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Coronavirus Updates November 2021

missy

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FUDGE. We are NOT ready to deal with this again. So many people suffered while waiting. This is awful.

Agree completely. Can’t comment on what I think of her actions. Except to say I strongly disagree with her decision. It can prove dangerous IMO. People lost their lives during COVID not just from COVID. But from not having access to medical and hospital care. :(

Not all “elective” surgeries are elective if you KWIM. Some are a serious matter.
 

Lula

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AND now NY calling halt on ALL elective surgeries.


Gov. Kathy Hochul orders halt on elective surgery amid COVID spike, Omicron​

By
Carl Campanile
November 26, 2021


I suspect this decision was made because she has looked at projections showing a combo Delta/Omicron wave. It’s almost certain that Omicron is in the US. I’ve seen some data from epidemiologists showing that Omicron is far more transmissible than Alpha or even Delta. If so, the mayor is bracing for a post-holiday surge in cases that will quickly outstrip hospital capacity. But it’s still too soon to know for sure. Even so, just last week the NYC mayor was scolding people to go back to work. So something has spooked her.
 

missy

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I suspect this decision was made because she has looked at projections showing a combo Delta/Omicron wave. It’s almost certain that Omicron is in the US. I’ve seen some data from epidemiologists showing that Omicron is far more transmissible than Alpha or even Delta. If so, the mayor is bracing for a post-holiday surge in cases that will quickly outstrip hospital capacity. But it’s still too soon to know for sure. Even so, just last week the NYC mayor was scolding people to go back to work. So something has spooked her.

Politics is always at work behind all decisions like this. Whatever the reason she made this decision it will cause suffering. Omicron is definitely here (and likely everywhere) and it’s not going away anytime soon. We need to practice caution as we (many of us) have been doing since March 2020. Right now this is our new normal and closing hospitals (for “elective” procedures because there are many elective procedures that can be critical such as kidney stone surgery) is not, IMO, the answer. There will be consequences.
 

missy

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Asking an expert about the new mutation​

A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 reared its head this week — just in time for the holiday travel season. Already, many nations, from the U.S. and U.K. to Turkey and New Zealand, have imposed travel bans on South Africa, where the omicron mutation was first discovered. But only several dozen cases have been fully identified so far in a handful of nations. With so much still unknown about the new variant, reporter Kristen V. Brown turned to Vanderbilt University epidemiologist William Schaffner to address our most pressing questions:
What is this new variant and how did it come to our attention?
There is a worldwide surveillance network looking at Covid viruses as they occur, looking for strains that deviate from the dominant strains. The dominant strain around the world at the present time is the delta variant. So in and around Johannesburg, South Africa, where they weren't having too much Covid infection, they began to see some rapidly spreading strains. And they looked at those strains and said, “Oops, this one is different from delta."
There are new variants all the time, and most of them don't wind up in the news. What about this one is so significant?
They've already done some molecular analysis, and what they've discovered is that there are any number of mutations in the spike protein. The spike protein is a critical part of the virus. In your mind, paint a picture of a tennis ball with things sticking out of it. These things sticking out are the spike protein. As this virus gets next to one of our cells in the back of our throat or in our noses, that spike protein sticks into the surface of our cell and allows the virus to enter the cell. You can think of it as the key that goes into the lock of the cell, and then the virus can get inside and start its mischief.
So those spike protein mutations raise three questions. No. 1, can this new variant spread more quickly or as quickly as delta? No. 2, once it gets in and starts making an infection, is it more likely to cause more severe disease? And No. 3, and most importantly, are these differences in the spike protein sufficient such that this virus can partially or completely evade the protection that is evoked by our current vaccines? Those are the three characteristics that are now under intense investigation by several teams in South Africa.
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An illustration for the coronavirus created at the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the spike proteins sticking out.
Source: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

It seems like we caught this variant pretty early on. That means we have to wait for more data to know anything conclusively, but are there hypotheses on what the answers to those three questions will be?
T
he hypotheses are: Yes, it can spread more quickly or as quickly as delta, a question mark about the severity of disease, and real concern that there may be partial evasion of the protection of our vaccines. So you can understand why the world's public health community is really sitting up and taking notice.

The delta variant, when it was first discovered, also raised all of these questions. Can you help put this into context for us? How does this compare with the situation in the early days of delta?

What we discovered from delta is that it was obviously more contagious, the severity of disease was about the same, and it did not evade the protection of our vaccines. It took a little time to work all that out with assurance. So we're in the same position now with this new variant.

