Coronavirus 666: The Number of the Delta Variant (but in an entirely scientific context)

[rjshae]

Booster omicron protection wanes within 10 weeks

Quote

For people who had two initial doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, the UKHSA estimates that Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna boosters are around 60 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic infections from omicron 2 to 4 weeks after the third dose, but this falls to 35 to 45 per cent by 10 weeks.

It's almost not worth the bother. I've been looking for a month but had no luck, so I think I'll just ride out the Omicron surge and hope for the best.

[BruceVC]

3 hours ago, rjshae said:

Booster omicron protection wanes within 10 weeks

It's almost not worth the bother. I've been looking for a month but had no luck, so I think I'll just ride out the Omicron surge and hope for the best.

I have to agree, I know its not the fault of scientists and virologists but this article basically tells me " whats the point of taking a third jab if the efficacy only lasts less than .....2-3 months more or less " 

I can tell you now their is NO chance in SA we have the resources or public appetite to take boosters every 3 months or so

The vaccine hesitancy people are going to have a field day with this. I assume the solution is to create dedicated Omicron vaccine but that will only last until the next variant like we seeing with Omicron ....maybe now that we have had 2 jabs the only feasible solution is to just let things develop naturally because hospitalizations are down really down and the article mentions 

The UKHSA report also estimates that someone infected with omicron is 50 to 70 per cent less likely to be admitted to hospital, compared with delta. This is based on a preliminary analysis of 114,144 omicron cases and 461,772 delta cases occurring between 22 November and 19 December. The difference is somewhat larger than suggested by a study published by Imperial College London on Wednesday, which reported a 15 to 20 per cent lower risk.

Is that what we should take from this article ?

 

[BruceVC]

@rjshae

I just got reprimanded by my sister in law  and mom for talking about this article and the virus on Christmas day even though I consider this is a good news pandemic story because it really suggests the new variant is less lethal as hospitalizations are down and suggests new variants could be the same . I even tried to play the " its not my fault, its an American who posted the story  "  card  

Thanks for getting me into trouble, why you posting links like this on Xmas !!! You a very bad boy 

Edited December 25, 2021 by BruceVC

[Gfted1]

I have an appointment for the booster on 4 Jan, but yeah, Im not down for a shot every few months either.  This will probably be my last shot unless things really go sideways.

[rjshae]

[Malcador]

People never said that before COVID here, you'd be lucky they'd cover their faces too.

[Gromnir]

26 minutes ago, Malcador said:

People never said that before COVID here, you'd be lucky they'd cover their faces too.

thanks to a not good movie, there were a thankful brief period o' time during the 90s when, if you were dating, you better be certain to say "bless you," when somebody sneezed.

lord knows how tedious such could be if you dated a woman who had seasonal allergies or hay fever.

HA! Good Fun!

 

[BruceVC]

6 hours ago, rjshae said:

To be honest I find it a little annoying with the hysteria around "people coughing and what it means" especially with my family and these large Xmas gatherings we currently having

All of us are  double vaccinated and I have been living under the same roof since the 21st December with about 4-8 of my  direct family, depending on the time of the Christmas period and our cousins next door are the same with their direct family 

So its too late now to be concerned that " if someone sneezes or coughs " they could have the virus. So for example if anyone coughs even once my sister will immediately say" are you feeling sick...do you think you have the virus...you mustnt spread the virus " 

And dont get me wrong, I dont want to get  the virus or spread it but its late to worry about people giving you the virus when you live in the same house. You have already been exposed if they  have it irrespective if they cough 

[teknoman2]

biology 101

every living thing's purpose is to survive as long as possible. the virus that survives the longest is the virus that does not kill the host and even better if it's harmless enough to not provoke an immune response, so the natural evolution of all viruses is to eventually become as harmless as possible. think of how many types of symbiotic microbial life exists in our bodies, many of these started off  as deadly pathogens.

 

a virus like ebola that has a high mortality rate can kill off a population before it has a chance to evolve into a milder variant so that process for it is very slow but for a virus like covid19 that already has a very low mortality rate, this evolutionary process is very fast as indicated by the very mild omicron variant (which is the 15th letter of the greek alphabet, which would imply that this is the 15th known variant in under 2 years) 

Edited January 1, 2022 by teknoman2

[teknoman2]

by the way i did a self test today because i was feeling a little unwell and it was positive. considering the symptoms its probably the omicron variant, very slight fever, just a hint of coughing but a lot of muscle ache and a sore throat. monday i'll do a rapid test for verification and a pcr if that's positive too. worse that can happen i get 5 days off work

Edited January 1, 2022 by teknoman2

[BruceVC]

28 minutes ago, teknoman2 said:

by the way i did a self test today because i was feeling a little unwell and it was positive. considering the symptoms its probably the omicron variant, very slight fever, just a hint of coughing but a lot of muscle ache and a sore throat. monday i'll do a rapid test for verification and a pcr if that's positive too. worse that can happen i get 5 days off work

Yes, many people I know in SA have contracted the Omicron variant and their symptoms are the same. Relatively mild flu and fatigue and some coughing so Im sure you will be fine 

[rjshae]

There was a story on this on a local sports news site:

As covid shreds sports, Lockett tells why it’s not just the sniffles

Tyler Lockett is a fully vaccinated professional athlete at the peak of physical fitness, yet even he got clobbered by COVID-19.

