Coronavirus COVID-19 Thread

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Corner - Some reports from some news outlets from today, Friday 10th of December:

- World: Global Confirmed 268,856,442 Global Deaths 5,292,294

- UK: Two vaccine doses don't stop you catching Omicron

- Ghana: Unvaccinated banned from going to Ghana

- UK: UK Covid cases hit highest daily total since January

- UK: Omicron could overwhelm NHS if it is as bad as Delta, UK expert says

- Detection: Scientists use ostrich cells to make glowing Covid detection masks

- Taiwan: Mouse bite may have infected Taiwan lab worker with Covid

- Singapore: Singapore approves Covid vaccine for children ages 5 to 11

- Germany: Germany mandates vaccination for health care workers

- UK: Household contacts of Covid cases in Scotland must isolate for 10 days

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

- Detection: Scientists use ostrich cells to make glowing Covid detection masks

This is pretty cool.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

Price of a pint could rise by 40P in New Year as pubs offset losses | Daily Mail Online

 

[Radegast74]

Well, this is interesting!

Stripped of power, Missouri health depts abandon COVID health measures

Health officials struggle to understand a court ruling the state AG refuses to appeal.

arstechnica.com

 

[Bambooza]

Well, this is interesting!

Stripped of power, Missouri health depts abandon COVID health measures

Health officials struggle to understand a court ruling the state AG refuses to appeal.

arstechnica.com

Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I think if you stop trying to force people to do something there would not be so much backlash against preventative measures, as people are not much better than 4-year-olds who don't like being told what to do and will do everything in their power to resist the authoritarians even if it goes against what they want to do. On the other hand, publicizing and providing science-backed information is generally a net positive as it helps keep everyone informed so that they can hopefully make educated decisions.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

article about the price of booze

D-:

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

Most reported U.S. Omicron cases have hit the fully vaccinated -CDC

Most of the 43 COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant identified in the United States so far were in people who were fully vaccinated, and a third of them had received a booster dose, according to a U.S. report published on Friday.

www.reuters.com

A couple thoughts pop in my head.
1 This sucks and we need a new vaccine.
2 Needing another vaccine sounds quite profitable.

I can’t rationalize pharma companies having anything to do with the efficacy against a new variant, but from their point of view I can’t help but see dollar signs.

3 I hope this really isn’t as bad as delta
4 This is an endemic

 

[Radegast74]

A couple thoughts pop in my head.
1 This sucks and we need a new vaccine.
2 Needing another vaccine sounds quite profitable.

I can’t rationalize pharma companies having anything to do with the efficacy against a new variant, but from their point of view I can’t help but see dollar signs.

3 I hope this really isn’t as bad as delta
4 This is an endemic

Well, wait a minute...reading further in that article:

Among the Omicron cases, 25 were in people aged 18 to 39 and 14 had traveled internationally. Six people had previously been infected with the coronavirus.

Most of them only had mild symptoms such as coughing, congestion, and fatigue, the report said, and one person was hospitalized for two days.

Honestly, not to be critical of the "younger generation" this sounds a lot like a group of people who didn't really think they were at risk, and so likely were not as cautious about mask wearing and other preventive measures...

Again, the purpose of the vaccine is not only to help prevent, but to help ensure that if you do catch it, it is milder.

I've heard various things about the Omicron variant; it will be nice if it is more highly transmissible but less severe. In that case, yes, it is well on its way to becoming endemic, which is what we have been expecting all along.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Corner - Some reports from some news outlets from today, Saturday 11th of December:

- World: Global Confirmed 269,628,294 Global Deaths 5,300,613

- UK: Omicron study suggests major wave in January

- UK: 633 new Omicron cases detected in the UK

- Isle Of Man: Two suspected Omicron cases found on Isle of Man

- Sudan: Are South Sudan officials getting proper Covid tests?

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Corner - Some reports from some news outlets from today, Sunday 12th of December:

- World: Global Confirmed 269,966,652 Global Deaths 5,304,921

- UK: UK Covid alert level raised due to Omicron spread

- UK: First people in UK hospitals with Omicron variant

- UK: Jabbed Covid contacts told to take daily tests

- UK: Prime Minister Boris Johnson pictured hosting No 10 Christmas quiz last year

- Brazil: Brazil to demand Covid jab proof from visitors

- Austria: Mass protest in Vienna against Covid measures

- Israel: Israel adds UK, Denmark and Belgium to its travel "red list"

- UK: UK confirms additional 1,239 Omicron cases, marking biggest daily rise to date

 

[Vavrik]

- Israel: Israel adds UK, Denmark and Belgium to its travel "red list"

I'm sorry Israel, you're wasting your time. You already had 55 cases of Omicron 3 days ago.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Corner - Some reports from some news outlets from today, Monday 13th of December:

- World: Global Confirmed 270,339,576 Global Deaths 5,309,203

- UK: First UK death recorded with Omicron variant

- UK: Website crashes as thousands try to book boosters

- UK: Lateral flow test shortage after high demand

- UK: Javid says Omicron variant makes up 20% of cases in England

- South Africa: South Africa president being treated for Covid

- China: First confirmed Omicron case in China is detected in Tianjin

- Norway: Norway to act amid record high infections and hospitalisations

- US: Fauci urges Americans to get Covid booster as US nears 800,000 deaths

- New Zealand: New Zealand investigates claims man had 10 Covid vaccinations in a day

