Could 2022 Be a Healthier Year? Reasons to Be Cautiously Optimistic Steven Petrow - Washington Post
go to original January 2, 2022

Facing yet another year of illness and death, how could any of us be optimistic about 2022? Why should anyone be optimistic? Why should anyone believe things will ever get better?

Buried under the layers of grief and loss, there are seeds of hope. Hope that science will prevail. Hope for new treatments and cures for the coronavirus and many other illnesses. Hope that life will get better, that our loved ones will stop dying and that this pandemic will become a dark memory instead of a daily reality.

Free Coronavirus Vaccines and Booster Shots Are (Finally) Widely Available

Your best defense against covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is to be fully vaccinated. One year ago, vaccines were mostly available to only health-care workers. For months in early 2021, most of us had to anxiously wait our turns to get a jab or two. As this new year dawns, vaccines are now widely available free to anyone over age 5. Booster shots are also available to most adults, and early data indicates these shots will provide greater protection against the omicron variant and will reduce the likelihood of serious illness or death.

The Success of mRNA Vaccines Bodes Well for Cancer Treatments

The Pfizer and Moderna shots are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. The use of mRNA has long intrigued researchers in treating a number of other diseases, including flu, Zika, rabies and cytomegalovirus. Researchers now think that mRNA can be used to rapidly create safe and effective vaccines to treat cancer. One example: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center trials are underway testing mRNA vaccines against pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest malignancies. This clinical trial is a year ahead of schedule, despite the challenges to perform such a complex study in the middle of a pandemic, said Vinod Balachandran, a surgeon-scientist at Sloan Kettering.

Finding Community Online Can Be a Very Good Thing

We’ve learned the benefits of joining virtual groups for all types of things, such as cancer support, business meetings and yoga classes. They pull down barriers and open up access — and many groups plan to continue offering virtual options in 2022, even as gathering in person, we hope, becomes safer. Teletherapy options grew exponentially amid the pandemic, which many therapists say has made it easier for those struggling with mental health issues to seek help and make it to their appointments. No worries about parking.

Being Outdoors Is Good for Our Health

Fran Lebowitz, the New York author, once said, “To me the outdoors is what you must pass through in order to get from your apartment into a taxicab.” If that was you pre-pandemic, you’ve probably changed your ways as you started dining alfresco and frequenting farmers markets. Maybe you even enjoyed an outdoor concert? Took a hike?

It’s a good thing to be outside more, according to multiple studies. Those benefits include lower blood pressure and reduced stress, improved mood, and decreased anxiety and depression, better focus and even quicker healing. One study reported patients who spent time outdoors upon discharge after surgery required fewer painkillers, had fewer complications and experienced shorter hospital stays. And don’t forget the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, which could improve cardiovascular and mental health.

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