I did not take the train yesterday, as I usually do to get to the office. I went by car. The trains have been packed lately during rush hour and I hesitated – indeed, I was afraid. The news on Omicron is not good. It is spreading rapidly in New York. So I decided to drive, despite the fact that traffic on the streets in recent months has been a nightmare.

Health above all.

In recent days, friends and acquaintances of mine have gotten sick. It is reminiscent of the days of March 2020. The big difference now, compared with then, is that this time the symptoms are mild. Something like a flu – sometimes a mild form of the flu for those who are fully vaccinated, that is, who have had the required one or two doses of the vaccines as well as the booster.

Otherwise things are tough.

There is no good time for a new wave of a pandemic, but Omicron could not have chosen a worse time than this to appear.

It creates a lot of problems during the holidays. It ruins the plans of many people who were planning to travel to spend Christmas and New Year’s with their loved ones or just for a vacation.

It also creates problems for those who will spend the holidays at home. Should they invite relatives and friends to their home? And if so, how many – and on what terms? Experts suggest that guests be fully vaccinated and that the host ask for proof of vaccination. This may not be easy in a culture like ours. However, it would be good to discuss the issue with the guests, especially when there are elderly people in the house.

We are very tired of the coronavirus. When we first thought it was over, the Delta variant came along, and now there is Omicron and who knows what else will come to us tomorrow.

The only way to get rid of this evil is to vaccinate all of humanity. The more unvaccinated people there are for alpha or beta reasons, in places like South Africa, where Omicron emerged, the more they will endanger their own health and the health of others.

Unfortunately, there are also countries that do not have the financial means to procure vaccines. In these cases, it is in everyone’s interest to send them vaccines, either at a very low price or even for free.

As for those in developed countries who refuse to be vaccinated, serious action must now be taken against them. Not as a means of punishment, but as a protective measure both for themselves and for the rest of us.