We're at the beginning of the holiday travel season, with many people anxious to spend time with family after skipping travel last year. How should people be thinking about travel and gatherings in light of this new development?

First, I have two strong initial messages. There are 60 million adults in the United States unvaccinated this morning. They need to get with the program. And all the rest of us who are eligible for boosters need to get our boosters. And if you haven't gotten your annual flu vaccine, do that. That's equally important, because the two viruses could combine once again to swamp our health-care system, and nobody wants that.

As for what we should all be doing right now: I think at the moment we should plan that things are going to be OK, but we have to be flexible. We have to listen in the event that there are major changes. My son is coming in from Berlin for the holidays. We haven't seen him in almost two years and we are eagerly awaiting his arrival. But we'll have to see and be flexible just as everyone else.
 

dk168

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The Omicron has reached UK with 2 reported cases linked to travel to southern Africa.

Facemasks to be made compulsory in shops and public transport.

More countries added to the red list.

Booster jab to be rolled out to 18 to 39yos in an effort to increase immunity to the virus.

DK :(2
 

Daisys and Diamonds

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mom2dolls

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Got my Moderna booster yesterday afternoon and feel awful today. Flu like symptoms- body aches, chills, stuffy nose, coughing. I think my hair hurt!
I dont think we can convince people who believe the propaganda put out there. My uncle has been in the hospital over a month with pneumonia. He was a stubborn mule and refused to go to the ER when he couldn’t breathe. Once there, was horrid to the staff insisting they were poisoning him, purposely turning his oxygen off. He is a devout T’er and believed it all was a hoax. Just ridiculous
 

mellowyellowgirl

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And Omnicron has arrived in Sydney!!!


This why I go to buffets. I really hope they don't lock us down again. At this rate we'll all either be dead or insane from being perpetually locked up!
 

missy

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Got my Moderna booster yesterday afternoon and feel awful today. Flu like symptoms- body aches, chills, stuffy nose, coughing. I think my hair hurt!
I dont think we can convince people who believe the propaganda put out there. My uncle has been in the hospital over a month with pneumonia. He was a stubborn mule and refused to go to the ER when he couldn’t breathe. Once there, was horrid to the staff insisting they were poisoning him, purposely turning his oxygen off. He is a devout T’er and believed it all was a hoax. Just ridiculous

I'm sorry about your uncle and hope he recovers.
And hope you are feeling better today @mom2dolls.

And Omnicron has arrived in Sydney!!!

It will be everywhere soon if it isn't already. Hang tight and be safe.
It really is just a matter of time.

Facemasks to be made compulsory in shops and public transport.

IMO face masks should be 100% mandatory anywhere public that is indoors. Period. Not to do so is foolhardy yet here we are in the states and the majority of cities/states do not have a mandatory face mask rule. It is surreal. Glad they have more sense where you live @dk168.
 

dk168

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@missy I confess to not wearing a mask when I go to the two pubs I frequent in town, or when I am sitting down at a restaurant.

The pubs are not jam-packed with young people who like to drink copious amount tasteless bland cheap beers and alcohols, a lot of them being anti everything including mask-wearing.

I perform twice-weekly lateral flow tests at home as I am out and about all the time.

DK :))
 

missy

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@missy I confess to not wearing a mask when I go to the two pubs I frequent in town, or when I am sitting down at a restaurant.

The pubs are not jam-packed with young people who like to drink copious amount tasteless bland cheap beers and alcohols, a lot of them being anti everything including mask-wearing.

I perform twice-weekly lateral flow tests at home as I am out and about all the time.

DK :))

I get it about mask fatigue (is that a phrase or did I make that up?) and for a few weeks there I stopped wearing my mask when I went to public restrooms on our cycling route. It got to be so much with our helmets on and the cold weather I am now wearing a ski cap under my helmet so fussing with the mask for bathroom breaks got to me. And with my continued breakthrough bleeding it was just too much. Mask, helmet, ski cap, dealing with bleeding I just stopped wearing masks in the public restrooms for a few weeks. Then I realized if I came down with Covid on top of all else we are dealing with it just wouldn't have been worth it. So back to putting on my mask during our cycling bathroom breaks. With all my head gear and all.

Of course at the pub if you are drinking you have to have your mask off...we are all different regarding our risk profiles. We did not attend my family's Thanksgiving because my nieces are in school and despite being vaccinated and wearing masks it's, IMO, too risky. They both came down with colds last month. How did they get that wearing masks in school? I will tell you how. Not wearing them correctly or touching their mouth, nose or eyes before washing properly. No thanks.

