Speaking to the Athlone Advertiser this week, Deputy Mayor, Cllr Aengus O'Rourke, afforded his present Covid-19 thoughts and looked to the future as the booster vaccination programme continues its rollout on a local and national level.
"You would be forgiven for losing count of the number of waves which we, as a community, have endured since Covid-19 first breached our shores in March 2020!
"Unfortunately, we are still managing Covid-19, almost two years on from when it first arrived in our country. However, we have reason to be hopeful and positive.
"Looking to the future as the pandemic still encompasses, my view is that there are three relevant issues which will become important, starting with the extent to which science can effectively scale and make available new oral top-ups/boosters that can be taken at home, if and when needed. In this regard, it is interesting so see that Pfizer have developed an anti-viral drug which, in initial trials, is 89 percent effective against Covid-19 - very promising news.
"Secondly, evidence is accumulating that booster doses are especially important for protecting us against the omicron variant and further accelerating their rollout will help protect us all.
"Thirdly, given public fatigue and the lessons of the past two years, finding the right combination of public health measures is crucial, but not easy," Cllr O'Rourke asserted.
The Athlone Deputy Mayor is hopeful that the view of many respected professionals in the world of science proves true and Covid-19 will eventually become a common cold style virus as early as next summer.
"I have no doubt that once the booster programme reaches mid-February, individuals will feel much safer, confidence will rise again and finally our post Covid-19 ‘normal’ will begin to emerge.
"I have no doubt that our economy will bounce back too. The recovery will be due in no small way to the decisions taken by the previous and the present Government. By investing heavily in the economy and keeping our SME sector on life support, they have put the economy on a good footing to recover quickly.
"There is no doubt that many things will be different - many new habits have been formed, for example; the volume of people now doing their shopping online has exploded. Also, working from home will be a new reality and an ideal that suits many households and we will all be a lot more conscious of our personal space with a greater awareness of good hygiene practices.
"However, I think the most significant issue to arise from the pandemic will be a much greater appreciation for what is really important to us in our lives - our health, family and friendships – and this recalibration can only be a good thing.
"To conclude, if I had one message, it would be simple - 'stay safe, get vaccinated and support each other'," Cllr O'Rourke stated.
