A new variant doesn't equal disaster

[chararara]

A new variant, more negative news.

Fact is, it is far too early to know anything concrete about this variant and already the news is contradicting itself. They are overly negative for views.

Some more positive points:

• South Africa has great genome testing and does a lot more advanced testing than neighbouring countries due to their expertise from HIV testing. It is no surprise they discovered it and very possible other countries missed it. The sequence of this variant points to being older than two weeks. Hence, it is likely it already existed and SA have been the first to pick it up. Why is this good? It means it has potentially been circulating for months, so if it has only just been noticed, it is less likely to be the extra transmissible nightmare as the media state.

• SA is not a good country to make predictions from. They have a low vaccine rate, yet had unusually low infections. Any strain would take a great hold, so it's impossible to say that its "ripping through," when the population is largely unvaccinated. Data cannot be extrapolated to majority vaccinated countries at this point in time.

• It has new spike protein additions. Concerning? Yes. Definitely a problem? No. They could just be changes that have barely any impact. It's just as feasible to assume the best, as well as the worst.

• Even if this is a more transmissible strain or resistant strain, it is highly unlikely it would completely evade vaccines or not offer defense against severe illness.

We are not back at the beginning. Be cautious and mindful with the media you consume. Get a booster vaccine.

Some less negative articles:

www.reddit.com/r/CoronavirusUK/comments/r2k067/new_variant_will_not_take_us_back_to_square_one/

I agree, I think the action is proportionate given the risk.

I hope to god that this variant is nothing, and I am certainly not going to stop enjoying my life or put anything on hold whilst we wait to find out. I think they do the preliminary testing with the vaccines, and they are swift so they might have some idea, the longer term data I imagine takes many weeks for a more accurate picture.

@Russianmax

Thank you OP.

There's an agenda to send us all into panic and fear again.

We all need to keep calm and turn a blind eye to the news. MSM rarely tells us the truth these days.

Quite

Dont fall for it.

Having said that, those people who only get their news from MSM will fall for it hook line and sinker

There's an agenda to send us all into panic and fear again

And exactly whose interest would that be in?
Who would benefit?

I just don't understand this kind of thinking. Lockdowns ruin countries and peoples lives, it is in no one's interest apart from perhaps hostile states (looking at your Russia) that want to see other countries crash and burn to see this happen. It is certainly NOT in the interests of national governments to ruin their economies and over load their hospitals

"We will deal with it I am sure in time, it might be a short term problem for a while, but the science will adjust the vaccines and we can all look forward to another booster"

So earlier you posted the variant has been around for months and no solution found, then now only a short term problem ! Pfizer were saying they only need 100 days were needed to adjust the vaccine so I'm inclined to believe that there is not a global effort by scientists, health official or MSM media to hush it up. Still I'm sure someone will make a lot of money from state of fear book 2!

From what I've read it is suspected that it transits more readily but as yet we have not had time to determine whether this is transmissibility increasing or a greater level of immune escape. The consensus seems to be there is no clear Change in severity or hospitalisation but again it is early days.

There's no point worrying about it because on an individual basis you can't do much. Most likely some restrictions may be in place longer and another booster needed but that is far from certain.

The will be a new variant every year like we have with other viruses. It isn't going to stop and we should expect this, and the new variant has probably been here for a good few weeks already. The media need to stop scaring the shit out of people though. It is not fair on those with anxiety. Some have reported the facts, but other have used very emotive headlines.

I think if they impose a Christmas lockdown compliance will be pretty low if people have planned to see extended family. I think people have accepted that we have to live with the virus and want to get on with our lives.

We are having a quiet Christmas with just us this year, so a Christmas lockdown won't really affect us anyway. A lot of people I know aren't bothering too much, as they are fed up with spending lots of money they don't have on just one day and want to go back to basics of just playing and having fun with their kids. The economy will suffer more, but I think that's what the government wants. It feels like there needs to be a crisis everyday now for the government and media to justify their own shitness.

I think the media, some scientists and especially David Nabarro of the WHO are being irresponsibly fear-mongering about this new variant, who said:

^The new super-variant could pose such a risk to vaccines that the world could be dealing with a “totally new pandemic”, a covid expert has said.*

David Nabarro, special envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organisation, said the variant B.1.1.529 that has been found in South Africa has been provisionally labelled with the Greek letter Nu.

He said the variant posed a serious threat because the extent of its 32 mutations suggested it had a greater capacity to evade immunity from vaccines

inews.co.uk/news/politics/new-covid-super-variant-south-africa-new-pandemic-who-envo-1320998?ITO=newsnow

He's putting all that bullshite out there based on very little data at all. Do none of these people ever consider the terrible stress the past couple of years have placed on people? Why say it could lead to a 'totally new pandemic' FFS!