- Cypress: New measures in Cyprus to curb Omicron spread

- Thailand: Thailand to expand booster jab programme in anticipation of Omicron

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

- US: Fauci urges Americans to get Covid booster as US nears 800,000 deaths

The first omicron case discovered in Florida was at the Tampa bay VA hospital that I use. I've said this before but I asked about the booster as I had my first dose of the vaccine in March. The VA told me I don't need it. I didn't ask why, as it was just very nonchalant. This was before the Omicron discovery though. I first went and got my shot when the VA sent me a text message to do so, so I'm waiting to see if I get another text for the booster.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

The first omicron case discovered in Florida was at the Tampa bay VA hospital that I use. I've said this before but I asked about the booster as I had my first dose of the vaccine in March. The VA told me I don't need it. I didn't ask why, as it was just very nonchalant. This was before the Omicron discovery though. I first went and got my shot when the VA sent me a text message to do so, so I'm waiting to see if I get another text for the booster.

The Prime Minister went on TV at 8pm last night with short notice and told the country that we were ramping up to 1 million boosters a day. The health service had today and has tomorrow and then it's hit the ground running, apparently the Army is being drafted in. Big times, we'll see if it is pearls before swine when the Omicron analysis data is in.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

The Prime Minister went on TV at 8pm last night with short notice and told the country that we were ramping up to 1 million boosters a day. The health service had today and has tomorrow and then it's hit the ground running, apparently the Army is being drafted in. Big times, we'll see if it is pearls before swine when the Omicron analysis data is in.

Yeah man. I still have the same bad gut feeling about this. I didn't feel that way with the delta variant, but I don't think I really started paying attention to it until we had all the data. It's the uncertainty thats getting to me, and that we know this does seem to spread faster than delta.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Yeah man. I still have the same bad gut feeling about this. I didn't feel that way with the delta variant, but I don't think I really started paying attention to it until we had all the data. It's the uncertainty thats getting to me, and that we know this does seem to spread faster than delta.

It's nice to see a precaution is being taken ahead of time instead of when it's too late to do anything about it which has been the playbook to this point for the UK.

The indication seems to be we were in a pretty ropey position with about 50k new cases a day but the transmission rate of Omicron doubling every two days through the vaccinated population was suggested to be heading for stupid numbers a day.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Corner - Some reports from some news outlets from today, Tuesday 14th of December:

World: Global Confirmed 271,020,449 Global Deaths 5,317,058

- US: Confirmed 50,142,292

- UK: UK removes all 11 countries from red list

- UK: High demand blamed for PCR appointment shortage

- UK: Family lose appeal over end-of-life Covid ruling

- UK: Top theatres cancel shows after Covid outbreaks

-UK: PPE that cost taxpayer £1k is sold on for £5

- Isle Of Man: Twelve suspected Omicron cases on Isle of Man

- Vaccines: Moderna chief cautions against assumptions Omicron is milder than Delta

- Theraputics: Pfizer says pill cut hospitalisation and deaths in high-risk patients

- Denmark/Norway: Denmark and Norway rush in stricter Covid measures as cases soar

- South Africa: South Africa’s previous infections may explain Omicron hospitalisations

- Australia: Australia prepares to open up as NSW eases Covid restrictions

- UK: UK reports highest Covid cases since early January

- Netherlands: Dutch schools to close early for Christmas in bid to limit Covid spread, reports say

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

- Australia: Australia prepares to open up as NSW eases Covid restrictions

Announcing a deal with Moderna and the Victorian government that will see a new manufacturing facility built in Melbourne by as early as 2024, Morrison said the country’s high vaccination rate meant Australia could “continue to move forward”.

“We’re not letting Omicron take us back,” Morrison said.
“We’ve decided as a country to live with this virus and Australians have worked so hard for that.
“Australia can now open up. This Christmas we’re about to have is a gift Australians have given to themselves by the way they’ve worked together with the settings that we’ve put in place.”

This right here doesn't really make sense to me. They had the harshest lockdowns in the world, now theyre easing them citing their high vaccination rate even though Omicron is known to infect the already vaccinated. Does that sound right to you? They mention the moderna plant that will be done in 2024 as a reason theyre lifting restrictions and "accepting that they are going to live with the virus", but thats 2024.

The government is refusing to say how much it is paying the pharmaceutical giant, saying the details are commercial in confidence.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

This right here doesn't really make sense to me. They had the harshest lockdowns in the world, now theyre easing them citing their high vaccination rate even though Omicron is known to infect the already vaccinated. Does that sound right to you? They mention the moderna plant that will be done in 2024 as a reason theyre lifting restrictions and "accepting that they are going to live with the virus", but thats 2024.

If I were being cynical I'd ponder thusly: "Gotta have a local demand for the plant to feed, perhaps?"

It's going to be interesting to watch that situation...

 

[FZD]

I can’t rationalize pharma companies having anything to do with the efficacy against a new variant, but from their point of view I can’t help but see dollar signs.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm still glad I didn't invest in, say, Pfizer some, let's say 20 years ago. Sure they're making good money RIGHT NOW, but Pharma industry is entirely hit and miss. A pharma company might make one successful medicine, then go bankrupt researching the next. Pfizer stock was $30-45 between 1998 and 2004 thanks to some breakthrough they made, then went downhill for a while, started slow recovery and had a nice spurt this year, atm being $55. $40 to $55 in 20 years is pretty terrible stock development, but at least they're not bankrupt.