[BruceVC]

8 minutes ago, rjshae said:

There was a story on this on a local sports news site:

As covid shreds sports, Lockett tells why it’s not just the sniffles

Tyler Lockett is a fully vaccinated professional athlete at the peak of physical fitness, yet even he got clobbered by COVID-19.

Sure, I dont think any country is not seeing exceptions and more severe cases with Omicron but its not the same as Delta and other variants

I know because of our SA reality. We low levels of vaccination, limited resources and reporting on the virus and some public sector hospitals that are almost dysfunctional in certain provinces so our overall ability to track the virus and stop any wave is really limited and ineffective. We do have scientists and virologists that understand viruses and can find new variants but they probably about 20-30 people 

But one thing that is accurate in SA is deaths and hospitalizations and thats right down across all provinces which is why I believe Omicron is less severe generally. Of course their is another explanation for that and its feasible and that is so many South Africans got Delta and were asymptomatic they still have " delta antibodies " which would reduce the severity of Omicron. But we just dont know that if is the real reason we consider Omicron is less severe or is this variant just less severe ?

But either way you still dont want to  get  Omicron of Delta or any variant for that matter and  I dont want to create the wrong impression 

[teknoman2]

the reality is that no matter the variant, eventually everyone will get it. its like the flu, except for living in total isolation, there is no way to avoid coming in contact with someone who has it. protective measures like masks and vaccines are not 100% effective so its just a question of time and luck.

[LadyCrimson]

On 12/30/2021 at 10:11 PM, BruceVC said:

To be honest I find it a little annoying with the hysteria around "people coughing and what it means"

Imagine being someone with a ton of dust, pollen, material, smell etc. allergies. Like me. Can't even go grocery shopping or pick up take-out half the time without their heating/ventilation systems or the detergent/perfumed aisles or car exhaust etc. causing my nose to swell and sneeze at some point.   

[Azdeus]

2 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

Imagine being someone with a ton of dust, pollen, material, smell etc. allergies. Like me. Can't even go grocery shopping or pick up take-out half the time without their heating/ventilation systems or the detergent/perfumed aisles or car exhaust etc. causing my nose to swell and sneeze at some point.   

I've got it in my genes that my nose is always a little bit runny, great fun walking around and sniffling all the time. My father is the same.

[Gorth]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59848160

I guess Covid is now just as widespread as Metallica, having performed on all seven continents.

 

Since 14 December, at least 16 of the 25 workers at the Princess Elisabeth Polar Station have caught the virus.

Officials say cases remain mild so far.

"The situation isn't dramatic," Joseph Cheek, a project manager for the International Polar Foundation, told the BBC.

[rjshae]

Omicron Has Bizarre Symptom That Only Shows Up At Night, Expert Says

Quote

According to Dr. Khan, the telltale symptoms of omicron infection are scratchy throat, mild muscle aches, extreme fatigue, dry cough and night sweats. He noted that the night sweats patients experienced were the kind that would cause one to “get up and change your clothes.”

 

[Bartimaeus]

My nieces' grandfather (i.e. not related to me), who was an avid and public antivaxxer, won a Herman Cain award yesterday with the help of omicron. So stupid. My nieces were very close to him for a few years, as he was arguably their primary caretaker during that time. How dumb do you have to be to not do everything you can to be able to see your grandchildren grow up? And as if these poor girls haven't had enough death in their young lives... I guess at least this one wasn't a murder or suicide.

[teknoman2]

5 hours ago, rjshae said:

Omicron Has Bizarre Symptom That Only Shows Up At Night, Expert Says

 

night sweat can also be the result of fever.

[ShadySands]

Covid's body count is now 3 for people I personally know. All unvaccinated.

[teknoman2]

i guess the vaccinated are more likely to spread it around? i do know quite a few people who would do this, including me but i'm a house cat so i don't go out much to actually do it

Edited January 3, 2022 by teknoman2

[rjshae]

33 minutes ago, teknoman2 said:

i guess the vaccinated are more likely to spread it around? i do know quite a few people who would do this, including me but i'm a house cat so i don't go out much to actually do it

It's not unheard of to get a false positive. The policies are there to play the odds at a high level.

[Gromnir]

1 hour ago, teknoman2 said:

(image)

i guess the vaccinated are more likely to spread it around? i do know quite a few people who would do this, including me but i'm a house cat so i don't go out much to actually do it

...

somebody missing the point. yeah, there is a loophole in the system, but who is the monumental a-hole who, discovering he current has covid by means o' rapid testing, moves to another line to gain access to a crowded sporting event? you answer our query, but is obvious the folks who came up with the three lines approach did not expect the kinda callous disregard for other persons displayed by yourself and the "friend's cousin." the flaw in the system is not predicting teknoman2 and the "quite a few people" you know who would do likewise.

thanks for illustrating the problem.

HA! Good Fun!

ps how surprised would we not be to learn "friend's cousin" then informed his boss that he had tested positive and would need be taking the cdc recommended five-day isolation and would not be going to work?

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by Gromnir

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Call me crazy, but the story of Aaron's Cousin's Friend just illustrates that crowded events are a horrible idea during this pandemic. With every new variant the protection of the vaccine grows more inconsistent and packing people together is a recipe for transmission regardless of their vaccination status or security measures taken. The daily death toll is clocking in at 6000 people at the least, **** is not great and going to concerts or sports games look to be doing this:

Rona year 3 is going to be a trip.

Edited January 3, 2022 by KP on top of ZA WARUDO