OMICRON VARIANT
The Omicron variant was first identified around November 24, 2021 in South Africa and has been spreading at an unprecedented rate despite many in South Africa gaining immunity from vaccines and a Delta wave. The situation isn’t looking too bright for other countries, either; in the U.K., cases are rising at such an elevated trajectory that they are expecting over a million cases by the end of this month.
Though it is spreading much faster than previous variants, Omicron seems to be less severe in terms of its symptoms. These symptoms don’t include coughing or loss of taste or smell. Instead, fatigue, muscle soreness and headaches are more common. With these less severe symptoms, the number of hospitalized COVID patients in the ICU or on a ventilator has decreased by around 50-70 percent, and the patients are also being discharged much sooner than in the Delta wave.
Regarding vaccine protection against Omicron, research has found that the previous COVID vaccines are remarkably less effective against the Omicron variant thanks to its capability of enfeebling the ability and productivity of the antibodies formed by the immune system. Despite the reduced efficiency, the vaccine still retains the power to kill the virus, though. This power, as diminished as it is, can prevent someone from needing to stay in the hospital. Still, a German study shows that a third booster shot is advised as it helps neutralize the variant even further.
COP26: NOT ENOUGH CHANGE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
Every other year in early November, world leaders and delegates representing countries from all around the globe are brought together by the UN to partake in global climate change summits: Conference of the Parties (COPs). Last month in Rome and Glasgow, the 26th COP took place, and the world watched as some of the most influential people on the globe made decisions intended to combat climate change, the effectiveness of which will decidedly affect our future on this planet.
As youth, we hear about climate change all the time. Right here in BC, we’ve certainly experienced some of the impacts of it as well, including a devastating heat dome, wildfires, and recent flooding. More than ever, the world needs us to take action, but was COP26 successful in doing so? The answer is too complicated to be fully addressed here, but most sources agree that the declarations made at this crucial summit weren’t enough. This year’s summit was a particularly crucial year as the majority of the world’s countries had failed to keep their promises from the Paris agreement back in 2015 despite the window to achieve a 1.5 degree cap on rising temperatures closing rapidly as 2030 approaches.
So what did come out of COP26? The international conference produced declarations and agreements such as the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement (a commitment to the transition to sustainable energy production), the Focus of Energy Transmission (which facilitates support in the transition to clean energy), and the Global Forest Finance Pledge (pledging to finance the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of the world’s forests), to name a few. However, there seemed to be a bump in the road when both China and India, countries with high emissions, asked for an edit that would delay the phase-out of fossil fuels. Ultimately, despite the many statements and declarations made, the importance lies in carrying out these plans that often require countries to make drastic changes—changes that people often aren’t ready to make. As students and youth, we will be the ones living the consequences of society’s current apathy towards climate change As a result, youth like us protested in Glasgow, demanding world leaders for more change; we can’t afford to do any less. You can learn more about the outcomes of COP26 here.
BC FLOODING
In mid-November, the BC interior experienced severe flooding. Areas and cities affected include Merritt, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, the Sumas Prairie, and more. The flooding was due in part to two atmospheric river events, which brought significant amounts of precipitation to the area, saturating the soil, and in part to the overflow of the Fraser, the Nooksack, and a few other rivers. These relatively extreme weather events occurred just days after COP26 in Glasgow, highlighting the threat and possible consequences of climate change.
Many families were forced to leave their homes behind, and many homes have sustained heavy damage. BC’s farmers were also heavily affected as many had to leave not only their homes, but also their livestock behind; over 640 000 animals perished in the floods as a result. Highways were and are still closed due to landslides and damage from the flooding; these landslides have also unfortunately led to at least four casualties. Infrastructure was significantly damaged as well. For instance, in Merritt, the city’s wastewater-treatment plant failed, causing anything flushed down the toilet to be regurgitated back up. Furthermore, the damage to infrastructure and highways led to supply shortages, notably for gasoline—for Sentinel staff, students, and parents who drive, you may have noticed that non-essential vehicles were limited to purchasing 30 litres of gas at a time. This limit, however, was lifted on December 14.
Although the worst is over and BC’s interior is starting to get back on its feet, students like us can help by volunteering to support those who lost their homes, farmland, or livestock. We can also help by donating basic necessities and/or cash to support the effort to rebuild communities affected by the flooding. For instance, the Red Cross has been accepting donations to support flood relief efforts.
BOMB THREAT AT SENTINEL
Sentinel students and staff were suddenly evacuated from the building without warning on November 15th. Shortly after 9 am, an unknown caller had notified the school of multiple bombs planted inside the high school, prompting the evacuation. Police were immediately dispatched and they, with the help of two explosive detection dogs, searched the grounds. Students were not let back inside the school, and parties from BC Ambulance and West Vancouver Fire and Rescue stayed behind to aid the investigation. Fortunately, no explosives were found inside or on school grounds.
Bomb threatsーwhether for a prank or to avoid responsibilities—are considered crimes and carry heavy consequences. Alerting authorities of a bomb threat forces them to examine the premises of the referenced area, even if the call was most likely a prank. It takes hours for them to complete their search which may divert their attention from other, more severe crimes. Because of this, those calling in false bomb threats can generally expect to be charged with at least a year in prison. As tempting as it may seem, calling in a threat such as this to skip school or avoid deadlines has serious repercussions and really isn’t worth it.
SWIM TEAM SUCCESS
Our Sentinel swim team had great success in the recent provincial swim meet, managing to win first place! Though their training was limited because the pool was shut down for the first few weeks with COVID, the team worked hard and effectively had a very successful season. According to Jayden, a member of the medley team, a mix-up occurred during practice and the day of provincials. He swam for another teammate that could not show up, yet they still pulled through. Many of our swimmers also placed individually in the provincials. Congratulations to all of them!
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