As Christmas music and movies play continuously on some stations, we might hear the song released on October 24, 1934 called “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.”  This song was first written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie and has been recorded by over 200 different artists. Some of the more well-known artists include Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Buble´ and Mariah Carey.  In 2014, an a cappella version was released by Pentatonix. Many children are reminded of the lyrics “he’s making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.” 

This famous song is not the only reference to naughty or nice. In 2012, the Hallmark Channel helped produce a Christmas television movie titled Naughty or Nice. This movie has not quite become a classic but some may remember it. The premise of the movie is that Santa’s book listing all of the naughty and nice children ends up in the hands of the character named Krissy Kringle and the book lists all these naughty things that she now knows.

In reviewing the actors in the movie, only two names were familiar to me.  Krissy’s parents were played by actors Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter who likewise played the parents of Michael J. Fox in the hit television show Family Ties. You might be wondering why this Christmas reference besides the season? What does naughty or nice have to do with COVID-19? The new variant of concern for SARS-CoV-2 is Omicron and we still do not have great data yet to determine what aspects might be naughty and what might be considered nice.  

On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Omicron a variant of concern after discovering the variant in Botswana and South Africa. The number of cases of COVID-19 in South Africa have tripled in three days. In a short period of time, Omicron has overtaken Delta as the dominant variant in that country. Hence, the naughty concern that the Omicron variant has an increased risk of rapid transmission and spread that exceeds that of the Delta variant. 

The Omicron variant has now been documented in at least 38 countries including the first case in the United States on December 1, 2021. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services established the SARS-CoV-2 Interagency Group (SIG) that evaluates and determines variant classifications. On November 30, 2021, the SIG classified Omicron as a variant of concern for the U.S. as well. This classification was based on the series of mutations. Scientists are very concerned about two spike protein changes called H6554 and N679K. The nomenclature for viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza (flu) include H for hemagglutinin and N for neuraminidase. These determine how well a virus enters a cell, as well as its ability to replicate. This information allows scientists to make some predictions about the variants of concern. 

Scientists know Omicron has a higher transmission rate than the original alpha virus but do not know if Omicron has a higher rate of spread then Delta. Globally, public health officials are tracking this variant to determine if Omicron is naughtier than Delta. Data so far from South Africa seems to indicate that the symptoms and severity seem to be similar to the Delta variant. The COVID-19 vaccines’ ability to protect us from Omicron are being tested right now with no real good data yet.  COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers have been given the RNA sequencing for the Omicron variant and are working on vaccines specific to this mutation. The nastiest part of the Omicron variant is its ability to escape the immune system and includes vaccine-developed antibodies, as well as infection-developed antibodies. The South African scientists believe this is part of the reason for the increase in cases. 

There is nothing really nice about COVID-19 but we may have a few positives with the Omicron variant. The PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 still detects a COVID-19 infection if the Omicron variant is responsible.  Currently, the other home testing kits and FIA technology are being analyzed to assess if they detect the virus. The better news is researchers believe that the immune system can still offer some protection against severe disease by mobilizing our T cells.  Those who have received a vaccine or had a COVID-19 infection may have some neutralizing capabilities to avoid severe complications. More science to come!

Help us control COVID-19 and talk to your health professional about the COVID-19 science. Feel free to call the ONU HealthWise Pharmacy. The ONU Drug and Health Information Center offers a service to job sites or community organizations to speak about the vaccines. ONU HealthWise Pharmacy is offering COVID-19 and flu vaccines Monday through Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Please call the pharmacy for an appointment for other time slots. 

The ONU HealthWise pharmacy offers Moderna, Pfizer, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), as well as high-dose flu vaccine for those over the age of 65 years. Pediatric Pfizer vaccines (5 to 11-years) are available by appointment through the state Vaccine Management Solution (VMS) system. Please call the pharmacy to get more information on getting vaccinated. 

ONU HealthWise Pharmacy
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