Lou
Forum Legend
The good news (in a relative way) is that Deaths are still way down. Can we thank the vaccines?
The early reports are that Omicron is way more transmissible but way less deadly.
Health Issues The Everything Covid 19 Thread
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The early reports are that Omicron is way more transmissible but way less deadly.
I fear that the death numbers will start rising later, maybe in a week or two, as infected people will take some time to start dying.
But yes, this would have been so much worse without the vaccines. However, omicron has hit us at a really bad time, just before Christmas, when people of all ages will be travelling from near and far, and gathering indoors with friends and family. Well, I'm sure it's a similar situation in many other countries.
Lou
Forum Legend
Here in the US most cases are still Delta. but I don't thing we are going to be caught with our pants down this Holliday season. Here in California they have reinstated a statewide mask mandate, and new rules for mega events. Nationwide there are more regulations going into affect. I think some of these regulations will affect air travel, too.
President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-19 this Winter | The White House
New Actions Aim to Get Americans Boosted for Even Greater Protection Against the Delta and Omicron Variants, Keep Schools and Businesses Open, and Help
New U.S. Requirements for International Travel in Response to COVID-19 Omicron Variant
In response to the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the Administration is expanding COVID-19 mitigation and tightening international travel requirements.
COVID-19 Home
Lou
Forum Legend
‘We've Never Seen This Before in NYC': COVID Positivity Rate Doubles in 3 Days on Omicron Spread
The percentage of people in New York City testing positive for COVID-19 doubled in three days this week, and a top advisor to Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was an indication of the omicron variant evading immunity in a way the virus never had before. Meanwhile, the state of New York reported a...
www.nbcnewyork.com
Oh, fµ¢k
I was trying to scrape something off my screen‘We've Never Seen This Before in NYC': COVID Positivity Rate Doubles in 3 Days on Omicron Spread
The percentage of people in New York City testing positive for COVID-19 doubled in three days this week, and a top advisor to Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was an indication of the omicron variant evading immunity in a way the virus never had before. Meanwhile, the state of New York reported a...
Oh, fµ¢k
Yep. My job is mandating masks for all as well as weekly testing, vaccine or not.
I'm not sure how many tested positive last week, but hear it was quite a spike
Pretty sure they'll be more wfh for those who can
(I've quoted most, but not all, of @Lou 's post)
But I was figuring that those people who WEREN'T vaccinated would continue to wear masks. I would, if I weren't vaccinated. And evidently... I figured WRONG. Lately I've been noticing that lots of people- on the bus, for example, which is pretty much a rolling Petri dish- wear their mask wrong- down over the mouth and not covering the nose. I don't know how effective masks are- I'm quite sure they're better than nothing- but worn that way, there's no point. And as we've discussed, infected people are a potential danger to others, even if they don't appear to care about themselves. That's why I would have masked up, with or without a mandate, if I wasn't vaccinated.
So far, Omicron appears appreciably less likely to cause severe illness- but if it continues to infect a lot of people, it will have more opportunity to mutate- perhaps both evading the vaccine and causing more severe illness. But maybe that second part won't happen: a successful parasite often doesn't severely injure its host, because if the host dies or at least goes someplace to be by themselves until they feel better, the parasite will be less able to infect another host and will die out.
Lou
Forum Legend
@Tom L.
I think you Should get the booster. From what I hear we need the extra protection.
But maybe that second part won't happen: a successful parasite often doesn't severely injure its host, because if the host dies or at least goes someplace to be by themselves until they feel better, the parasite will be less able to infect another host and will die out.
You are right about that but....
The fatality rate of Covid v1 is just a little over 2%
the fatality rate of H5N1 (Bird flu 1997) is 52%
Marlburg is like 80%.
So covid could become a lot more lethal and still be successful. but just an increase of a couple of percent would be very bad.
Fatality rate does play a big role in the success of a virus. Another factor, that is also important is incubation time. If the incubation period is too short then things like quarantines work. Another factor is tansmisablility.
There is an equation that is used to quantify how dangerous a virus is. What covid lacks in fatality it makes up in the incubation period and the transmissibility.
www.statista.com
www.healthline.com
I think you Should get the booster. From what I hear we need the extra protection.
But maybe that second part won't happen: a successful parasite often doesn't severely injure its host, because if the host dies or at least goes someplace to be by themselves until they feel better, the parasite will be less able to infect another host and will die out.
You are right about that but....
The fatality rate of Covid v1 is just a little over 2%
the fatality rate of H5N1 (Bird flu 1997) is 52%
Marlburg is like 80%.
So covid could become a lot more lethal and still be successful. but just an increase of a couple of percent would be very bad.
Fatality rate does play a big role in the success of a virus. Another factor, that is also important is incubation time. If the incubation period is too short then things like quarantines work. Another factor is tansmisablility.
There is an equation that is used to quantify how dangerous a virus is. What covid lacks in fatality it makes up in the incubation period and the transmissibility.
Fatality rate of major virus outbreaks in the last 50 years worldwide 2020 | Statista
Among the ten major virus outbreaks in the last 50 years, Marburg ranked first in terms of the fatality rate with 80 percent.
www.statista.com
What Is R0? Gauging Contagious Infections
R0 indicates how contagious a disease is. Learn how it works and the R0 values for various diseases.
www.healthline.com
Fatality rates are only relevant until you or a loved one dies and becomes a part of the 2%. 
