An excellent article by Katherine Wu yesterday at The Atlantic was a bit of hopeful news regarding the latest coronavirus variant of concern, Omicron. Wu highlighted some recent research studies regarding the role of T cells in countering the variant’s seeming ability to somewhat escape derived immunity:
“All of this coalesces into a not-totally-catastrophic forecast as to where the immunized could be headed with Omicron. Some T cells might waver—but a hefty contingent should still rush in to fight when the variant invades, as long as a vaccine or prior infection has already wised them up. We don’t, to be fair, have the full picture on Omicron yet; more data are still on their way. What’s known so far, though, looks promising. New data gathered by teams led by Sette and Redd show that most of the viral bits that trained T cells tend to recognize, including those within the spike protein, are still pristinely preserved on Omicron, with only a few exceptions. In previously infected people, for instance, Sette’s team predicted that some 95 percent of spike-specific killer Ts should still hit their mark; in the vaccinated, it was 86 percent. Similar data from Pfizer, as well as the biotech company Adaptive, clock in closer to 80 percent for the inoculated.”
The TLDR version: the Omicron variant is the most confounding of the new variants thus far, however, immunity via vaccination or prior infection (or both) will still elicit T cells in providing a substantial measure of protection. That’s a modicum of optimism amidst the nearly three weeks’ worth of fear and anxiety since scientists in South Africa discovered the new variant, with some speculation that any acquired immunity would not prohibit Omicron from infecting vaccinated (or previously infected) individuals.
While studies have not conclusively determined whether or not the new variant is “milder” than the wild type edition, the fact remains that any increase in transmissibility means that there will be an associated increase in severe disease and hospitalizations due to the sheer volume of new cases across the globe. Omicron is expected to become the dominant variant this month in regions like Europe and the UK, with the United States not that far behind.
So, what does this have to do with the business arena and vaccine mandates? Some thoughts:
- Ongoing studies prove that vaccine booster shots amplify protection against Omicron, meaning that there should be some flexibility in mandates to include a third vaccine jab. Vaccine-induced immunity is somewhat protective, however, booster shots significantly enhance the overall efficacy and effectiveness of the Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines. As Dr. Anthony Fauci recently stated on numerous media outlets: the definition of “fully vaccinated” will need to be changed to include the aforementioned third/additional vaccine jab. This will need to be reflected in the Biden administration’s vaccine regulations, expected to go into effect in less than a month.
- There shouldn’t be a rush to push everyone back to the office just because it’s a new year. Winter is an awful time for respiratory viruses, including the common cold and the flu. Even if there wasn’t a new variant of concern about to spark a new wave of infections, there would be so much confusion regarding whether or not people should head into work; a stuffy nose or sniffles would make anyone think twice about beginning their morning commute. The Omicron variant is expected to create a surge of cases during the winter (if indicators from the UK and across the world forebode what is about to happen in America), thus the continued viability of the hybrid and remote work models. Although some may argue that mandates are merely unwanted oversight by the government, the truth is that mandates are designed for public safety, not control. (And, if we’re going to talk about remote work, too, then why not say this: it should have a permanent place in how businesses structure their workforce in 2022.)
- Businesses are going to have to work harder to ensure their staff that workplaces are safe. It shouldn’t take state-mandated mask measures for businesses to understand what’s at stake here: workers are already burnt out, tired, and have had enough of the inequitable treatment and lack of flexibility. Remote options should be readily available for those workers that can effectively perform tasks from home, while those industries that cannot support remote or hybrid work must structure the workplace environment to be safe for all in-person workers, making vaccine mandates all the more critical (while also mandating facial coverings).
- If Omicron causes another winter surge, vaccine mandates will significantly boost the overall immunity of the country. As stated above, the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate plan isn’t a way for the government to execute control over the business arena, but to truly make the country a safer place to live and work. Those individuals that were vaccine hesitant before the mandate kicks in (and there are most likely millions that fall into this group) will now be inoculated in a time when a new, shifty variant is causing a sharp uptick in infections.
