COVID-19 News and Discussions

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

Tried to persuade my brother not to attend a big football match this afternoon but he's determined to go.

He is tripled-jabbed, but even so...

I'll be visiting him over Christmas, and I don't get my 3rd jab until Dec 23rd.

[wjfox]

A study in PNAS finds that when two people wear surgical masks, while the infectious is speaking, the risk of COVID-19 infection remains below 30% after one hour, but when both wear a well-fitting FFP2 mask, it is 0.4%.

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/49/e2110117118

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[raklian]

I fear, reasonably so, Omicron won't be the last.

[Yuli Ban]

[caltrek]

^^^I haven't read through the "replies" but I am not sure what is meant by " With the infectivity and household transmission rates
reported last night, total lack of vaccination, we’re in for Christmas." I am especially confused by the phrase "total lack of vaccination." Do they mean transmission rates for those who are not vaccinated... or, perhaps that the current level of vaccination is inadequate because it is so low?

What I came here to post:

Vaccines and Previous Infection Could Offer Some “Stronger Than Basic” Protection to Omicron, Early Study Suggests
December 11, 2021

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/937577

Introduction:

(TAYLOR & FRANCIS GROUP via EurekAlert) Published today, one of the earliest, peer-reviewed studies looking into the Omicron variant of COVID-19 suggests that people previously infected with COVID, and those vaccinated, will have some, “stronger than basic” defence against this new strain of concern.

However, the test tube (or ‘in-vitro’, scientifically) samples of Omicron examined in this new research do show it “exceeds” all other variants in its potential capability to evade the protection gained from previous infection or vaccination.

Published in Emerging Microbes & Infection, the findings also suggest that although a third-dose enhancement strategy can “significantly boost immunity”, the protection from Omicron “may be compromised” – but more research is needed to better understand this.

Reporting on this very early study, lead author Youchun Wang, Senior Research Fellow from the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control in China, says their results support recent findings in South Africa which highlight Omicron was “easy to evade immunity”.

“We found the large number of mutations of the Omicron variant did cause significant changes of neutralization sensitivity against people who had already had COVID,” Wang says.

[Ken_J]

^^^I haven't read through the "replies" but I am not sure what is meant by " With the infectivity and household transmission rates
reported last night, total lack of vaccination, we’re in for Christmas." I am especially confused by the phrase "total lack of vaccination." Do they mean transmission rates for those who are not vaccinated... or, perhaps that the current level of vaccination is inadequate because it is so low?

the speed of omicrons spread, mixed with the fact that the children 5 and under really have not been able to be vaccinated, coupled with the worrying data that says more than 60% of those under 5 who get it are severe cases... the lack of vaccinations of any children under certain ages, partly due to the vaccines not being approved for children of young age, and partly anxiety on the publics part about vaccines in children, has been a major problem that too many people have been trying to work around by imagining that we would simply solve this by controlling the virus in the adult population so the kids are less risk. Or that the illness wouldn't be a sever in children.

expect half the population to be up in arms that something more wasn't done to protect the children, and another half up in arms about "the danger of vaccination of children".

[Xyls]

And I support these staff 100% refusing to do anymore COVID medical interventions for antivaxxers. Anyone who gets COVID and has not been vaccinated at this point (save for those who can't/young children) should be left to die. It is not medical staff's responsibility to be burdened by these people or misdirected from other areas where people need treatment. Many of these antivaxxers are too far gone to change their opinions, and who knows what their behavior would be in the next pandemic. We should not be trying to save people who are actively going out of their way to harm everyone else... Not to mention these costs get dumped on taxpayers in public health care system countries.

Hope to see more of this going forward until the government gets the memo.

[weatheriscool]

The U.S. has reached the grim milestone of 800,000 deaths related to COVID-19, Reuters reported.

More than 450,000 people in the United States have died after contracting COVID-19 so far in 2021, according to the news service, which added that the total accounts for 57 percent of all U.S. deaths from the illness since the pandemic started.

The 2021 death toll in the U.S. had already surpassed the 2020 total in November. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that the total number of deaths involving COVID-19 in 2020 was 385,343.

