Speaking as the owner of a healthcare facility

- in the UK, mortality of Omicron BA.1is now lower than seasonal flu

- In Japan, mortality of Omicron BA.1 is slightly higher than seasonal flu, but "Every hospital in Japan is required to notify the government of each case of novel coronavirus infection, including asymptomatic ones, whereas only around 5,000 hospitals are asked to do so with regard to the number of seasonal influenza patients."

- That's overall, though - among unvaccinated people in the United States, the mortality rate is between 6 and 100x higher.

- I know two (vaccinated and boosted) people who spent days in the hospital with Omicron.

- Omicron continues to cause all sorts of nasty side effects during pregnancy.

I don't wear a mask anymore except where it's required (healthcare facilities, public transportation). At the same time, we enforce our mask policy at the clinic because it's a healthcare facility, dumbass. I have also noticed that the 'essential workers' of the world around here have been a lot more reluctant to take off their masks, with (I believe) good reason. If I were swimming in the public's germs all day long I, too, would mask the hell up. As it is I'm among retail for like an hour or two a week.

All that said, the root pathogen remains COrona VIrus Disease, Variant 2019. Influenza varies in its nastiness every year, too, and there are three or four dominant strains per season.