SAN JOSE — When she heard that the new COVID-19 omicron variant had been detected in South Africa, the first thing that came to mind for San Jose resident Anna Aistrich was a meme based on the 1993 film “Groundhog Day.”
Showing a photo of Bill Murray, whose character lives through the same day over and over again, the text said: “It’s new variant day. Again.”
“This is the bed we made,” said Aistrich, a public health professional and mother of two kids enrolled at San Jose Unified. Without better vaccination rates, “We’re going to be dealing with this probably for years.”
Ever since South African scientists first alerted the world to the new variant in Nov. 24 — with a sharp spike in cases that set off alarm bells around the world — omicron has quickly been identified in more than 35 countries and at least 12 states. On Wednesday, California scientists reported the nation’s first infection in San Francisco; the next day, cases were reported in New York, Minnesota, Colorado and Hawaii. And then, on Friday, Alameda County Health Department officials said that genomic sequencing had identified five new cases of the variant among a cluster of 12 infections among county residents who attended a Wisconsin wedding. All were vaccinated and have shown only mild symptoms, the agency said.
But will people change their holiday plans? With the dearth of information about whether the new variant is more contagious — or worse, more deadly — Bay Area residents digested the latest news with varying degrees of alarm Saturday. Some Californians were reminded of last year’s winter surge, or summer surge when the fast-spreading delta variant took charge, or said they had accelerated their plans for booster shots. For others, the variant served merely as a reminder of the enduring pandemic that they’ve learned to live with.
Near Lake Merritt, San Francisco resident Christine Dzialo, 44, who said she had learned about the Alameda County cases earlier that morning, said it was troubling to realize the anxiety around public health — coupled with a long “war” between vaccinated and unvaccinated people — was likely to last even longer.
“It’d just be nice for everything to be over,” she said.
Meanwhile in downtown San Jose, families were layered in puffy jackets and scarves, an unmistakable sign that the holidays are near. Many were there for a morning stroll, enjoying the Christmas decorations on display and sipping hot chocolate purchased at a nearby cafe. Some took photos with S.J. Sharkie, the San Jose Sharks mascot and main draw at a Toys For Tots event at the plaza.
But San Jose State junior Wendy Gomez said she felt stressed about the upcoming holiday season. While she recently convinced her mother to become fully vaccinated, navigating her family’s response to the pandemic has been challenging, she said. And the variant was a reminder that the campus where she just recently resumed in-person classes wasn’t guaranteed to remain open.
“People are still going to get together, and it’s kind of hard to make them understand — because of cultural or religious reasons — that we shouldn’t necessarily be doing large gatherings,” Gomez said.
For Brian Chase, 42, of San Jose, omicron has pushed off a possible return to the office for at least another month, a decision he suspects may be permanent. Chase has stayed vigilant about the pandemic but feels more comfortable after getting his booster shot, even scheduling a trip to go see the formerly Oakland-based Las Vegas Raiders play live later this month when he learned that attendees would need to show proof of vaccination.
“Whether it’s the omicron or something else, you just have to stay prepared and careful,” Chase said. “Sometimes you think twice when you’re on a train, but everyone’s been pretty good about it though, so I feel good about most situations.”
Not much is known about the omicron variant so far. It has the most mutations of any identified variant — an estimated 32 as compared to delta’s 13 — with early evidence from South Africa’s recent surge suggesting that it is likely more contagious than delta. But omicron’s transmission rate, incubation period and ability to break through existing vaccines all remain unclear as scientists around the world race to study it in the coming weeks.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an epidemiologist at UCSF, urged Bay Area residents to “enjoy life” with the same precautions that have become custom over the past two years, echoing advice from the World Health Organization Friday to remain calm as scientists evaluate the variant.
“You don’t have to do anything different or special, like wear three masks, or wave sage in front of you,” Chin-Hong said. “It’s the same things we know so well: Get vaccinated, get boosted, wear masks.”
For those running businesses, the new winter variant brings up not just fears of personal safety but also financial insecurity. But Darryl Wong, who manages the restaurant Burma 2 in Walnut Creek, said the pandemic’s worst months also honed his business’ ability to adapt. On Friday, he was debating putting a permanent roof on the restaurant’s outdoor patio and thinking through the logistics of fencing and tents for outdoor dining.
“It’s just endless,” he said.
Gomez, the college student, likewise wondered aloud if the pandemic will ever truly be over.
“Honestly, I think it’s already imprinted in our lives and nothing much is going to change,” she said. “It’s just always going to be there.”
