【明報專訊】The fifth wave of the pandemic has worsened, with more than 2,000 new local cases registered in a single day. The healthcare system has been overwhelmed. News of young children being infected and falling seriously ill—or even dying—has worried many parents profoundly. Omicron is by no means the ordinary flu. Aside from the fact that unvaccinated elderly people are at high risk, if a young child is infected and develops symptoms such as ''croup'', the consequences could be dire. Now is not the time to talk extravagantly about ''coexisting with the virus''. All strata of society—from the government to citizens—must fight the pandemic with one heart and one mind.