want to reduce your grief, anxiety, anger, take in accurate, measured stories and commentary. Notifications should be turned off. The accounts that hype should be removed. The point is to limit how much outside influences push your emotions to the breaking point.
Take what you've learned from the past tumultuous periods and apply it to the new variant of concern. Did you forget that Alpha existed when Delta comprised most infections? If you followed Delta, you could make the choices you did now, like avoiding indoor dining, being cautious around unvaccinated children, and masking at the gym even when it's not required. If these actions made you feel more in control of your fate and more like a good citizen, try them again.
Make a list of things that make you happy. People who make you laugh are a good place to socialize. Move your body to release the stress on your joints and limbs. If you can, sleep and eat well. When possible, be present and breathe. If you're into meditation, try a meditation app or a new course. Experts say you should practice radical acceptance, self-compassion, andMindfulness. They will keep you grounded in the present reality, rather than making you think in a circular hell.
You should be kind to yourself when you end up there. If you're a health care worker or on the front lines, be gentle. You've been exposed to a lot of risk. The carelessness or callousness of some strangers makes this worse. You, of all people, deserve more certainty. Simply acknowledge it if you feel that way. You're not alone, so you wish this was over.
We're not starting over again. The experts say that Omicron is unlikely to fully evade the immune system. We know that masking can prevent infections. Rapid tests are available in the U.S., though they are expensive and hard to find. We are not going back to March 2020 with this virus. You will know the answers to your questions soon, Omicron. It is a matter of time.