But I do not judge others for attending family occasions or going out to eat. We all have our risk profiles and we all can tolerate what we can tolerate. As long as one is vaccinated and one does their best that is A OK in my book. It's those individuals who can medically get vaccinated (not your mom or brother) who refuse to get vaccinated that I do judge. But I digress.

Stay safe and enjoy @dk168. After all, we have to enjoy each day to the best of our ability as today is all we are promised.
 

dk168

Super_Ideal_Rock
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@missy for that.

We can only do what we can to protect ourselves, our dearests and closests.

And yes to having a very dim view for those who are eligible to be vaccinated yet choose not to do so for whatever reason(s), for them to get Covid-19 and end up burdening the already stretched National Health Service. :x2

Covid-19 certainly brings out the best and worst in people!

DK :))
 

DutchJackie

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Dutch authorities confirm 13 Omicron cases and say there may be more​

The Dutch public health authority confirmed on Sunday that 13 people who arrived in the Netherlands on flights from South Africa on Friday have so far tested positive for the new omicron coronavirus variant, AP reports.
The 61 people who tested positive for the virus on Friday after arriving on the last two flights to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport before a flight ban was put in place were immediately put into isolation while sequencing was carried out to establish if they had the new variant.
The public health institute said in a statement that testing was continuing on the samples.
Most of the 61 people who tested positive were put into isolation at a hotel near the airport, while a small number were allowed to sit out their quarantine at home under strict conditions.
“The Omicron variant has so far been identified in 13 of the positive tests. The investigation has not yet been completed. The new variant may be found in more test samples,” the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in a statement.
Signs warn shoppers of mandatory face mask and the need to respect social distancing in Nijmegen, eastern Netherlands.

Signs warn shoppers of mandatory face mask and the need to respect social distancing in Nijmegen, eastern Netherlands. Photograph: Peter de Jong/AP
 

Phoenix

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I can't find that thread where several PS'ers were very kind and encouraged me to go have my vaccines. I am happy to report that I am now 3 weeks post jab number 2 (Pfizer). Thank you to all that helped me make up my mind. The SG govt here has been super strict too and that was the final jolt that I needed.

With this Omicron variant now threatening more lives and travel prospects etc, I am very anxious and hope the scientists can figure out the 3 issues that @missy raised above (which is why it's been termed a "variant of concern", from what i understand). I pray the vaccines can continue to afford the protection that they have, or at least the pharmas that make them can modify them to deal with this new variant, such that the variant could not evade the protection that the vaccines provide. I am, for one, happy to wear masks which are mandatory here. I hated it at first, mind you. It took me a long time to get used to it.

Stay safe, everyone.
 
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ItsMainelyYou

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In light of yet another new variant and the endemic nature of this disease I thought I would leave this here. I'm not sure that this has been discussed already, and forgive me if it has, but it's an interesting/important bit of information to pass along to the people you love and care for in your life-that might still be clinging to this avenue as a viable alternative.
Stay safe everyone!
 

missy

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Good morning. What should you assume about Omicron?​
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Crowds in London this weekend.Tom Nicholson/Reuters​

