#BTEditorial – The danger still lurks

In his famous 1603 tragedy Othello, William Shakespeare reminds us, “How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? The classic play is about the noble protagonist who makes a disastrous error of judgement.

Though today is not for literary critiques, the play provides some food for thought as we consider our decisions and actions in what many are hoping is a post-COVID-19 era. But despite our wishes, prayers and hopes, sadly the pandemic is not behind us. It is as much present today as it was in March 2020 when the number of confirmed cases began a steady climb.

The two years that have ensued have been brutal to put it mildly. It has been a period of devastation for our economy, with almost 400 deaths, when we include the post-death confirmations that were announced just hours ago. We do not need reminders of the thousands who lost their jobs and the scores of businesses that buckled under the weight of these extraordinary conditions and have not reopened.

When the Omicron variant became the dominant virus circulating on the island, there was renewed concern. Thousands reacted by being boosted and many who were hesitant about the vaccine, made the first steps in the vaccination process.

However, as the disease peaked and we realised that though it was more infectious, most victims were asymptomatic or suffered just mild illness. Whether the percentage of vaccinated in the population made the difference here, we are still unsure.

The declining infection rate allowed the country to breathe again. Businesses such as restaurants, places of entertainment and sporting events are returning to some level of normalcy, and we are planning for Crop Over 2022.

While most Barbadians have continued to follow the protocols and are wearing their masks in public, we are, admittedly, becoming complacent about the disease.

There is a major question that dogs us. Have we lifted the levers too soon? 

Most Barbadians and visitors to the island will tell you that their mental health could not withstand further lockdowns, periods of isolation and lack of opportunities to socialise.

This may be true, however, our medical fraternity through the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) has been steadfast in its urgings for us to exercise restraint because COVID-19 has not gone anywhere.

Blasted on social media as killjoys, BAMP has maintained that it is the duty of its members to give the unvarnished truths and provide their best advice.

The latest confirmed COVID-19 figures should give us reason to pause. The infection rate has been rising over the past few days as BAMP again recommends there be widespread testing in the population and stepped-up surveillance for new variants.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness revealed 218 new infections from 1043 tests undertaken on Tuesday. Even more startling than the rising cases, was the revelation that there were at least 40 more deaths from the disease than originally thought following post-mortems.

Reports from China, the United States and Europe indicate that the subvariant BA.2  poses a significant threat to global efforts to eradicate the disease from our populations.

It is more contagious than omicron and BA.2, is now the dominant version of COVID-19 in the United States according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

What concerns us, as we build our hopes of a resurgent economy on our fortunes in tourism, is the news that the fast-spreading subvariant now accounts for nearly 55 per cent of COVID-19 infection samples that have undergone genetic sequencing in the United States.

The CDC indicates that BA.2 has doubled as a proportion of circulating variants of the virus in the US about every two weeks.

In the United Kingdom, our vitally important source market for visitors, is not faring much better with the new subvariant. The BBC news service has revealed that COVID cases have continued to rise in the UK, with an estimated one in every 20 people infected. This is  according to figures from the Office for National Statistic.

All age groups in the UK are affected, including the 75s and over, while hospital cases are also rising. What is particularly helpful in the UK, is the high level of vaccinations in the population, which is tempering many of the severe cases.

The lesson for us is that we should not let our guard down, no matter the urgency to restore the economy, or how strong the desire among our people for a respite from the COVID mitigation measures.

We have seen that where the disease is out of control, the economy cannot flourish.