The grim U.S. milestone comes despite the fact that the country has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines and has given booster doses the green light for all adults and for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-co ... ar-AARJS38

[caltrek]

And I support these staff 100% refusing to do anymore COVID medical interventions for antivaxxers. Anyone who gets COVID and has not been vaccinated at this point (save for those who can't/young children) should be left to die. It is not medical staff's responsibility to be burdened by these people or misdirected from other areas where people need treatment. Many of these antivaxxers are too far gone to change their opinions, and who knows what their behavior would be in the next pandemic. We should not be trying to save people who are actively going out of their way to harm everyone else... Not to mention these costs get dumped on taxpayers in public health care system countries.

Hope to see more of this going forward until the government gets the memo.

Yes, I think this strikes a nice balance between the "strap them down on a table and inject it into their arms, never mind their screams of protest" and "it's a free country, let them do what they want - but don't fine them for the additional burdens they impose."

...and yes, some are so far gone that the louder you insist that they vaccinate the more they are going to suspect a conspiracy. So, make sure they have the latest scientific opinions, whether they agree with them or not, and give them a couple of alternatives. Like, maybe, 1) vaccinate, or 2) pay an additional insurance premium. Other alternatives might include: being employed here, at this firm, is dependent upon you being vaccinated - unless you are a one hundred percent remote worker.

[R8Z]

And I support these staff 100% refusing to do anymore COVID medical interventions for antivaxxers. Anyone who gets COVID and has not been vaccinated at this point (save for those who can't/young children) should be left to die. It is not medical staff's responsibility to be burdened by these people or misdirected from other areas where people need treatment. Many of these antivaxxers are too far gone to change their opinions, and who knows what their behavior would be in the next pandemic. We should not be trying to save people who are actively going out of their way to harm everyone else... Not to mention these costs get dumped on taxpayers in public health care system countries.

Hope to see more of this going forward until the government gets the memo.

Yes, I think this strikes a nice balance between the "strap them down on a table and inject it into their arms, never mind their screams of protest" and "it's a free country, let them do what they want - but don't fine them for the additional burdens they impose."

...and yes, some are so far gone that the louder you insist that they vaccinate the more they are going to suspect a conspiracy. So, make sure they have the latest scientific opinions, whether they agree with them or not, and give them a couple of alternatives. Like, maybe, 1) vaccinate, or 2) pay an additional insurance premium. Other alternatives might include: being employed here, at this firm, is dependent upon you being vaccinated - unless you are a one hundred percent remote worker.

I don't think this discussion is relevant as it is very polarizing and most of the hospital beds are now attending vaccinated persons and the trend is continuing to rise (due to high % vaccine rollout).


Source: https://fullfact.org/health/economist-v ... s/#actions

[weatheriscool]

The winter Omicron wave is coming -- quickly
Source: Axios

Data flooding in from South Africa and Europe is clear: The Omicron variant is spreading extremely quickly, including among vaccinated people.

Why it matters: If this trend holds up, that means a lot of people — around the world and in the U.S. — are about to get sick, even if only mildly so.

Driving the news: An early estimate published yesterday by the UK found that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are only about 30% effective against symptomatic infection with Omicron, and the AstraZeneca vaccine isn't effective at all.

A booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine, however, increases effectiveness to 70-75%.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/winter-omicron-wa ... 4c52c.html

[wjfox]

[erowind]

.

[wjfox]

JFC.

This is really, really bad.

I only have one test left. Saving it for my family visit next week (if that even happens, which looks increasingly unlikely).

[andmar74]

Insane growth here in Denmark. 1002 positive Omicron out of 7800 positives in total, in the last 24 hours. Omicron will dominate in a few days. The government has opened up for booster shots for everyone over 40, but you need to book time and there are over 100,000 people in queue.

I will try to book one early tomorrow, but I will probably be too late, you can't fight exponential growth.

[wjfox]

Heads warn of Omicron chaos in English schools, with staff and pupils absent

Mon 13 Dec 2021 16.57 GMT

Headteachers are warning of “chaos” in England’s schools as Omicron sweeps across the country, with high levels of staff and pupil absences and reports that parents are planning to keep children home to avoid the virus before Christmas.

School leaders and unions urged the government to introduce more protective measures, including masks in classrooms, better ventilation and tougher isolation rules to try to slow the spread of the virus before the holidays.

In areas with high infection rates, some year groups are being sent home to study remotely because not enough teachers or supply teachers are available, and a small number of schools have been forced to move online until the end of term.

In some schools up to half the teaching workforce is unavailable for work due to Covid-related absence, according to the NASUWT union, which is calling for a staggered start to the new term and additional on-site testing facilities in January.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... ils-absent

[Yuli Ban]