The very early signs​

The public reaction to new Covid-19 variants has followed a familiar cycle. People tend to assume the worst about two different questions — whether the variant leads to faster transmission of the Covid virus and whether it causes more severe illness among infected people.​
The first of those worries came true with the Alpha and Delta variants: Alpha was more contagious than the original version of the virus, and Delta was even more contagious than Alpha. But the second of the worries has largely not been borne out: With both Alpha and Delta, the percentage of Covid cases that led to hospitalization or death held fairly steady.​
This pattern isn’t surprising, scientists say. Viruses often evolve in ways that help them flourish. Becoming more contagious allows a virus to do so; becoming more severe has the potential to do the opposite, because more of a virus’s hosts can die before they infect others.​
It is too soon to know whether the Omicron variant will fit the pattern. But the very early evidence suggests that it may. Unfortunately, Omicron seems likely to be more contagious than Delta, including among vaccinated people. Fortunately, the evidence so far does not indicate that Omicron is causing more severe illness:​
  • Barry Schoub, a South African virologist who advises the government there, has said that Omicron cases have tended to be “mild to moderate.” Schoub added: “That’s a good sign. But let me stress it is early days.”
  • Dr. Rudo Mathivha, the head of the intensive care unit at a hospital in Soweto, South Africa, said that severe cases have been concentrated among people who were not fully vaccinated.
  • Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, a top health official in Israel, emphasized yesterday that when vaccinated people were infected, they became only slightly ill, according to the publication Haaretz.
  • As The Times’s Carl Zimmer wrote, “For now, there’s no evidence that Omicron causes more severe disease than previous variants.”
In the initial days after a new variant is discovered, I know that many people focus on worst-case scenarios. The alarming headlines can make it seem as if the pandemic may be about to start all over again, with vaccines powerless to stop the variant.​
To be clear, there is genuine uncertainty about Omicron. Maybe it will prove to be worse than the very early signs suggest and cause more severe illness than Delta. But assuming the worst about each worrisome new variant is not a science-based, rational response. And alarmism has its own costs, especially to mental health, notes Dr. Raghib Ali, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge.​
“Of course we should take it seriously,” Ali wrote on Twitter, “but there is no plausible scenario that this variant is going to take us back to square one (i.e. the situation pre-vaccines).”​
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Administering a vaccine in Pretoria, South Africa.Phill Magakoe/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images​
Absent new evidence, the rational assumption is that Covid is likely to remain overwhelmingly mild among the vaccinated (unless their health is already precarious). For most vaccinated people, Covid probably presents less risk than some everyday activities.​
On “Meet the Press” yesterday, Dr. Anthony Fauci emphasized the continuing power of vaccination, even against variants. “It may not be as good in protecting against initial infection,” Fauci said, “but it has a very important impact on diminishing the likelihood that you’re going to get a severe outcome from it.”​
Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist, made a similar point in her Substack newsletter this weekend:​
Do not take Omicron lightly, but don’t abandon hope either. Our immune systems are incredible.
None of this changes what you can to do right now: Ventilate spaces. Use masks. Test if you have symptoms. Isolate if positive. Get vaccinated. Get boosted.​
Government leaders can take an additional step, though: Improve global vaccine distribution. Variants are more likely to emerge in places with low vaccination rates, and less than 10 percent of people are vaccinated in many parts of Africa. (Look up the rate for any country.)​
This weekend, Andy Slavitt, a former Covid adviser to President Biden, called for “the mass shipment of hundreds of millions of vaccines” to southern Africa.​

More on Omicron​

 

missy

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I can't find that thread where several PS'ers were very kind and encouraged me to go have my vaccines. I am happy to report that I am now 3 weeks post jab number 2 (Pfizer). Thank you to all that helped me make up my mind. The SG govt here has been super strict too and that was the final jolt that I needed.

With this Omicron variant now threatening more lives and travel prospects etc, I am very anxious and hope the scientists can figure out the 3 issues that @missy raised above (which is why it's been termed a "variant of concern", from what i understand). I pray the vaccines can continue to afford the protection that they have, or at least the pharmas that make them can modify them to deal with this new variant, such that the variant could not evade the protection that the vaccines provide. I am, for one, happy to wear masks which are mandatory here. I hated it at first, mind you. It took me a long time to get used to it.

Stay safe, everyone.

@Phoenix I am so happy you had the vaccines and are doing well! So relieved and happy for you. Continue staying safe and be well. XO.
 

missy

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Winter Meets Omicron​

For months, scientists and governments have feared the onset of winter and its potential to ignite new waves of the virus across the Northern Hemisphere. That fear has now been realized, with a twist: the emergence of a worrisome new variant that’s already causing governments to stall or reverse their reopening plans.


The winter-omicron double whammy is shaking up the best and worst places to be during the pandemic as captured by Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking every month. In November, Europe—formerly dominant on the lineup due to high levels of vaccination and steady reopening—accounted for eight of the biggest drops this month as case counts surged, hospitals came under strain and governments reimposed restrictions.

Former top performer Ireland slid three spots while Austria, the first European country to revert to a national lockdown, tumbled over 30 places.
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Health workers treat a Covid-19 patient in an intensive care unit at Isabel Zendal Hospital in Madrid on Nov. 26.
Photographer: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency


November’s new No. 1 is the United Arab Emirates, where life has settled into a pre-pandemic normal. With over 200 vaccine doses given out per 100 people and low fatalities, the country is welcoming millions of visitors to the Expo while property sales are at a decade high in its largest city of Dubai. In second place is Chile, where summer time is approaching and the economy set for a spectacular rebound.


Though it’s only been less than a week since omicron has been identified and there are still many unknowns on how fast it spreads, it’s already setting back the process of global reopening. Places like Israel and Japan shut their borders to all visitors while South Africa, where omicron was first sequenced and where it’s spreading the fastest, dropped seven spots as other countries blocked its travelers from entering.


Will omicron cause a full reversal of global reopening efforts, or can countries get through the winter period without turning back the clock to the dark days of early 2020? Stay tuned for December’s Ranking. — Felix Tam
 
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