So here we are again, yet another Covid variant threatening to ruin the big days for us.
It’s called Omicron, and it feels like it’s been waiting for Christmas to be just around the corner before it strikes.
There’s been a lot of talk on social media about whether our scientists should’ve let the world know that they identified it, because the world pretty much punished us almost immediately.
Many countries consequently banned travel from and to South Africa, resulting in chaotic scenes at our airports over the weekend, with desperate people trying to get back to their families in Europe, Asia and America.
And of course there was the “I-told-you-so” crowd of conspiracy theorists questioning the value of having taken the vaccine, as it may not protect against Omicron.
The fact is, it is too early to tell. It appears that this variant has many more mutations and seems to be spreading even faster than the Delta variant did.
But beyond that, they are not sure how much protection the vaccine affords those who took it.
Or even whether it will prove even more fatal to those who didn’t.
Which of course highlights the question of whether we should have informed the world as soon as we did of having identified the new variant. I think in our heart of hearts, we know that it was the right thing to do.
After all, we have a responsibility towards fellow citizens of this planet, and if we know something that can help protect them, then of course we must speak up, even if it is to our own detriment.
But the responsibility goes both ways, and definitely extends to the rest of the world protecting itself by helping to expedite our vaccinations.
Developed nations seem to have a dangerously nationalist and blinkered view of vaccination programmes.
They want to rush to open up their economies, especially their tourism markets, but they are slow to help the rest of the world get to herd immunity.
By helping developing nations vaccinate their populations, and by curbing the spread of fake news from their own shores to ours, they are in fact helping themselves.
If they don’t see that fact clearly enough, then we are all doomed to remain trapped in this cycle of having our hopes of normalcy dashed every few months.
Whether we are the first to raise the alarm, or not.