Everything Mama Needs To Know As We Start A Bumpy 2022
Everything Mama Needs To Know As We Start A Bumpy 2022
amongst the so many others things that keep me up at night
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Wow! That was a rough landing into 2022. As I type, my family is currently at home isolating as we recover from the Covid-19 variant, Omicron. What started as a cough led me to get tested using our home test kits, and voila I was positive. That of course meant that our family of six needed to test, despite staying indoors for the past 6 weeks to avoid the virus. My slight cough and general malaise lasted one full day, and I am now back to normal. The kids are largely asymptomatic, and we will continue to monitor as we go.
For those who follow me on instagram, I shared last week how we probably should brace for impact as we enjoy our holiday meals, and boy was I right.
That said, its close to three years since the pandemic started, and its safe to say that we can expect more of the same. Mothers will continue to go largely unsupported as we experience disruptions to childcare, school, work, travel, and more in the coming weeks. It has forced us here at Mother Honestly to re-evaluate what is truly important for mothers right now. If you are up for it, please take this quick 2 min survey to help us create solutions and products that can support you this new year.
Disruptions to expect in the coming weeks
Disruptions to Childcare
Amid the many conversations around Omicron, parents are anxious as to what to expect with this new variant and understandably so.
Will kids return to school? This answer will vary from country to country. In the United States for example, a lot of schools have delayed the kids resumption after the just concluded holidays and have switched to virtual learning in light of the new developments with the pandemic. This has had major implications for parents as they have had to scramble for childcare recently. Read more here.
How at risk are kids with getting Omicron? How do parents safeguard their kids with this new variant? All these are question lots of parents are asking. The simple answer to these questions is that we need to continue to do what needs to be done. Continue to wear masks, avoid crowded spaces, wash your hands, sanitize your hand as much as possible and of course get vaccinated. Help the kids practice these and practice these yourself. Find more information about omicron and childcare here and here.
Disruptions to Work
With Omicron at large, there is certainly some uncertainty with going back to working on site or even hybrid as the holidays come to an end. companies are battling with understanding how the variant might affect their operations and profits. Most have taken a wait-and-see stance as they weigh how fast the variant may spread and its potential harmfulness. In these times, the way to work will have to be reimagined by organizations. How you work and how much you get done will have to be prioritized above where you work from. Read more here.
Disruptions to Travel
Just when we thought travel was starting to stabilize again, Omicron made its debut. There are certainly no bans for travel to the US at this time but there are some new rules. All inbound international travelers are now required to test within one day of departure for the United States. There is still a requirement for foreign travelers arriving in the United States to be fully vaccinated. Documentation of having recovered from Covid-19 in the past 90 days is also accepted. Unvaccinated Americans and legal permanent residents are allowed to enter the country with a test taken within one day of departing for the United States. The new rule makes the testing time frame one day for everyone. The federal mask mandate requiring travelers to wear masks in airports, on planes and on other modes of public transportation such as trains and buses has been extended through March 18. Find out more updates on the travel rules here.
One area that's been walloped by the recent surge in COVID cases is airline travel, and those attempting to fly during the holidays continue to face an uphill battle to get off the tarmac. Airlines canceled more than 2,400 U.S. flights by midday last Saturday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Chicago, which is also under a winter storm warning, was experiencing hundreds of cancellations at its two main airports. Read more on travel disruptions here.
Disruptions to Healthcare
A major disruption to healthcare with Omicron is the shortage of healthy healthcare workers. As tons of people are falling ill, there is some level of chaos in the healthcare systems across countries especially in the United States as there are less hand to handle the patients.
Hospitalizations are up, too, although not as much as cases. More than 71,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid-19. This number is staggering considering less hands are available to attend to those hospitalized. Read more about the disruption in healthcare here and here.
What city hits new positivity rate?
Yes, thousands of U.S schools delayed this weeks scheduled return to classrooms after the break as there has been an increase in cases of the omicron variant of the corona virus. New York city has hit a 33% positivity rate. This will cause major disruptions as parents will have to scramble for childcare and support. It does feel like the first wave all over again but we will get through this. hopefully soon. Find out more on schools delaying opening here.
What are the current covid concerns for small children?
Pfizer has been running vaccine efficacy trials on two groups of children under 5 (6-to-24-month-olds and 2-to-5-year-olds). With the company announcing about a week ago that the trials did not show enough immune response in the 2-to-5-year-old set after two doses. It plans to try a third dose, in the hopes that it will increase the immune response. There has been some panic about the disruptions this could cause especially for parents of small children. Professor Emily Oster does a great job of documenting these concerns and all you need to know moving forward. Read all about it here.
What is the future of work looking like for women in 2022?
With the pandemic still raging on, will 2022 see an increased representation of women in the workforce, flexible working options, holistic opportunities for growth and gender equity? Women from different domains list out their expectations on the future of work. To see what more women expect from work in 2022, read here.
In 2022, how can we help women feel more confident at work?
In a survey carried out by Forbes, they surveyed women working full time, part time and unemployed women and discovered that 1 in 2 women are not very confident at work right now, citing career and financial setbacks as the main factors. Who is surprised?! Definitely not us. Many women say they aren’t confident in their work relationships, and lack supportive environments, growth and development opportunities and professional networks. Read more here.
Before you go
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YOU GOT THIS MAMA!
This newsletter was written by Blessing Adesiyan, Founder & CEO of Mother Honestly. My best wishes for a safe and happy new year. Send any home and workplace news, sponsorship and speaking opportunities + virtual networking invitations to hello@motherhonestly.com.