COVID-19 / Coronavirus Pandemic


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Hmmm, WHO says UK had 13 COVID-19 deaths on 2021-12-13. If 20% of cases are Omicron but only one death, that means the 80% of non-Omicron COVID killed 12 people. So it would say Omicron kills 1/3 as much as the rest of COVID.
But of course we don't have enough data yet. And Omicron is too recent, normally it takes several weeks for someone to die of COVID-19. We'll see...
You can still get Delta and Omicron at the same time btw.
 
You can still get Delta and Omicron at the same time btw.
Indeed. And one can catch Omicron or Delta several times, given enough time (well, I'm not sure, but I don't remember anything against it). Only until you die, of course, then you don't get it any more.
I was only talking of the frequency of deaths per infection.
Since Omicron spreads much faster than Delta it can well kill more people than Delta, even if it really had to infect 3 times more people to achieve it.
 

Omicron now makes up 2.9% of US cases according to the CDC. It varies greatly by region though, with New York/New Jersey hitting 13%, but my region only seeing 0.7%.
 
Today I've heard of a couple over 70, both triple vaccinated, that both died of COVID-19. No idea which variant. Live's a bitch but death is worse. Take care out there.
 
The practical implications of the measures passed this evening (that don’t actually go far enough) in Westminster are that only* those with vaccinations will be able to use the “Covid Passport” because England has completely run out of lateral flow and PCR test-at-home kits
*unless they’re able to get such tests from public and private service providers but given they’ve already run out of test-at-home kits, the demand on those will likely far exceed supply
 
They said on the news that stocks of lateral flow tests weren't impacted, there's just presumably a problem getting them out to the chemists.
I’ve actually got slightly muddled: it turns out there are no PCR test appointments available, though apparently test-at-home kits are still available (for how long...?), however those* trying to order lateral flow tests receive this message on the Gov UK booking website -
“There are no more home tests available”.

*source: screenshot from Theo Usherwood (a Political Editor at LBC Radio)
 
Well yes, vaccines aren't entirely effective against Omicron, and in particular young people tend to get asymptomatic covid. Combine that with Omicron's effectively magic way to infecting those who even see you at a distance, and we're pretty much screwed. The only fig leaf to hold now is the theory that Omicron's payload is basically a flu like disease, but we'll have to wait and see how true that is.
 
I've heard that Omicron infects the linings of your airways more, but infects your lungs less compared to the other variants, which may be why it's more transmissible and presumably less deadly. Actually, the numbers I heard were 70 times more for airways, and ten times less for lungs. Let me see if I can pull up the article.

 
My partner has been positive for a few days, now my daughter tested positive. both via rapid tests. I've had a minor headache for days, so I guess I have it too (again) but we're out of tests. fuck it. we already cancelled the fondu party twice, all this really means now is no Xmas shopping downtown. at least the whole family has it together so we don't have to isolate from each other, which doesn't work anyway. so if someone in your household tests positive I recommend French kissing them. your gonna get it anyway. get it over with. isolate together.
 
Umm what if you’re closely (biologically) related...?
Ouch! Stop giving me nightmares. If there's not even talking to a teen to tidy up his room just imagine propose to kiss him. "No incest intended junior, I just want to make sure you get my potentially deadly disease, you know, so it's fine." (in fact parents and teens wanting to kill each other is nothing unfelt, despite our celebrated and almost universal restraint).
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I hear the Queen just cancelled Christmas. I wonder if I should reconsider my Christmas plans too.
I guess so. Were you meeting her?
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I've heard that Omicron infects the linings of your airways more, but infects your lungs less compared to the other variants, which may be why it's more transmissible and presumably less deadly. Actually, the numbers I heard were 70 times more for airways, and ten times less for lungs. Let me see if I can pull up the article.

I heard as much in the news too. But wasn't that the same they said at the beginning of Delta ? My memory fails me...
 
Old news but might still be interesting:
Source: https://www.discovery.co.za/corporate/news-room

Summary:
  1. Vaccine effectiveness: The two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination provides 70% protection against severe complications of COVID-19 requiring hospitalisation, and 33% protection against COVID-19 infection, during the current Omicron wave.
  2. Reinfection risk: For individuals who have had COVID-19 previously, the risk of reinfection with Omicron is significantly higher, relative to prior variants.
  3. Severity: The risk of hospital admission among adults diagnosed with COVID-19 is 29% lower for the Omicron variant infection compared to infections involving the D614G mutation in South Africa’s first wave in mid-2020, after adjusting for vaccination status
  4. Children: Despite very low absolute incidence, preliminary data suggests that children have a 20% higher risk of hospital admission in Omicron-led fourth wave in South Africa, relative to the D614G-led first wave.
Note: It is important to note that these insights relate to data from the first three weeks of the Omicron-driven wave in South Africa. Therefore, the insights should be considered preliminary, since they may change as the wave progresses. This data is also confounded by various factors, including high sero-prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies in the South African population as a whole.

New study appears to show Moderna vaccination increases risks for myocarditis:
graph_covid.PNG


"In summary, this population-based study quantifies for the first time the risk of several rare cardiac adverse events associated with three COVID-19 vaccines as well as SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 in adults was associated with a small increase in the risk of myocarditis within a week of receiving the first dose of both adenovirus and mRNA vaccines, and after the second dose of both mRNA vaccines. By contrast, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a substantial increase in the risk of hospitalization or death from myocarditis, pericarditis and cardiac arrhythmia."
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01630-0

"In this study in a nationwide mass vaccination setting, the BNT162b2 vaccine was not associated with an elevated risk of most of the adverse events examined. The vaccine was associated with an excess risk of myocarditis (1 to 5 events per 100,000 persons). The risk of this potentially serious adverse event and of many other serious adverse events was substantially increased after SARS-CoV-2 infection."
Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2110475
 
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Curious choice of phrase by the Co-Chairman of the Tory Party on Times Radio this morning:
“Despite the massive roll out of the Omicron variant...” (emphasis mine)

I’m sure it was just a tired mistake after the catastrophic hammering he learned of in last night’s by-election \o/
 
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