Given the large number of Americans who refuse to get vaccinated, the goal of herd immunity for the Covid19 virus may only be achieved by the development of a “Unicorn variant” that results in less serious illness, mortality rates no higher than the seasonal flu, and immunity against the more lethal alpha and delta variants, along with infection acquired immunity against any more lethal strains that develop in the future. A “unicorn variant” won’t mean an end to Covid, it will just mean that a typical infection is no worse than a bad case of the flu, so people decide to just deal with infections that occur, without taking any more precautions than they normally would for the annual flu season.

Chemical Biologist Jared Auclair of Northeastern University stated in a recent article that “Because the goal of a virus is to survive, replicate, and spread, it tends to evolve toward being more infectious and less deadly. There are exceptions and other factors, but in general, that’s what virologists expect to see occur with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.”

A recent UK National Health Service study found that Omicron patients are 70% less likely to require hospitalization than those who contract the Covid19 Delta variant. In South Africa, a huge wave of Omicron infections already appears to be subsiding. Reports from health care centers in South Africa also indicate lower rates of hospitalization than prior Coronavirus variants.

None of this should be taken as a statement that Omicron “is” the “unicorn variant”, only that it “could be”. These signs are not a guarantee that the Covid19 pandemic is over, but they are signs of hope. All Coronavirus precautions are still necessary while we wait for more information. All Americans should be getting vaccinated if they haven’t already, getting a Covid19 booster to help prevent against serious illness in the event of a breakthrough infection, practicing proper hand-washing, and wearing your mask whenever you enter a public place like a grocery store or airport.