I agree with your correspondent (“Omicron has lower risk of hospitalisation”, December 24) that the Post is not keeping readers properly informed of the international situation. Another correspondent (“City must learn from previous Covid-19 waves”) seems unaware that the Omicron variant does not have the same profile as the original Covid-19 and the Delta variant. Scientific data shows that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is highly transmissible and not a respecter of vaccines. However, this data also suggests it is less pathogenic with reduced hospitalisation and generally gives symptoms similar to the common cold. Scientists expect that large portions of the population will have contact with Omicron in the coming months. Omicron might become a blessing in disguise, and its silver lining could be as a source of community-wide immunity . China’s and Hong Kong’s zero-Covid policy, which on its face seems to have been successful in keeping the virus at bay, could backfire in dealing with Omicron. While not precluding vaccination, the secretary for health should make it known to the public that there are other ways they can stay healthy and Covid-free during the pandemic. Is Hong Kong is becoming so Sinocentric that any recommendation or information that doesn’t emanate from China is discounted by our health officials? What has happened to Hong Kong as an international centre and “Asia’s world city”? Roger Emmerton, Wan Chai Transport Department failing city on road safety Sadly, another vehicle careering down a slope has led to yet more tragic and preventable loss of life. Apart from a few government announcements and a road safety bulletin that was published in November 2019, very little education on steep slope parking seems to have taken place and new road engineering measures are few and far between. The penalty for failing to set a brake effectively before leaving a vehicle is a paltry fine of HK$2,000 (US$250) – not much of a deterrent. If such a failure had a penalty of a HK$25,000 fine and one year of imprisonment, that would be a deterrent. If bollards and other engineering measures were put in place to stop uneducated or careless drivers from causing their vehicles to career, such loss of life would become rare. But little has been done in terms of education, engineering and deterrence – which are all areas firmly within the purview of the Transport Department – and so we experience the same tragic incidents time and again. There is an old Chinese saying, “the road is like the tiger’s mouth”. People are lambs and food for the tiger, while the tiger’s teeth are the careless drivers’ vehicles which are faster, bigger and numerous. The trainer – the Transport Department – appears to have let go of the leash, leaving the lambs to be slaughtered. Neil Dunn, Kowloon Tong Hold all accountable for our carbon footprints With reference to the letter “Use benchmarks to improve carbon calculators” ( December 16 ), I agree that carbon calculator designers in Hong Kong can learn from their foreign peers. I believe that the Environment Bureau staff should also find the new app of CLP Power inspiring and develop a mobile phone app to help inform the city’s residents of their carbon footprint. Like the CLP app, a smartphone-based carbon calculator should allow users to create an account using their email and social media accounts without the hassle of passwords. It can then connect to users’ other utility accounts such as electricity, water and their Octopus card to more accurately assess their carbon emissions. Thus, the app could tell users how their lifestyle compares to others in terms of carbon intensity, similar to the visualised consumption alerts provided by the CLP app. To encourage consumers to save electricity, CLP has introduced bimonthly, summer and annual saving plans to award eco points to households which use less energy compared to their past records. By tracking the users’ carbon footprint longitudinally, the carbon calculator app could also introduce an reward scheme for them to reduce their emissions. In the 2000s, the British government proposed a personal carbon trading scheme that placed a cap on carbon emissions of individuals and facilitated the transaction of carbon allowance in the market. While this forward-looking policy never took off, it is time for Hong Kong and the global community to revisit this idea and hold individual citizens accountable for each of our carbon footprints. A personalised, user-friendly and smartphone-based carbon calculator would be the cornerstone of a scheme that tracks our personal carbon emissions. Phoebe Leung, Kowloon Tong Don’t forget to drink water During the coronavirus pandemic, people have raised their awareness of self-care and maintained healthier lifestyles to strengthen their immunity and avoid catching the virus. From my point of view, “see this, drink water” remains the most relevant Cantonese slang and meme of the year. The pandemic is still severe in 2021, and it has evolved into the serious variants, Delta and Omicron. In this case, “see this, drink water” becomes a blessing to others. Whether you are working or studying hard, don’t forget to drink water. It is a helpful reminder to take care of yourself. So, if you see this, please drink water. Choi Sheung Man, Kwai Chung The Post’s list of the most read Letters to the Editor this year is up on our website . We’d love to know which letter among all those published this year most resonated with you and why. Email us at letters@scmp.com with your pick for top Letter to the Editor 2021