Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #102

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margarita25 said:
Thankfully our Dear @Lilibet and her hubby made it through!!! ❤️

I heard Dr. Fauci saying there may be a potential issue with omicron and the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies as well as convalescent plasma. Anxiously awaiting all the data, as we all are.

I am hearing some outraaaaaaageous numbers on the R-Naught. Delta was around 8ish, one doctor said omnicron could be as high as 50 on TV last night. Let’s see what the formal data says.

Less severe disease, if true, is obviously great news. However, if omicron outcompetes Delta wrt transmissibility and infects more people, then there is even more opportunity for mutations under this sublineage with potentially dangerous characteristics including immune escape. And if treatments and vaccines are not (as) effective, then there could be some serious issues.

Let’s see what the data says. It’s going to a stressful couple of weeks, I think.

And as if things aren’t already bad enough...
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jjenny said:
Yep, even if it's milder, but much more infectious, if a large number of people gets infected, there bound to be some reacting badly to it. So the hospitals can get full and so on. Especially if our current treatments such as antibodies won't work well against it.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Continuing this conversation @jjenny and thinking/questioning out loud, (tired, hope this makes sense) -

Let’s say it does turn out that O IS much more transmissible than Delta (which is mind-blowing to begin with, considering Covid was already so contagious from the start and then became even more transmissible...of course we talked about this before when Alpha was more contagious than the original strain, then Delta was more infectious than Alpha...), anyway, what is the chance increased transmissibility could maybe/possibly be somewhat of a double edged sword/blessing in disguise, knock on wood...Meaning, putting aside the important concerns for a minute discussed above wrt to potentially more dangerous mutations as a result of more infections and the potential for immune escape, etc., what IF O turns out to be milder, could it outcompete a more severe Delta (therefore leading to a more mild disease overall) ?

(Question for Doc Mike or Maria or Dr. O, lol)

(Eta, can’t wait for Dr. O’s next podcast, O on O...o_O)
 
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mickey2942 said:
In the United States, federal government employees who have not been vaccinated or given religious exemptions from the Covid-19 vaccine will start getting formal notices next week.

And termination prior to Christmas.

See Every Major Agency's COVID-19 Vaccination Rates
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And same where I live. I am an RN, I have to get a flu vax, hep A &B (combined) and now a whooping cough vax. I cannot see the difference in getting the covid vax except that it has become politicised.
 
margarita25 said:
Indeed. Continuing this conversation @jjenny and thinking/questioning out loud, (tired, hope this makes sense) -

Let’s say it does turn out that O IS much more transmissible than Delta (which is mind-blowing to begin with, considering Covid was already so contagious from the start and then became even more transmissible...of course we talked about this before when Alpha was more contagious than the original strain, then Delta was more infectious than Alpha...), anyway, what is the chance increased transmissibility could maybe/possibly be somewhat of a double edged sword/blessing in disguise, knock on wood...Meaning, putting aside the important concerns for a minute discussed above wrt to potentially more dangerous mutations as a result of more infections and the potential for immune escape, etc., what IF O turns out to be milder, could it outcompete a more severe Delta (therefore leading to a more mild disease overall) ?

(Question for Doc Mike or Maria or Dr. O, lol)

(Eta, can’t wait for Dr. O’s next podcast, O on O...o_O)
Click to expand...

Delta was more transmissible that the original covid. Omicron is what, 40% more transmissible than Delta? Is that people get sick sooner? More sick regardless of vaccine?
 
otto said:
That's how it started in Canada in March 2020 - dishonest people.
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And we didn't have readily available covid testing at that time. Nor did we have good preventative measures in place. There was no screening at the airports, no mask mandates, not enough protection for employees who work close to other workers, etc.

I expect we thought it would be like the first SARS outbreak, which was brought under control quickly.
 
Omicron Covid variant: Portugal confirms 13 cases | Daily Mail Online


In an attempt to slow the spread of the new variant, Japan slammed its borders shut on Monday - banning all foreign citizens from arriving just weeks after allowing them entry. The ban will take effect from midnight, with citizens returning from some countries told to quarantine.

Meanwhile Australia said it will delay reopening its border to visa holders and skilled workers, a move that was due to come into force from December 1. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the delay - due to last for two weeks - is 'necessary' while the government collects more data on the variant.

The Philippines also said it will temporarily suspend plans to allow fully vaccinated tourists into the country, fearful of importing the super-mutated strain because most of its population remains unjabbed.Fully vaccinated tourists were due to be allowed into the Philippines from Wednesday. It is not clear when they will now be allowed in.
 
otto said:
Delta was more transmissible that the original covid. Omicron is what, 40% more transmissible than Delta? Is that people get sick sooner? More sick regardless of vaccine?
Click to expand...


South African Doctor Says Patients With Omicron Variant Have 'Very Mild' Symptoms

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/a...-with-omicron-variant-have-very-mild-symptoms

A South African doctor who was one of the first to suspect a different coronavirus strain among patients said on Sunday that symptoms of the Omicron variant were so far mild and could be treated at home.

Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of South African Medical Association, told Reuters that on Nov. 18 she noticed seven patients at her clinic who had symptoms different from the dominant Delta variant, albeit "very mild".

"Most of them are seeing very, very mild symptoms and none of them so far have admitted patients to surgeries. We have been able to treat these patients conservatively at home," she said.
 
Not Seeing Oxygen Levels Drop, Says Doctor Dealing With 'Omicron' Surge

Not Seeing Oxygen Levels Drop, Says Doctor Dealing With 'Omicron' Surge

People infected by 'Omicron' in South Africa are showing very different symptoms to those suffering from the Delta strain, said the doctor who alerted government scientists to the possibility of a new variant.
Patients who contracted the 'Omicron' strain complain of fatigue, head and body aches and occasional sore throats and coughs, said Angelique Coetzee, who is also chairwoman of the South African Medical Association. Delta infections, by comparison, caused elevated pulse rates, resulted in low oxygen levels and a loss of smell and taste, she said.
 
These very mild symptoms were different from those in other variants, which gave more severe symptoms.

Coetzee alerted health officials of a “clinical picture that doesn’t fit Delta” — South Africa’s dominant variant — on November 18, when she received the first seven of her 30-odd patients.

The highly mutated variant is thought to be very contagious and resistant to immunity, although its ability to evade vaccines is still being assessed.

“We are not saying that there will not be severe disease coming forward,” Coetzee said.

South African doctor who flagged Omicron claims variant not causing serious illness
 
WHO warns omicron Covid variant poses 'very high' global risk (nbcnews.com)

“Omicron’s very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we’re done with Covid-19, it’s not done with us,” the head of the World Health Organization said.

LONDON — The global risk of the new omicron variant is “very high,” the World Health Organization said Monday, as more countries reported cases of the variant, sparking worldwide concern that there is more pandemic suffering ahead.

In response to the spike in cases, an increasing number of nations are tightening their borders despite pleas for caution and outbursts of dismay from some...

In advice to its member states, the U.N. agency urged them to accelerate Covid-19 vaccination coverage “as rapidly as possible,” particularly among high-priority groups, and to enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts...
 
There is another South African doctor who has also noted changes in Omicron - she is an Intensive Care Specialists in Soweto, so she is seeing a different demographic than the outpatient population seen by Dr. Angelique Cotzee:

Dr. Rudo Mathivha comments:

Young people bearing brunt of Covid-19 resurgence, ICU doctor warns

Important to include this information: Younger people get very sick and need intensive care. Most (65%) are not vaccinated and some are only half-vaccinated.

I think we need to be careful about overinterpreting the observations of physicians seeing different kinds of patients and scenarios. My understanding is that Dr. Coetzee is going to see patients who are able to get access to vaccinations and primary care and who, by this nature, are going to be less seriously ill while Dr. Mathivha is seeing patients without the same access to vaccinations and primary care and is seeing the consequences of the economic disparity of healthcare access.

This should be part of the discussion
 
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jjenny said:
"Dutch police said on Sunday, November 28 that they arrested a married couple who had "fled" from a mandatory government-ordered quarantine."

Couple who traveled to South Africa arrested for 'fleeing' Amsterdam quarantine hotel | CNN Travel
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"The couple were arrested "(on board) a plane that was about to take off en route to Spain at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) and both persons have been transferred to the GGD (regional Dutch health authority)," Verberkt added."

So they were on a flight already, after mingling in the airport. If they were positive for Omicron, how many people were they in close contact with? Smh.
Selfish and tone deaf.
 
Switzerland reimposes quarantine for travelers from countries where Omicron is present

From CNN’s Lindsay Isaac

Switzerland will require travelers from Portugal, Nigeria, Canada and Japan to quarantine for 10 days due to the presence of the Omicron variant in those countries.

Travelers from those countries will also require a negative test before boarding flights to Switzerland.

The measure goes into effect midnight tonight local time.

Live updates: Omicron variant cases spread and countries rush to impose travel bans

I have Swiss friends here in So Cal. In January they are relocating to a property they bought in Portugal, and will also go into Switzerland where they have family. I wonder what this could mean for them, ..quarantine, delays etc.
Once Omicron is found in the US, likely, no doubt Switzerland will also require quarantine for travelers from the US as well.
 
Gov. Baker: QR code vaccine passport coming soon

Gov. Charlie Baker expects a state-sanctioned COVID-19 vaccination passport program to be implemented in Massachusetts and several other states soon.

During an appearance on GBH News' Boston Public Radio, Baker said a scannable quick response code, commonly known as a QR code, would show a person's vaccination status and be made available for others to scan and verify.

"It's a universal standard and we've been working with a bunch of other states, there's probably 15 or 20 of them, to try to create a single QR code that can be used for all sorts of things where people may choose to require a vaccine," Baker said of the passport program.
 
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