@Fairylights25

That is odd I don't think I have ever been on a conspiracy site, or would even know how to find one - and I have no idea why you would post such a strange message.

You can close your ears and cover your eyes and say it will be fine, that does not mean much if the variant IS a problem. We will deal with it I am sure in time, it might be a short term problem for a while, but the science will adjust the vaccines and we can all look forward to another booster.

Denial is a natural first response to bad news.

I agree that it's too early to know anything for sure. However, the number of genetic variations has clearly rattled scientists so I think it's important that everyone is on the front foot.

With the onset of winter and the prevalence of Delta cases (particularly in schools) I don't think it would hurt for people to take some extra minor precautions anyway. Most important is booster vaccinations. Even with Delta I know a number of people who are double-vaxxed but have been really floored by Delta. They mainly had their second vaccine 3-5 months ago so hopefully it will affect vulnerable people who have had their boosters less. Second, get as many teens vaccinated as possible. From reports in SA it seems to be affecting unvaccinated young people worse. Teens should be offered 2 doses for full protection, especially if the vaccine efficacy may prove to be reduced with the new variant.

Personally I think wearing face masks is a small and easy step to help reduce spread but I think it will be hard to get some people wearing them again. Staff at my primary school have been asked to wear them again as we have an outbreak and it's causing problems already with the number of staff off sick.

The will be a new variant every year like we have with other viruses.

Well, there have been quite a few new variants of Covid - but this one is a VOC, a Variant of Concern. So it is not the same as other variants; or at all like other viruses, which are not in any case causing global pandemics.

I know two South Africans with your kids whose families have just had Christmas taken away for a second year, so it's already a shit variant.

It's good to see a bit of proactiveness in trying to delay it, hopefully it'll turn out to be less transmissible when it hits communities with higher immunity. And cause less severe disease. I'll deliver the Christmas presents next week, and we have the Christmas concert the week after. If restrictions can just hold out until after that I'm resigned to them.

*little kids, not your kids

I'm also sick to death of the scare mongering and the shaming of people who want to live their lives. For goodness sake, it's been nearly two years. I was happier than anyone to give up my own life to help others and barely left my flat in 2020, but I've now been TRIPLE vaccinated. At what point is this ever going to be 'over'?

First it was 'wait for the vaccines - it'll all be over then'. Waited for a year. Then it was 'wait for the most vulnerable to be vaccinated and we'll open up'. Vulnerable were vaccinated by March 2021, we didn't open up. Then it was 'if you get vaccinated, you'll be able to travel'. I was fully vaccinated by May 2021 but guess what...major restrictions on travel including a ten-day quarantine for almost everywhere, so I couldn't go away anywhere. This was all conveniently removed once the travel season was over. Then it's 'get the booster'. Got the booster, isolated myself for two weeks to make absolute sure I didn't get covid before it kicked in, booked myself a holiday as a treat, and now this. I'll either have to cancel the holiday or go and spend the entire time worrying about restrictions and problems.

We cannot go on like this. Where does it end? There will always be covid cases. There will always be variants. I thought the whole point of vaccination was to reduce the problem to a very manageable level?

@dabbydeedoo

I'm also sick to death of the scare mongering and the shaming of people who want to live their lives. For goodness sake, it's been nearly two years. I was happier than anyone to give up my own life to help others and barely left my flat in 2020, but I've now been TRIPLE vaccinated. At what point is this ever going to be 'over'?

First it was 'wait for the vaccines - it'll all be over then'. Waited for a year. Then it was 'wait for the most vulnerable to be vaccinated and we'll open up'. Vulnerable were vaccinated by March 2021, we didn't open up. Then it was 'if you get vaccinated, you'll be able to travel'. I was fully vaccinated by May 2021 but guess what...major restrictions on travel including a ten-day quarantine for almost everywhere, so I couldn't go away anywhere. This was all conveniently removed once the travel season was over. Then it's 'get the booster'. Got the booster, isolated myself for two weeks to make absolute sure I didn't get covid before it kicked in, booked myself a holiday as a treat, and now this. I'll either have to cancel the holiday or go and spend the entire time worrying about restrictions and problems.

We cannot go on like this. Where does it end? There will always be covid cases. There will always be variants. I thought the whole point of vaccination was to reduce the problem to a very manageable level?

Glad to hear you’re triple vaccinated. Most people under 40 aren’t because they’ve only just become eligible and their protection is wearing down. But great for you eh

I thought the whole point of vaccination was to reduce the problem to a very manageable level?

It seems like covid was not fully on board with this UK policy decision

Got the booster, isolated myself for two weeks to make absolute sure I didn't get covid before it kicked in, booked myself a holiday as a treat, and now this. I'll either have to cancel the holiday or go and spend the entire time worrying about restrictions and problems.

