"Like Playing with Dynamite"... Warning Against Claims to Boost Immunity by Contracting Omicron

Symptoms Are Not Mild and Aftereffects Are a Concern
Spread of Infection Among Children and Burden on Healthcare System

New Yorkers are lining up in front of a COVID-19 testing site installed on the streets of New York, USA. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Recently in the United States, the question has been spreading: "Since the Omicron variant causes mild symptoms even if infected, wouldn't it be better to get infected and boost immunity?" In response, experts warned that this is "like playing with dynamite."

On the 11th (local time), CNN in the U.S. cited expert interviews and refuted this notion by presenting five reasons why deliberately getting infected with the Omicron variant is dangerous.

Experts first stated, "The COVID-19 Omicron variant may not always cause mild symptoms." Even mild cases of Omicron commonly show symptoms such as high fever, body aches, sore throat, and eye redness, which can lead to physical and mental weakness.

Robert Murphy, Director of the Global Health Research Institute at Northwestern University Medical School, said, "The Omicron variant can also be life-threatening," adding, "The patient I am currently caring for is over 65 years old, has received a booster shot, has no underlying conditions, but is in poor condition."

Serious aftereffects such as loss of smell or taste are also a concern. While 80% of infected individuals regain these senses within a month, the remaining 20% experience symptoms lasting more than six months, sometimes losing taste and smell permanently.

Other common aftereffects include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, high fever, dizziness, decreased concentration and memory, diarrhea, heart palpitations, muscle pain, abdominal pain, and reduced sleep quality.

COVID-19 Prevention Measures. /Photo by Yonhap News

Additionally, deliberately getting infected with the Omicron variant can spread the disease to children. Experts noted, "Currently in the U.S., the vaccination rate for ages 12 to 17 is about 54%, and only 23% of children aged 5 to 11 have received at least one vaccine dose."

The fourth point is that it places a heavy burden on the healthcare system. According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 80% of intensive care units nationwide are already in use, with 30% of those beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. The shortage of medical staff is severe, causing some surgeries to be postponed because they are deemed 'non-urgent.'

CNN cited the past 'chickenpox infection' as an example and finally asked, "Has deliberately getting infected ever been a good idea even once?" There have been cases where parents, upon hearing that a child in the neighborhood had chickenpox, intentionally let their children play with the infected child to build immunity.

However, Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Philadelphia Children's Hospital, mentioned a case of a child who died after attending such a chickenpox party and contracting the disease, adding, "We must not mess with Mother Nature. Since we crawled out of the ocean onto land, nature has been trying to harm us."