COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Vespucci]

So dramatic. As someone who is pretty skeptical of restrictions at this point, I’m not going to claim that there are many at the moment.

And I live in a state that mandates masks indoors. If you don’t, then you have almost no restrictions at this point.

Imagine thinking that eating out at restaurants means life is back to normal.

What is “normal”?

“Normal” is when Santander is trolling so I’d say we’re back to normal

[rosin]

https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1465240129216331779?t=iJf6i_ycDzNagYlsbj...

This means that the omicron variant has already spread across the planet, and may have been spreading for weeks prior to being detected in South Africa. It's only a matter of time now before the first American case is reported.

It was in Europe long time before it was detected in SA

The new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, was present in the Netherlands earlier than previously thought, officials say.

It was identified in two test samples taken in the country between 19 and 23 November, which is before the variant was first reported by South Africa.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59473131

[Sir Mohamed]

https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1465240129216331779?t=iJf6i_ycDzNagYlsbj...

This means that the omicron variant has already spread across the planet, and may have been spreading for weeks prior to being detected in South Africa. It's only a matter of time now before the first American case is reported.

It was in Europe long time before it was detected in SA

The new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, was present in the Netherlands earlier than previously thought, officials say.

It was identified in two test samples taken in the country between 19 and 23 November, which is before the variant was first reported by South Africa.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59473131

Most likely it's already spread on every continent with multiple cases in several countries. Only question is how effective the vaccines are in the end.

If cases continue to go up, it would for sure confirm Omicron being more infectious than Delta, which will be replaced as dominant variant. Such as Delta replaced Alpha, formerly known as "UK Variant" and "India Variant", respectively.

[Person Man]

It could already be becoming predominant here. I don't care if its vaccine resistant so long as it going to be the thing that makes this "just the flu".

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

So dramatic. As someone who is pretty skeptical of restrictions at this point, I’m not going to claim that there are many at the moment.

And I live in a state that mandates masks indoors. If you don’t, then you have almost no restrictions at this point.

Imagine thinking that eating out at restaurants means life is back to normal.

It's more significant to it than you might think. It's a huge sector of the economy, and was one of the biggest threats towards a massive unemployment crisis. It's a big part of why Murphy nearly lost and why De Blasio is so hated.

There are no restrictions on it anymore, which is a big thing, and they can't be allowed to come back.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

What does the data look like on Omicron hospitalizations? 

[rosin]

What does the data look like on Omicron hospitalizations? 

Yet we've only got a few handfuls of cases, all recently infected. I doubt that's enough to make meaningful statistics from.

[Lief 🗽]

It’s increasingly becoming clear that Democrats will not win another national election for a generation.
https://twitter.com/hotlinejosh/status/1465808271466536968?s=21

[MT Treasurer]

It’s increasingly becoming clear that Democrats will not win another national election for a generation.

Sad to see so many in the party of normalcy resort to "If you don’t subscribe to my world view, I will take the entire party down with me" Trumpian methods/authoritarian fantasies! When will Biden disavow?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I am absolutely humiliated to say that I ever registered as a Democrat.

[emailking]

Yeah you guys are overreacting to a random politico who wants to continue to mask on planes, which probably a lot of people will continue to do, with or without such a mandate.

[Pericles]

Masks on public transport would be one of the last things to go, that seems like a relatively easy thing to make permanent even. It's not even as bad as restrictions that make people wear a mask all day regularly.

[It’s so Joever]

It’s increasingly becoming clear that Democrats will not win another national election for a generation.
https://twitter.com/hotlinejosh/status/1465808271466536968?s=21

Just another dumb Dems in disarray article.
Y’all should not be this stupid.

[Frodo]

The United States and other developed countries would be wise to shift their focus beginning next year, and ensuring that countries in the developing world get their inhabitants vaccinated, starting by pushing our drug companies to distribute their vaccines over there.  As we have learned over the past couple of years, no travel ban has ever been proven effective in stopping new COVID variants from reaching our shores, and are nothing more than empty gestures and public relations exercises.  Like it or not, we live in a globalized world, and no nation can truly wall itself off in 'splendid isolation'.  

As long as the developing world remains largely unvaccinated, we will continue to deal with this headache again and again.  

[roxas11]

It’s increasingly becoming clear that Democrats will not win another national election for a generation.
https://twitter.com/hotlinejosh/status/1465808271466536968?s=21

Just like it was also clear the Republicans would not win another national election for a generation after the economic collapse and their big 2008 loss

Here is just a sample of how convinced people were that the GOP was doomed for a generation





The moral of this story is clear

It's foolish for anybody to run around claiming that a party will not win power for another generation because if history tells us anything the American people will always end up making those kinds of silly predictions look ridiculous on election day lol

[Hammy]

I am absolutely humiliated to say that I ever registered as a Democrat.

You should feel more humiliated that you're taking the now tabloid-tier Bezos Post as anything more than propaganda.

The United States and other developed countries would be wise to shift their focus beginning next year, and ensuring that countries in the developing world get their inhabitants vaccinated, starting by pushing our drug companies to distribute their vaccines over there.

Never gonna happen. It'll take a calamity infinitely worse, and likely unimaginable by any of us, to convince Americans that they aren't some special chosen people living in a bubble, unaffected by what goes on in other countries.

[Frodo]

The United States and other developed countries would be wise to shift their focus beginning next year, and ensuring that countries in the developing world get their inhabitants vaccinated, starting by pushing our drug companies to distribute their vaccines over there.