Also newsflash - you're not very important in the grand scheme of things. Why is this a surprise to you? There are nearly 8 billion people on the planet - no one except you gives a fuck about your bloody holiday. No one gives a fuck about my holiday either, quite rightly. They are worrying a) overall health risks and b) overall economic risks, not my bloody holiday plans.

Do you think you're the only person to have had disruption due to covid?

@Iggly I'm triple vaccinated at under 40 because I've got a chronic illness. Good for me, eh? Maybe you'll get sick as well and then you'll get to be as lucky as I am! Just keep crossing those fingers.

How is this relevant in any way to my point? The WHO haven't even declared boosters necessary. Two vaccines were initially only going to be the aim. They are still extremely effective, even with 'waning protection', especially if being under 40 means you probably got Pfizer or Moderna.

What is your problem?

[quote dabbydeedoo]@Iggly I'm triple vaccinated at under 40 because I've got a chronic illness. Good for me, eh? Maybe you'll get sick as well and then you'll get to be as lucky as I am! Just keep crossing those fingers.

How is this relevant in any way to my point? The WHO haven't even declared boosters necessary. Two vaccines were initially only going to be the aim. They are still extremely effective, even with 'waning protection', especially if being under 40 means you probably got Pfizer or Moderna.

What is your problem?[/quote]
Because there are other people with other circumstance for whom covid isn’t “over” and they still need some (minor) mitigations in place.

That’s my problem. People seem to see it through their own little lens.

Somebody please feel free to correct me but I thought the only definitive way out of the pandemic was for covid to mutate itself into something that caused less serious illness. And so on and so forth until eventually it just becomes another coronavirus that causes a cold. As there are many of those already.

Obviously if it mutated itself into sthg that caused more serious illness that would be bad, but there is no evidence either way as yet

The WHO haven't even declared boosters necessary.

That isn't because they aren't deemed necessary - more that they are more concerned with the developing nations who are not able to access enough vaccinations to their people for even a first dose for everyone.

Two vaccines were initially only going to be the aim.

Back in 2020, during vaccine development, it was always considered likely that there would be a need for further vaccination, whether that was every year, every two years, every four years, or every four months. It being a novel coronavirus, and all...

@BlowBadness

It originated in vaccinated people according to the gov of Botswana, this means that even if you got your booster we're back to square one againt Omicron until the lab geniuses can create a vaccine which stops it in its tracks.

Even supposing such a daft statement actually came out, surely anyone rational will question WTF do the government of Botswana know of science? It's much more likely to have been an immune compromised person during a long illness.

@BlowBadness

It originated in vaccinated people according to the gov of Botswana, this means that even if you got your booster we're back to square one againt Omicron until the lab geniuses can create a vaccine which stops it in its tracks.

We are not necessarily 'back to square one' as there are three things to consider:

a) ease of transmission
b) how severe the infection woul dbe in invaccinated people
c) how much less severe it will be in vaccinated people

But certainly - the Israeli case was someone who had recently had their third vaccine dose and that is cause for concern on criteria a.

@rrhuth

Got the booster, isolated myself for two weeks to make absolute sure I didn't get covid before it kicked in, booked myself a holiday as a treat, and now this. I'll either have to cancel the holiday or go and spend the entire time worrying about restrictions and problems.

Also newsflash - you're not very important in the grand scheme of things. Why is this a surprise to you? There are nearly 8 billion people on the planet - no one except you gives a fuck about your bloody holiday. No one gives a fuck about my holiday either, quite rightly. They are worrying a) overall health risks and b) overall economic risks, not my bloody holiday plans.

Do you think you're the only person to have had disruption due to covid?

I'm asking where it ends. Of course I'm aware I'm not the only person on the planet - the point is EVERYONE has had their lives disrupted for two years now, with no sign of it ending. Again, where does it end? Do you think the economy can keep supporting the entire world shutting down for weeks or months on end?

The point about the holiday was that it was the one good thing in two entire years to look forward to so yes, I am upset about it on a personal level. Is that OK with you? I've been through serious illness, relationship issues, job issues, treatment for my illness severely disrupted due to covid, therapy for my severe anxiety disrupted, I've been caring for a family member with schizophrenia who has been unable to get proper treatment. I'm at absolute rock bottom with nothing left to give. I wasn't going to book a holiday at all but was encouraged to do so by friends and family. This was meant to be a few days away in the sun to try my best to recharge a bit, and now it's been ruined.

Sorry it offends you so much that I'm upset. I thought it was pretty clear that I'm not talking about myself, I'm talking about how much longer we can go on shutting everything down for a virus that isn't going anywhere.

Answer my question. When? 2023? 2025? 2030?

When?

surely anyone rational will question WTF do the government of Botswana know of science This is an astoundlingly racist comment. This type of attitude is so damaging - to dismiss information from scientists because you are prejudiced against African states.