Dr. Michael Osterholm is saying that we're going to be overrun by Omicron in about two weeks.

Today's news on Covid and the Omicron give you that sinking feeling. University of of Minnesota Dr. Michael Osterholm is saying that we're going to be overrun by Omicron in about two weeks. He urges everybody to get vaccinated and use high-quality masks.  

Note: These are either N95 or KN95 masks. Cloth masks that many of us have been wearing an not sufficient for fighting the virus. 

Relatedly, also read Dr. Osterholm's Washington Post piece titled, Opinion: The omicron surge could be the worst public health challenge of our lifetimes.

One medical doctor in New Orleans documents "acute COVID affection" in otherwise healthy children—some 2 years of age and under—such that it's not appropriately characterized as benign. 

Children ages 5 and older need to get the vaccine, as well as be surrounded by vaccinated adults. Most children will recover though approximately 1,000 children nationwide have died of COVID.

In Austin, we have just entered Stage Four COVID-19 risk-levels. I know we're all fatigued as this state of uncertainty seems endless, but what else can we do other than to help each other out and stay safe as best we can? 

-Angela Valenzuela

Dec. 29, 2021

Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota,  

joined Chris Jansing to discuss the rise in coronavirus cases around the country fueled by the omicron variant. He says Covid testing is a "huge issue" and warns "that we're going to see a major overrun of omicron."

A guide to Austin coronavirus restriction stages: What’s open, closed and what they mean

Wow! It should really mean something, my friends, to us all that we are STAGE 4 here in Austin, Texas. In fact, this should be alarming.

As you can see from this chart, it's telling us to stay home and not socialize in "groups" greater than two--yes, two! We have lost too many people we love already.  Just because it's an imperfect science or the odds might seem worth playing, doesn't mean that any of us should take unnecessary risks as laid out in the chart below. 

If we get too sick as a nation, this will delay our getting the much-needed vaccine. Why? Because our health care system will be preoccupied with patient care and they're the same ones that will deliver the vaccine. 

I like to get out as much as anybody, but my family is staying put for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Do go to this specific page from the Austin American-Statesman (Nov. 18, 2020) to view directly the charts appearing below—and keep going to it as they'll be updating it.  

And STAY SAFE everybody!

-Angela Valenzuela