Omicron: Scientist advocates end to border restrictions, lockdowns
A Nigerian Research Scientist based in Singapore, Dr Jonathan Obaje, has stressed the need to end border restrictions and lockdown.Obaje, a former Vice President of Nigerians in Diaspora, Singapore, said this on Tuesday in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said this was based on adequate global scientific data of mild Omicron variant.Obaje explained that Omicron variant, known as B.1.1.529 was first sited in Botswana on Nov. 4, while South Africa sequenced the variant between Nov. 12 and 16, and formally announced the discovery to the world on Nov. 25.
According to him, it is now six weeks of Omicron, unlike its predecessor variants, medical clinic data from across the globe have confirmed that Omicron variant of COVID-19 virus is not lethal.Obaje said, “We now have enough scientific data on Omicron, to suggest the need to end border restrictions and lockdowns.“Many health experts, organisations and institutions, including WHO and European science Council, have issued recent statements confirming the mildness of Omicron related symptoms.“Like what happened to the severe acute respiratory syndrome Covid virus (SARS-COV) of 2002, which was eventually mutated and weakened to common flu by the human immunity system.
“It is now safe to say that Omicron is the weakened variant of COVID-19 virus.“The immediate scientifically expedient action is to now open borders for Omicron to become dominant globally, so that Omicron can become the new harmless COVID-19 virus.”
He decried negative media hype, panic, politicisation of Omicron, saying it is unscientific.Obaje mentioned that any further commercialisation and dehumanising policies on the account of Omicron virus would be tantamount to crime against humanity.
He, however, said that the world deserved to have Merry Christmas free of COVID-19 anxieties. (NAN)
