JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – President Joe Biden launched a new plan Tuesday to battle the omicron variant of the coronavirus. With lines at testing sites becoming unwieldy and it taking longer for test results to come back, the administration is pivoting to home tests to confront the omicron surge.
It is purchasing half a billion at-home COVID tests that Americans can order for free. Those tests have been sparse on pharmacy shelves.
Though they won’t be available until January, Dr. Sunil Joshi, president of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation, believes they will be an effective tool in the fight against the growing spread of the omicron variant.
“This gives a larger percentage of our population an opportunity to be tested for free,” Joshi said. “In particular, it opens it up to people in lower socio-economic groups who may not have the time to go get tested because of their work schedule, or the ability to pay for the tests.”
Biden also said the nation is much better equipped to fight the virus today than when COVID first hit in March 2020. He added that breakthrough infections are possible for those who are fully vaccinated but they are protected against severe illness and death, especially those who have gotten a booster. In his address to the nation Tuesday he asked those who have not gotten the vaccination or a booster shot to do so, pointing out they face a greater chance for severe illness and hospitalization.
“The unvaccinated, including those who are not eligible to receive the vaccine at this point, are still at risk,” Joshi added. “It does appear to be a pandemic of the folks who have not been vaccinated. ... In particular those are the folks who in large percentages are requiring hospitalizations and (suffer) severe illness from the virus.”
On an encouraging note, the president talked about fully vaccinated people safely being able to celebrate the holidays in spite of the omicron spread. Joshi agreed.
“Hopefully, your family members are vaccinated,” said Joshi. “Wear a mask in crowded areas. Wash your hands. Try to enjoy your holidays with your loved ones and try to protect those who are not vaccinated.”
During an interview on The Morning Show, Joshi said to use common sense and be safe. If you have symptoms, you should probably protect everybody else and perhaps take part via social media.
Joshi also noted Biden made a concerted effort to take the politics out of the vaccination push. He made it a point to say that President Donald Trump publicly talked about getting the booster, hoping it would register with some who so far have refused to get the shot.
“I certainly hope so because putting politics into public health was never a really good idea to begin with,” Joshi said. “Politicians put things into speeches for a reason, and I think he was reaching out to a group of people who may distrust him or his policies and say look even the former president has been vaccinated and received the booster as a way to keep himself and his family safe.
“Hopefully that will register with some.”
Joshi added even if it’s a small percentage it will make a difference.