Omicron variant

[forgetful]

Mind providing updates for every other country on earth?

https://covidbehaviors.org

This site would appear to confirm that the biggest problem around the world is vaccine hesitancy, not supply.

That is coupled with the difficulty of vaccinating individuals at all in some countries, as it is difficult to get the vaccine to the individuals. Really the only option for many parts of the world are the J&J vaccine or Astrazeneca.

Personally, I don't see a lot of evidence that US patent protections are impacting vaccine delivery to a major extent at this point in time. Earlier in the pandemic, I think it was, but not so sure anymore.

[reinko]

https://covidbehaviors.org

This site would appear to confirm that the biggest problem around the world is vaccine hesitancy, not supply.

That is coupled with the difficulty of vaccinating individuals at all in some countries, as it is difficult to get the vaccine to the individuals. Really the only option for many parts of the world are the J&J vaccine or Astrazeneca.

Personally, I don't see a lot of evidence that US patent protections are impacting vaccine delivery to a major extent at this point in time. Earlier in the pandemic, I think it was, but not so sure anymore.

Thanks forgetful, any and all insight you have on this new variant would be much appreciated

[ZiggysFryBoy]

A friend's son is in South Africa for school.  He's trying to get home before Monday.  Is flying from SA to Ethiopia via Dublin.  Then Ethiopia to NYC to ORD.  Gets in Monday morning if all goes to plan.  Crazy.

[Skatastrophy]

A friend's son is in South Africa for school.  He's trying to get home before Monday.  Is flying from SA to Ethiopia via Dublin.  Then Ethiopia to NYC to ORD.  Gets in Monday morning if all goes to plan.  Crazy.

That's a tough one. I would consider staying in SA rather than potentially getting caught mid-trip while governments figure out what they're doing here. Best of luck to him, though.

[Warriors4ever]

Ok I do sincerely hope he is fine, but part of me is also thinking about all the places he could be infecting people... I'm never sure why these measures don't take effect sooner, tbh.
I do hope he plans to isolate and test once he makes it back.

[reinko]

All anecdotal, but the latest I could find.

https://twitter.com/dkthomp/status/1464703536961409027?s=21

[forgetful]

Thanks forgetful, any and all insight you have on this new variant would be much appreciated

Sadly, no major insight besides what most have already seen/heard. Omnicron has a large assortment of mutations to the spike protein (32 mutations). Some of these mutations have already been identified in other variants that enhance transmission.

I think most of the concern right now is being driven by the significant number of mutations that may enable it to escape vaccines, and how rapidly it seems to be spreading in South Africa. Way to early to have substantial data on exactly how this variant will behave, or how much it can escape the vaccines. That data is coming very quickly though. It is crazy how much data is collected and how fast it is collected on these variants.

For those interested in seeing more details on different variants, and mutations. These two sites are pretty good.

https://covdb.stanford.edu/page/mutation-viewer/ This one allows you to see the genomes of all variants, as well as visuals of spike protein mutations (look how crazy Omnicron is).

https://covariants.org/variants/21K.Omicron This link is specific to Omnicron, but the covariants.org site has information on all variants and all known mutations too. Does a good job of running down what we know about each specific mutation (where data exists).

The good news is that the mRNA technology allows them to adapt to new variants very quickly to generate new and improved vaccines.

[jesmu84]

https://covidbehaviors.org

This site would appear to confirm that the biggest problem around the world is vaccine hesitancy, not supply.

That is coupled with the difficulty of vaccinating individuals at all in some countries, as it is difficult to get the vaccine to the individuals. Really the only option for many parts of the world are the J&J vaccine or Astrazeneca.

Personally, I don't see a lot of evidence that US patent protections are impacting vaccine delivery to a major extent at this point in time. Earlier in the pandemic, I think it was, but not so sure anymore.

Right.

So when we could have attempted to avoid these types of variants.

[Warriors4ever]

https://thehill.com/policy/international/583254-israel-closes-borders-to-all-foreigners-due-to-omicron-variant?fbclid=IwAR1aeOzcPYH95iJvoNMjiyUBUwPGR7z5AMmHrfItLWNZtybtI39XLwviZRg

Israel closing its borders to foreigners for two weeks.

[The Sultan]

So, I have been seeing that this variant is much more transmisable, but is causing milder symptoms.

If that is actually the case, is this what endemic Covid looks like?  Wouldn't we want this to be the most dominant strain?

[real chili 83]

We have family traveling in SA. Return home delayed at least a week.  Probably longer.

When they return, they'll be spreading throughout Appleton, Neenah, and Madison.  Welcome to the pandemic.

[forgetful]

So, I have been seeing that this variant is much more transmisable, but is causing milder symptoms.

If that is actually the case, is this what endemic Covid looks like?  Wouldn't we want this to be the most dominant strain?

The problem right now is sample size. Most of those infected have been young, otherwise healthy, and/or vaccinated. So extrapolating those symptoms to unhealthy or unvaccinated is unwise.

