Covid-19 New Mega Strain Found In South Africa. Travel Bans Ensues.

[Born This Way 1,817]

I just want it to end

[Hades 27,980]

Living used to be so fun but not anymore. Nothing except my job keeps me happy anymore. 

[Hyperobject 66,771]

sometimes I really wish I appreciated how I can spend my time outside the house way more back in a day. 

[r4therupbeat 1,587]

how quickly can they find out if the vaccines are fine with the new variant?

[Christopher Rolas 163]

On the bright side... yeah, it's gonna be easier control the travels from South Africa to any other part of the world, specially now after what happed with China.

[sarahb 17,188]

The new strain is called 'Omicron'

 

[Ziggy 14,047]

So wait how is this variant different to other variants? Like what is unique about it aside from being potentially vaccine resistant? Is it more deadly or less? That’s the stuff I’m curious about but the indication of higher transmissibility suggests otherwise.

[sarahb 17,188]

So it's definitely already out of Africa. 

- A traveller to Hong Kong had it and spread it to another person in hotel quarantine. They were fully vaccinated but they're asymptomatic.

- A new case has been picked up in Belgium from a traveller that travelled from Egypt to Belgium through Turkey. She has never visited Southern Africa. She's unvaccinated with mild symptoms.

- It's been picked up in Israel, from a traveller from Malawi. 

Also I saw this comment on Reddit about it that helps put things into context.

"Context is also important here. Everyone should definitely read Chise's thread about this on Twitter this morning, it's very informative and each claim is backed up with other expert views and actual data. It spread so much in SA because there was no other variant present, and least not in meaningful numbers. Nu did not outcompete anything, it popped up in a relative void of other variants.

And the fact that it's now being reported in other countries speaks to a spread that started longer than a week ago. This is hard to draw conclusions from yet, but likely indicates that it is not "500% more contagious than Delta", which is a percentage drawn from incorrect data that is being thrown away now. As Chise said, anyone believing that particular figure is getting punked.

Let's also not overlook SA's 24% vaccination rate, which is woefully insufficient to stamp out any uncontrolled spread. We have no evidence from highly vaccinated countries, nor countries where Delta actually is the dominant strain. Let's take this one step at a time, the data being thrown around over the last 24 hours is speculation at best, and fear mongering at worst."

The thread:

[Xardas 1,948]

17 hours ago, Helxig said:

Guys this is just what viruses do. They flu virus has been around for centuries because it constantly mutates. This is why people need to get a new flu shot every year with the new strains. Covid will be exactly the same. It's not going to magically go away, it will be around just like the flu, only more dangerous than the flu. We're going to have to live with it until they create a longer lasting vaccine, or people start getting a vaccine every year ( like the flu jab), or some other miracle happens

I've had it twice. 2nd time 3 months after 2 doses. I've never felt worse. I am a long-houler with various serious symptoms. The thought that I will be weaker everytime I get covid just makes me wanna cry, having had 3 visits in ER and 4 ambulances behind me. This is serious ****. I am 25 years old rn and feeling like I was 60 honestly 

[Runway 27,876]

Idc, im already going out and working in-person, and no alleged new variant is going to put my life on hold again 

[ceminay 1,122]

Covid is here to stay. It’s obvious it can never be eradicated anytime soon. Even highly vaccinated countries have surges, the vaccines don’t block transmission (they reduce it definitely though), and immunity wanes.

If this variant really is more spreadable, there’s point in trying to stop it. The virus keeps winning despite what we try doing. We may as well allow it to follow evolution and become less deadly with time like other coronaviruses (which could be the case for this or future variants).

Everyone will get Covid at least once in their lives (hopefully vaccinated). We have vaccines and treatments coming. We gotta learn to live with it. Get vaccinated, take extra precautions around the vulnerable, but continue to live your life. Life is too short to stay isolated. The negative affects on your mental health are not worth it.

[Gagaloo911 12,959]

We can't realistically keep shutting everything down every time something like this is found.

Ugh. 

 

[Akiki 3,900]

19 hours ago, hereforstemslol said:

i hope i'm not the only one who hopes we go back to lockdown. i know covid affected everyone differently, but the quarantine days of 2020 is probably the best thing that happened to me in ages. we all need to take a break and shut off from people sometimes. besides, some people can't keep their *ss in one place during a pandemic without some reinforcement.

I feel you. The traffic was always smooth. Less people in the streets and nature going wild was amazing to see. Since the lockdown ended it’s a mess. The traffic it’s terrible like everyone forgot how to drive 

[sarahb 17,188]

This is a pretty good summary of what we know so far

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/26/vaccine-resistant-what-scientists-know-new-covid-variant

TL;DR version:

- Did not necessarily originate in South Africa. The earliest sample came from Botswana and was possibly mutating inside an immunocompromised person, such as an untreated HIV/AIDS patient. 

- Scientists are worried about it because it has 30 mutations on its spike protein. This means it may possibly be able to infect or reinfect people with immunity to previous variants. 

- There has been a surge in cases in South Africa. May indicate more transmissibility or it could be a statistical blip linked to a super spreader event. 

- Scientists are concerned that it possesses mutations that have been previously linked to the ability to evade vaccines. This is theoretical however, they're still waiting for real world data and studies. 

- Scientists do not expect it to be entirely unrecognisable to existing antibodies, just that vaccines may give less protection. Increased vaccination rates and boosters remain crucial. 

- Existing drugs will remain effective such as Merck's pill because they do not target the spike protein. However there is a risk that monocolonal antibodies, such as Regeneron’s treatment, could fail or partially fail because they target parts of the virus that will have mutated.

- There is no information on whether it's more or less severe. It will take weeks for this info to come out. At this stage scientists do not have any reason to suspect any change in severity for better or worse. 

- Teams behind vaccines are already working on updates to target the new spike protein. However, it could still take four to six months before updated vaccines, if required, are widely available.

- So far most confirmed cases are in South Africa, with a handful in Botswana and Hong Kong. A case has been detected in Israel and another case detected in Belgium from a traveller that's been to Egypt and Turkey. If it's more transmissible it's likely to have spread further undetected in more countries. 

 

[alsemanche 97,803]

The same f*cking users making the same f*cking comments about "freedoms" and "alleged variants" like they know any better or have any scientific knowledge to spread such bullsh!t. You'd think after 2 years of this pandemic, people would learn to take things seriously and stop acting idiotic but nope, still no brain cells in sight. No wonder we're still getting screwed.