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With the large increase in COVID-19 cases and the rising trend of hospitalizations and deaths from the disease, this winter is starting to feel a lot like last winter. But it's important to keep in mind that "we're not in the same situation we were in last winter," says Rachael Piltch-Loeb, a scholar in preparedness strategies and a research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

There are more than 205 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States, and those who contract the disease have increased access to treatments that can mitigate the effects of the virus. “We are in a better position in terms of what we know about the virus, in general…and we are better understanding what we can do to prevent the spread and protect people,” adds Piltch-Loeb.

Even as the omicron variant threatens to unravel some of these gains, experts anticipate the gains will continue into 2022. Here are five ways the pandemic is likely to be different next year.

1. COVID treatment could be simpler

There are two new treatments available that can save the lives of people suffering from a severe case of COVID-19; however, access to them is limited because they are administered only in injectable form or through an IV in a hospital or health center. But 2022 could introduce a new type of COVID treatment: a prescription pill that can be picked up at the pharmacy.

Two pharmaceutical companies, Merck and Pfizer, are seeking federal authorization for their oral antiviral treatments that help prevent coronavirus infection from causing severe illness in people at risk of COVID complications. An expert panel advising the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already given its approval for Merck's pill, and the panel is expected to evaluate Pfizer's product soon.

If FDA approved, these drugs will move COVID treatment to an outpatient setting and avoid hospitalizations, explains Dr. Ashley Drews, an infectious disease specialist at Houston Methodist. “It really is very exciting,” she says, adding that based on preliminary studies, the pills are expected to be effective against the rapidly spreading omicron variant.