My family is all boostered now except for 12 yr old grandson who will be eligible in March. Granddaughter, who is ten, has received her first dose. Second dose scheduled right after Christmas.
My family is all boostered now except for 12 yr old grandson who will be eligible in March. Granddaughter, who is ten, has received her first dose. Second dose scheduled right after Christmas.
Lou
Forum Legend
Two percent doesn't seem very big till you start looking at large populations.
But yeah, I only know personally one person who died.
But yeah, I only know personally one person who died.
In many ways, it is still like the wild west here in Arizona. Wearing masks seemed unnecessary to most of my acquaintances during the beginning of the pandemic. I went along with the group thought.
I ran into a visitor from Maryland during a 25-mile fun walk with my son. The visitor needed some directions to find the hospital. He later asked, "Why doesn't anyone in Arizona wear masks?" We replied, "We are outside. It seems unnecessary." He replied that everyone wears masks in Maryland. He said you would never see that in Maryland.
I believed at the beginning of the pandemic that wearing masks was unnecessary and ineffective. I doubt that it was a democrat versus republican thing. It was cultural. In retrospect, I should have taken the masking recommendations more seriously.
I ran into a visitor from Maryland during a 25-mile fun walk with my son. The visitor needed some directions to find the hospital. He later asked, "Why doesn't anyone in Arizona wear masks?" We replied, "We are outside. It seems unnecessary." He replied that everyone wears masks in Maryland. He said you would never see that in Maryland.
I believed at the beginning of the pandemic that wearing masks was unnecessary and ineffective. I doubt that it was a democrat versus republican thing. It was cultural. In retrospect, I should have taken the masking recommendations more seriously.
I am double masking again as our cases in Ontario are growing exponentially, likely because everyone is indoors - I will do one more grocery shopping trip before Christmas (after today) and then will try not to go out again for as long as possible - unless it is for a walk.
Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
Lou
Forum Legend
@Hog
wearing masks outside has always been deemed unnecessary.
Calfironians would regularly get together in parks, stay 6 feet apart and not wear masks. I still do all my outdoor exercise without a mask.
but everyone inside a store wears a mask. in restaurants, the staff wears mask but the customers don't have to but each table is 6 feet apart and the restaurant runs at a lower capacity. And our students and teachers are masked.
But you are right. its quite different in red states.Which might explain why their number of cases and deaths are at least twice as high as blue states.
wearing masks outside has always been deemed unnecessary.
Calfironians would regularly get together in parks, stay 6 feet apart and not wear masks. I still do all my outdoor exercise without a mask.
but everyone inside a store wears a mask. in restaurants, the staff wears mask but the customers don't have to but each table is 6 feet apart and the restaurant runs at a lower capacity. And our students and teachers are masked.
But you are right. its quite different in red states.Which might explain why their number of cases and deaths are at least twice as high as blue states.
OP
OP
My neighbour who is double jabbed (Pfizer) has caught (Delta)covid. The adminstrator of our residence also is currently signed off due to covid. It would seem that people are mingling and there is a spike.
I'm getting boosted later today. Dreading the side-effects, and not keen on waiting in line with others - this thing is super infectious now. But it's the only way.
My mother-in-law and her two other grandchildren (not my daughter) - only 3 and 4 y.o. - all tested positive in the last 24 hours.
Edit: I read good news about the omicron variant cases both in South Africa and Norway (which recently had a mass infection event at a restaurant): It appears the omicron cases have not been so serious, with significantly fewer hospitalisations than with the delta variant.
My mother-in-law and her two other grandchildren (not my daughter) - only 3 and 4 y.o. - all tested positive in the last 24 hours.
Edit: I read good news about the omicron variant cases both in South Africa and Norway (which recently had a mass infection event at a restaurant): It appears the omicron cases have not been so serious, with significantly fewer hospitalisations than with the delta variant.
Everyone I know has had either no after effects or very minimal compared to the 1st and 2nd shots.
Even my arm soreness was less than before. Tired the next day--but that's not unusual!
It's really hard to find first shots here now!
My brother got quite sick from his 3rd Moderna. The side effects didn't last long, but he said it was nasty, fever, sweats & chills, headache, etc. I guess it's different for everyone. I received two Pfizer shots and didn't get much more than a sore arm the next day. I'm curious what side effects will result if I get Moderna for my 3rd. I think that's what they're recommending for me, so we'll see. I will go for mine in January.
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My son had the worst effects from the booster. He had Pfizer initially and Moderna for the booster. I do think part of it was because he got the booster Wednesday evening and worked the next day…he had three, hour long hikes with the dogs. I think if he was able to stay home and rest he would have felt better quicker. Took him almost three days to feel normal.
hope your side-effects are few and all the best for your family members!!
I have also read a lot about few side effect for omicron, however, Delta is still out there too and so all should be cautious.
Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
I had Pfizer for all three.
Trying to find a first shot for my one son and they're really hard to find now!
I almost wonder if he's naturally immune -he's been around several people who tested positive and while he got tested, never bothered to get the shot. He also worked retail at the height, now he's more isolated at least.
Trying to find a first shot for my one son and they're really hard to find now!
I almost wonder if he's naturally immune -he's been around several people who tested positive and while he got tested, never bothered to get the shot. He also worked retail at the height, now he's more isolated at least.
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