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?

@Kokeshi123

By the way, should we not be calling this the "gamma" variant or whatever letter we're up to? I think the general rule now is, we shouldn't be using regional names to describe particular variants.

Was about to say this. The variants aren't named after the location they are prominent/first discovered any more.

I apologise for calling it the Botswana variant, I don’t want to cause any offence. I was just copying what I was reading on the news headlines yesterday. Wish mumsnet had an edit option and I would edit the title!

It's the Nu Variant.

Since it's Greek it's pronounced "Nee" like the Knights who Say Ni from Monty Python. (Something I learnt yesterday).

It hasn’t been given a (Greek alphabet) name as yet. Normally these are given to more concerning variants, so will probably get one soon.

Can’t really call it anything else until it gets named.

I was hoping for delta nu over nu…

Nu is a bit easier to remember than B.1.1.529

@Queenoftheashes

Can’t really call it anything else until it gets named.

I was hoping for delta nu over nu…

I hope this is a legally blonde reference.

Of course

its bad news but its not doomsday, so said a professor just now

phew, nu

Just heard that professor vaccine still effective but likely less so

Need more information on that part - effective on hospitalisation/ death important part

[quote manolantern]Very informed thread here about the likely effects of this variant:

twitter.com/jbloom_lab/status/1464005676842184705

Another account worth bookmarking for reliable information and layman's explanations is:

twitter.com/sailorrooscout[/quote]
Good threads

Bloom Lab
@jbloom_lab
·
7h
However, it appears the AstraZeneca AZD7442 cocktail and Vir's S309 are likely to hold up better against the Nu variant. See below. (9/n)

Not sure if good but stood out

Not read full thread but whilst it is very small study it is an extremely worrying new variant . It has quite a few mutations that we should be very bothered about indeed . This “could” be far worse than Delta . If it was just scaremongering why would the South Africans inflict economic self harm if it wasn’t something to be concerned about . If you look at the details of the mutations ( nerdy former microbiologist here) then it’s got a number of the worse character traits from other variants snd a few that we simply don’t understand what the consequences will be. I think better be safe than sorry . Personally at the very least we should bring back the mask mandate . Why people make so much fuss over mask wearing when it could help prevent so much misery I don’t know. I’m not shouting for another lockdown at all but I am pro being sensible . If we aren’t then we might end up in lockdown.

It was Eric Feigl-Ding's tweet on 23rd Jan 2020 that spooked me back then and everybody was calling me mad and telling me not to be paranoid. This is his latest thread twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1463998740340121601?t=qu4QohpN66h-QtQOEQ7_YA&s=19

Here's another thread analysing the mutations. It's from the director of the Sanger Institute:

twitter.com/jcbarret/status/1463975708770897923

[quote vera99]It was Eric Feigl-Ding's tweet on 23rd Jan 2020 that spooked me back then and everybody was calling me mad and telling me not to be paranoid. This is his latest thread twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1463998740340121601?t=qu4QohpN66h-QtQOEQ7_YA&s=19[/quote]
Ding is the worst of the scaremongers, though!

You can hear the sounds of hands rubbing together with glee at the Daily Mail, Independent SAGE and some areas of Mumsnet!

@Wingingthis

I apologise for calling it the Botswana variant, I don’t want to cause any offence. I was just copying what I was reading on the news headlines yesterday. Wish mumsnet had an edit option and I would edit the title!

Op, you can ask @MNHQ to edit the title?

I’m a bit confused about how threatening this VOC is from reading the news coverage. We must become aware of new VOCs emerging very frequently. I am trying not to stress about this specific one until I understand more, but that’s hard to do.

I agree that the title needs altering. Please request MNHQ do this. And yes, MN needs an edit function!

@Thefartingsofaofdenmarkstreet

You can hear the sounds of hands rubbing together with glee at the Daily Mail, Independent SAGE and some areas of Mumsnet!

Yep. Lots of talk about it being more transmissible but little about virulence.

[quote vera99]It was Eric Feigl-Ding's tweet on 23rd Jan 2020 that spooked me back then and everybody was calling me mad and telling me not to be paranoid. This is his latest thread twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1463998740340121601?t=qu4QohpN66h-QtQOEQ7_YA&s=19[/quote]
He was right early on in the pandemic and he does post some interesting stuff but you seriously have to take him with a massive pinch of salt. The man needs a health warning attached to him.

He has made a twitter profile, since initially being vigilant and better understanding China than most, out of spouting a sizeable amount of unfounded, scaremongering bollocks by saying a huge amount of stuff completely out of context and without properly understanding it.

He frustrates me enormously.

Some of the stuff he has said about the UK in particular, I've had to go and double check for my sanity.

He gives out an alarming amount of disinformation or cherry picked stuff to suit his agenda rather than examining it for quality. The words 'confirmation bias' have a photo of him underneath on Wikipedia.

Seriously don't take what he says at face value. He trashed the credibility he initially established for his own personal gain rather than to help people understand the pandemic. Given his position, I regard this as something of an abuse and betrayal of his followers and getting to the truth.

Others that have flights booked to SA from the UK - do you think we’ll make it there?
My DH has said he doubts we’ll get there this year and we will need to rearrange flights in the new year :(

Was always going to happen, a vaccine that's doesn't provide complete immunity tends to drive escape variants and I'm provac due to the NHS pressures before anyone complains.

It's going to depend on whether it's any more serious to the vulnerable as to whether it's a variant of concern or just another blip. The ultimate goal of the virus would be to be highly transmissible and not fatal so this could be a move towards that.

It's all just a waiting game to see how hospital numbers play out hopefully it's just more transmissible in which case we should be able to just ignore it.

Maybe it's time we went back to Darwin

The guy who tested positive in quarantine in Hong Kong has no symptoms but as he tested he was taken to hospital as per HK’s policy.