For instance, if rapid heart rate is a prevailing symptom, there will be a lot of deaths in 40+ year olds whose system/hearts can't take it.

Let's hope it is a transmissible milder version. But not sufficient data at all for that.

The reason for the concern is the number/cluster of mutations in a couple recognition loops recognized by monoclonal antibody treatments and neutralizing antibodies (designed against original variant). They suggest, but do not prove that it can escape prior infections/vaccination. Notably, the same recognition loops are involved in ACE2 binding, so there is a bit of give and take.

Other mutations enhance viral load.

So you may have a situation where there is high viral load (so high transmissibility), but lower ACE2 binding (so possibly milder symptoms), but also escaping existing antibodies/immune response.

But it's also possible that compensatory mutations lead to equal ACE2 binding so same level of symptoms...or new mutations emerge in this variant to enhance cellular entry. The bottom line right now is we don't know a lot, but it signifies that SARS-COV2 isn't done with us yet.

[Billy Hoyle]

All anecdotal, but the latest I could find.

https://twitter.com/dkthomp/status/1464703536961409027?s=21

Nah, we have to panic now that we've gotten our latest delivery of the Variant of the Month Club. And that panic includes once racist but now necessary and proper travel bans.  https://twitter.com/DefiantLs/status/1465049896592056335/photo/1

[4everwarriors]

https://thehill.com/policy/international/583254-israel-closes-borders-to-all-foreigners-due-to-omicron-variant?fbclid=IwAR1aeOzcPYH95iJvoNMjiyUBUwPGR7z5AMmHrfItLWNZtybtI39XLwviZRg

Israel closing its borders to foreigners for two weeks.

Guess wee haveant learnt nothin' orr our Mexican border woulda bin klosed bye now, aina?

[forgetful]

Nah, we have to panic now that we've gotten our latest delivery of the Variant of the Month Club. And that panic includes once racist but now necessary and proper travel bans.  https://twitter.com/DefiantLs/status/1465049896592056335/photo/1

Did you really link to a tweet that references a Harris tweet about the Muslim travel ban extension on January 31st 2020, that extended existing Muslim nation travel ban that was extended to include Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania?

Do better.

And I don't see anyone panicking. I see leaders making prudent decisions, to stem spread while they collect more information that can guide long term decisions. Well, Israel may be panicking.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Did you really link to a tweet that references a Harris tweet about the Muslim travel ban extension on January 31st 2020, that extended existing Muslim nation travel ban that was extended to include Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania?

Do better.

And I don't see anyone panicking. I see leaders making prudent decisions, to stem spread while they collect more information that can guide long term decisions. Well, Israel may be panicking.

"Blacks are bad" is about all Billy CAN do.

[🏀]

"Blacks are bad" is about all Billy CAN do.

Limiting it blacks?

Anyone that's not a white, boomer-aged male is bad, if a big enough threat to his insecurities.

[The Sultan]

Did you really link to a tweet that references a Harris tweet about the Muslim travel ban extension on January 31st 2020, that extended existing Muslim nation travel ban that was extended to include Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania?

Do better.

And I don't see anyone panicking. I see leaders making prudent decisions, to stem spread while they collect more information that can guide long term decisions. Well, Israel may be panicking.

This was pointed out to him a couple days ago when he posted something similar.

Alas I don't believe he can "do better."

[Jockey]

Mind providing updates for every other country on earth?

Excuuuuse me. Snark is MY job here.

[Hards Alumni]

Confirmed in the US.  California.

edit: added link

https://www.wpr.org/california-has-reported-first-u-s-case-omicron-variant

[rocky_warrior]

Confirmed in the US.  California.

edit: added link

https://www.wpr.org/california-has-reported-first-u-s-case-omicron-variant

Which means it's been spreading here for at least a week...likely.  We'll see how this goes - hopefully it is just mild, and not long term symptoms.  But I'll believe that when I see it.

Given that everyone is tired, most are vaxxed (not much good against Omi), and the holidays, this *is* going to spread like wildfire.  The question is whether it's a "mild flu", or something a whole lot worse.  Sigh.

[tower912]

There are indications that the triple vaxxed stand a decent chance.

[Hards Alumni]

Which means it's been spreading here for at least a week...likely.  We'll see how this goes - hopefully it is just mild, and not long term symptoms.  But I'll believe that when I see it.

Given that everyone is tired, most are vaxxed (not much good against Omi), and the holidays, this *is* going to spread like wildfire.  The question is whether it's a "mild flu", or something a whole lot worse.  Sigh.

Eh, I'm not sure all of circumstances you're suggesting are necessarily true.  We have very little information so far, and the information we do have is from a very limited number of samples.  I've included another link that I think is worth a read.

https://www.wpr.org/mystery-where-omicron-came-and-why-it-matters

[tower912]

Pfizer pill targets the spikes.   CEO is confident it will be effective against omicron.   In general, Pfizer seems more optimistic than Moderna.

[MU82]

There are indications that the triple vaxxed stand a decent chance.

Like you, I'm thrice vaxxed and have had Covid ... so I think we're invincible, yes?