New Covid variant *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[Wingingthis]

Can anyone talk some sense about how dangerous this is or is it just the media over exaggerating?

It will take a few weeks to find out. *Fact!
Take proper precautions and it shouldn't be a problem. However, if you're someone who likes to socialise, I imagine you have to take responsibility for putting yourself and your family at risk. Saying that most viruses do not become 'more' deadly, just more transmissible to survive. I am trying to understand why they are pushing the booster, booster, booster, when there are so many mutations to this new strain, that it may escape the current vaccines anyway. Make no sense to me. Months ago when Prof Bosche warned this would happen, they debunked him, ridicules him, called him a conspiracy theorist, and censored him off social medial, ignoring his advice. If they can do this to most of the most well respected, cited Virologists, how can we ever trust any information we are allowed to have. I can't be the only person who feels that censoring information is misinformation also. #missinginformationismisinformation

I'm puzzled by the whole ' get a booster' when Boris Johnson today said that the jabs might not work on this new variant? He was at a clinic today being interviewed.
It's being pushed, but might evade them.?
It is confusing.

It's not really that confusing.

They key word is might.

So, the choice is:

a) Don't err on the side of caution, wait until we know for sure....and if it doesn't evade vaccination....oops sorry too late....didn't booster waning immunity... so off to icu/the morgue/bereavement counsellor/business closed due to staff sickness.

Or

b) Take the booster because it might - hopefully will - still give at least some protection (which is better than nothing).

And also, for now Delta is still a huge problem. We need boosters for that regardless of Omicron. At least for the time being.

It is highly unlikely to evade completely and then you have evading infection and evading serious illness. The latter is far more important

I can't have a booster for ages because I currently have covid 19.
I've had two jabs and a flu jab.
If people are getting boosters this week , then catch the new variant anyway, I can imagine the uproar (many are reluctant to have any jabs , but still do it for the greater good )
The anti vaxxers will just say ' gotcha'.
If it's evading the current jabs and boosters I think people might think twice about a ' tweaked ' one in 100 days time too.
The data will still take a while to come through.

Out of interest, what drug treatments, if any, are currently being used in South Africa using?

I have vague memories of them using something a while back that we weren't (like Japan using Favipiravir) but I'm not sure what.

I know the vaccines can be tweaked in 100 days

It would be a good idea if manufacture and distribution of monoclonal antibodies was stepped up.

Remember, whilst not a miracle cure, it's a excellent treatment for many and we'll worth ordering more supply.

Is there any possibility that mild infection should also be avoided in case it affects people long term, immunity to other illness, long Covid or neurological issues?

Yes. Definitely. We all know that many Long Covid patients had initial mild infection.

Absolutely we shouldn't panic - but we do need to take calm sensible precautions.

I can't have a booster for ages because I currently have covid 19

Isn’t it still a month? Did I miss a change?

Yes, it's a month till I can have a booster

I hope you feel better soon @the80sweregreat

Thank you
I've a few more days now until I'm allowed out!
Still feel rough though

It doesn't matter if this new strain evades current vaccines, what matters is whether it become the prevalent strain AND evades, to a significant amount, the vaccines.

The graph that has been shared on Twitter upthread- showing higher cases but hospitalisations following a similar curve to delta - does this show either new variant is milder or SA have vaccinated more of their population since delta wave. Either outcome is good isn’t it?

@Montecristocount

The graph that has been shared on Twitter upthread- showing higher cases but hospitalisations following a similar curve to delta - does this show either new variant is milder or SA have vaccinated more of their population since delta wave. Either outcome is good isn’t it?

Vaccination uptake is low there, around 25% fully vaxxed I think. Though a much younger population.

I just saw a post here that the media should stop headlining that most cases are mild because it's misleading:

twitter.com/michaelmina_lab/status/1465686060411801614

It is thought most in South Africa will have had coronavirus, so "natural vaccination".

Anecdotal but I’ve just had an afternoon in my nearest city centre- a LOT of mask wearing in the shops, I was actually taken aback by how very few didn’t have them. It was a little bit like stepping back in time because literally only yesterday in my local M&S very few wore them..

Obviously it’s usually an older crowd midweek but still it was a big relief to see. Let’s hope it continues and across all age groups.

"The Omicron variant of the coronavirus could lead to more infections among vaccinated people but they will most likely remain protected from a severe course of illness, according to the inventor of one of the first Covid-19 vaccines.

While the new variant might evade the antibodies generated in reaction to the vaccine, the virus will likely remain vulnerable to immune cells that destroy IT once it enters the body, BioNTech SE co-founder Ugur Sahin said."

www.wsj.com/articles/omicron-unlikely-to-cause-severe-illness-in-vaccinated-people-biontech-founder-says-11638286176

@Thewiseoneincognito

Anecdotal but I’ve just had an afternoon in my nearest city centre- a LOT of mask wearing in the shops, I was actually taken aback by how very few didn’t have them. It was a little bit like stepping back in time because literally only yesterday in my local M&S very few wore them..

Obviously it’s usually an older crowd midweek but still it was a big relief to see. Let’s hope it continues and across all age groups.

Anecdotal: I live in England but went to Edinburgh twice recently and was really surprised that both times genuinely more people in England were wearing masks than in Edinburgh (can’t speak for any other place in Scotland).

Just seen on Sky the WHO now advising Over 60s and CEV to postpone travel.

www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/who-advice-for-international-traffic-in-relation-to-the-sars-cov-2-omicron-variant

The WHO were saying that all over 60s should stay in last year, obviously they didn't realise that our retirement age is 66+

[quote Thewiseoneincognito]Just seen on Sky the WHO now advising Over 60s and CEV to postpone travel.

www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/who-advice-for-international-traffic-in-relation-to-the-sars-cov-2-omicron-variant[/quote]
The messages we are getting are really very mixed

I don’t think the messages from the scientific community are mixed?

@JanglyBeads

I don’t think the messages from the scientific community are mixed?

I think maybe just today it has got to me - Harries saying limit socialising, Johnson saying don't limit it. MPs arguing about the most minimal of measures.

"There are indications that individuals fully vaccinated against corona within six months or with the booster are also protected against the Omicron variant, [Israeli] Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said on Tuesday

... Later in the evening, a report by Channel 12 said the Pfizer vaccine is just slightly less effective in preventing infection with Omicron than with Delta – 90% as opposed to 95% – while it is as effective – around 93% – in preventing serious symptoms at least for those vaccinated with a booster.

According to the report, the ability of the variant to infect is higher than Delta but not as much as feared – around 1.3 times higher.

At the same time, those not inoculated have a 2.4 times greater chance of developing serious symptoms, a significant figure."

www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/coronavirus/covid-1st-data-about-vaccine-efficacy-against-omicron-expected-tuesday-687392

So.... Panic over?