“Omicron is highly transmissible, but apparently not very pathogenic. While I hope that remains the case, but that would depend on what new variants emerge going forward,” he said.
He also said there is a great deal of ‘disinformation’ around and that is entirely destructive to a comprehensive public health endeavour. He said endemicity means ‘a non-disruptive presence, without elimination’, but it cannot be said as yet whether an endemic stage is underway.
“It is very difficult to predict what the new normal would be like. I do not think the people would be walking around with masks on forever, but one new normal I would hope for is greater solidarity with each other. I also hope the new normal would include a strong memory about what a pandemic can do to us,” he said. PTI