Thread by @Cleavon_MD

Omicron is not "mild." It is less severe than delta, but hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase due to Omicron. Worldwide deaths have increased for the 6th week in a row @mvankerkhove

It's the 6th week in a row that we're seeing increasing deaths from COVID-19. In the last week alone ~75,000 people died. And we know that is an underestimate @mvankerkhove

75,000 people died from COVID last week. At the peak of this pandemic, at the highest week ever there were 110,000 deaths and that was considered to be the most awful week in the pandemic. We're at 75,000. It's not a whole long way from there @DrMikeRyan

Testing is a critical component to the COVID-19 strategy so it must be affordable, reliable & rapid. You need to know where the virus is. You need to know how the virus is changing so that the interventions can be adapted and tailored to where they are needed most @mvankerkhove

Testing is important b/c it allows for early treatment of people with underlying conditions that have a high risk of progressing to severe COVID. These include people that have cancer, lung disease, heart conditions, older than 65, etc @mvankerkhove cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…

The virus is evolving. Omicron has several sublineages BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 & BA.3. We're seeing an increase in the sequences of BA.2, which is more transmissible than BA.1. @mvankerkhove

There are a significant number of people suffering from #LongCovid among the 409 million infected. This needs more attention b/c #LongCovid will be part of our future. There is no reason to suggest a difference in Long Covid among people infected w/Delta vs Omicron @mvankerkhove

If we get hit with another variant and we've abandoned all public health measures, it's going to be really hard to put anything back in place. This idea that we're going to abandon everything is a very premature concept in many countries right now @DrMikeRyan

Public health measures should be reduced in a step-by-step approach that looks at data, epidemiology & the health system and then SLOWLY come down the mountain step-by-step. You're much more likely to fall when you're coming down a mountain than when you're climbing @DrMikeRyan

There are many countries lifting public health mandates and adjusting to the virus slowly. For example lifting outdoor mask requirements, continuing remote work and investing in ventilation @mvankerkhove

The pandemic does not have an on/off button. This false dichotomy has damaged our ability to control spread. We know this virus better than any other virus in history. We have the tools to control this pandemic, but we may have to sustain a high level of vigilance w/masks

Before the 1940s millions of people died from pneumonia and wound infections because there were no antibiotics. The goal is to turn COVID-19 into a disease that we can manage @DrMikeRyan