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As an epidemiologist and NHS marketing consultant, 2022 begins very similar to 2021 did – I’m once more analysing information on the influence of a brand new Covid variant that threatens to place big stress on our hospitals. And I’m again on the frontline in A&E, serving to my NHS colleagues to take care of that stress.

But we are literally in a significantly better place, and there are good causes to be assured that 2022 might be a significantly better yr than 2021.

Last January was maybe the darkest time of your entire pandemic within the UK, with tens of 1000’s being admitted into hospital and 1000’s dropping their lives each week.

Now, with the vast majority of us effectively protected with extremely efficient vaccines, now we have a a lot decrease particular person threat of ending up in hospital – or worse – if we catch Covid. The mixture of vaccines and a greater information of the right way to deal with Covid means each hospitalisation and loss of life charges at the moment are a lot decrease, with the infection fatality rate having fallen by over 80%.

And because of this, not like final yr, our youngsters are going again to highschool this week, retail and hospitality companies are open and we’re capable of meet our mates and households.

The speedy precedence should be to make sure that current vaccines are distributed extra equally throughout the globe

Although the NHS is once more beneath huge stress – significantly because of workers shortages – the early indications are that we aren’t going through a repeat of final winter with hospital admissions rising more slowly and ICU admissions and deaths mercifully still flat. The data from South Africa and the early information from the UK offers us a practical hope that this wave might be over faster than earlier ones, and with a lot much less lack of life.

There are causes to be optimistic past simply this wave, as effectively. Firstly, the long-promised antiviral medicines have arrived. These new Covid treatments, which have simply began getting used within the UK, have the potential to transform the situation as related medicines have carried out with HIV and hepatitis C. They can cut back the danger of being admitted into hospital by as much as 90%, are efficient in opposition to all variants, could be taken orally and are a lot simpler to distribute than vaccines. Two are already authorised however many others are at present present process scientific trials and must be accessible this yr.

Next, new vaccines are in development that may make it simpler to handle the coronavirus variants that may inevitably emerge over the approaching yr. As with influenza, “multivalent” vaccines – which shield in opposition to an infection from a number of variants – will most likely change into accessible later this yr.

Other vaccines that concentrate on elements of the virus apart from the spike protein – elements that don’t mutate as simply – are additionally on the horizon. There are additionally vaccines being trialled that may be delivered by nasal spray, inhaler, orally and using skin patches – all of which can make distribution simpler and overcome needle phobia.

But the speedy precedence should be to make sure that our current and really efficient vaccines are distributed extra equally throughout the globe. We have made big progress, with 8.5bn doses delivered to this point, however far too many – particularly these at excessive threat and frontline healthcare staff in low-income nations – haven’t even obtained their first dose.

Vaccinating the entire world in 2022 is a practical prospect however this can require an finish to hoarding in high-income nations and a temporary lifting of patents. And that is in our pursuits too – we gained’t be capable of forestall new variants utterly however we will cut back the danger by making certain everybody, all over the place is ready to be vaccinated.

Sadly Covid will not be going away completely, however we could be optimistic that 2022 would be the year the pandemic ends and it turns into an endemic disease right here and in most nations due to the very excessive ranges of inhabitants immunity we now have – by means of a mixture of vaccination and pure an infection. There are nonetheless prone to be seasonal winter peaks, like with flu, and an annual booster jab will most likely be wanted to take care of new variants and waning immunity.

Like many, I’ve misplaced household, mates and colleagues. I’ve seen numerous sufferers endure from Covid – in addition to from its knock-on results on our well being providers – and from the lockdowns. But the massive lack of life and ache ought to quickly be a factor of the previous.

We are actually not out of the woods but – circumstances are at unprecedented ranges and rising (although extra slowly now) and Covid continues to be a severe risk to probably the most susceptible – so we have to proceed following the general public well being steering to guard them and to assist cut back the stress on the NHS so we will proceed treating all our sufferers.

But there’s a real looking prospect that 2022 would be the yr we will start to dwell with the virus – and with out the worry of each Covid and lockdowns that has haunted us for the previous two years.

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