Never gonna happen. It'll take a calamity infinitely worse, and likely unimaginable by any of us, to convince Americans that they aren't some special chosen people living in a bubble, unaffected by what goes on in other countries.

Or it could be as simple as a desire to keep a rival in its place, and keeping their influence in check:

China’s Xi pledges another 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses for Africa

Are we really going to sit back and let China grab all the headlines as it expands its power and influence over the developing world at our expense, including by distributing badly needed COVID vaccines when we have much higher quality versions going unused here at home?  Where is our competitive drive? 

[Person Man]

The United States and other developed countries would be wise to shift their focus beginning next year, and ensuring that countries in the developing world get their inhabitants vaccinated, starting by pushing our drug companies to distribute their vaccines over there.

Never gonna happen. It'll take a calamity infinitely worse, and likely unimaginable by any of us, to convince Americans that they aren't some special chosen people living in a bubble, unaffected by what goes on in other countries.

Or it could be as simple as a desire to keep a rival in its place, and keeping their influence in check:

China’s Xi pledges another 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses for Africa

Are we really going to sit back and let China grab all the headlines as it expands its power and influence over the developing world at our expense, including by distributing badly needed COVID vaccines when we have much higher quality versions going unused here at home?  Where is our competitive drive?  

And that’s how you win a Cold War.  Maybe the imminent collapse of western civilization would be that “calamity which is infinitely worst and unimaginable by most”.

[Inmate Trump]

I don't see what the big deal is.

Personally, I'm not going to be walking around a store or in public without a mask for a long time.  But that's my personal decision, so why should anyone else care?

[StateBoiler]

The United States and other developed countries would be wise to shift their focus beginning next year, and ensuring that countries in the developing world get their inhabitants vaccinated, starting by pushing our drug companies to distribute their vaccines over there.

Never gonna happen. It'll take a calamity infinitely worse, and likely unimaginable by any of us, to convince Americans that they aren't some special chosen people living in a bubble, unaffected by what goes on in other countries.

Or it could be as simple as a desire to keep a rival in its place, and keeping their influence in check:

China’s Xi pledges another 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses for Africa

Are we really going to sit back and let China grab all the headlines as it expands its power and influence over the developing world at our expense, including by distributing badly needed COVID vaccines when we have much higher quality versions going unused here at home?  Where is our competitive drive?  

That ship has long sailed. China has been buying off countries for the past 20 years with new infrastructure without all the wishy-washy human rights concerns of western governments, which appeases the leadership in those countries a lot more. They're going to take possession of Entebbe Airport in Uganda after the Ugandan government couldn't make payments.

Tough Borders Biden.

NO TEST, NO FLIGHT — The Biden administration is weighing tougher coronavirus measures as Omicron begins to spread in other countries, according to WaPo’s Lena Sun and Tyler Pager. “Biden is expected to announce Thursday, U.S. officials would require everyone entering the country to be tested one day before boarding flights, regardless of their vaccination status or country of departure,” the pair reports.

[compucomp]

The United States and other developed countries would be wise to shift their focus beginning next year, and ensuring that countries in the developing world get their inhabitants vaccinated, starting by pushing our drug companies to distribute their vaccines over there.  As we have learned over the past couple of years, no travel ban has ever been proven effective in stopping new COVID variants from reaching our shores, and are nothing more than empty gestures and public relations exercises.  Like it or not, we live in a globalized world, and no nation can truly wall itself off in 'splendid isolation'.  

As long as the developing world remains largely unvaccinated, we will continue to deal with this headache again and again.  

There were multiple articles (like here and here) saying that African countries have failed to administer 45% of the doses they have been shipped, the issue is lack of demand and not lack of supply, and that South Africa actually asked J&J and Pfizer to stop shipments. More "vaccine equity" would have just meant more doses wasted and this talking point needs to die. Better to make sure we protect ourselves first. Biden firmly made this commitment on Monday and I applaud him heartily for that.

I don't see what the big deal is.

Personally, I'm not going to be walking around a store or in public without a mask for a long time.  But that's my personal decision, so why should anyone else care?

Exactly. "Things aren't going back to normal" means that the risk profile from activities won't be like that of 2019 for a long time, which is a reasonable assessment at this point. If 30-40% of the population have turned into germophobes, why do you care? Isn't that a good thing since fewer germs being spread around can only be good?

[jamestroll]

So apparently the US will require a PCR Test within 24 hours of departure even for vaccinated international travels .. and then require another test within 3 to 5 days after arrival.. even for vaccinated US Citizens and after that... still require a 7 day quarantine period even for vaccinated US Citizens.

That is insanity.

I just don't think severe travel restrictions or travel bans actually help.

[Sir Mohamed]

So apparently the US will require a PCR Test within 24 hours of departure even for vaccinated international travels .. and then require another test within 3 to 5 days after arrival.. even for vaccinated US Citizens and after that... still require a 7 day quarantine period even for vaccinated US Citizens.

That is insanity.

I just don't think severe travel restrictions or travel bans actually help.

Vaccinated can still transmit the virus, albeit in a much shorter time window than unvaccinated as virus load decreases such faster.

Travel restrictions can't stop the Omicron variant for sure, but gives us some additional time to prepare and gather more data.

[Roll Roons]

Alright Democrats, get ready for 2010 on steroids.

[jamestroll]

So apparently the US will require a PCR Test within 24 hours of departure even for vaccinated international travels .. and then require another test within 3 to 5 days after arrival.. even for vaccinated US Citizens and after that... still require a 7 day quarantine period even for vaccinated US Citizens.

That is insanity.

I just don't think severe travel restrictions or travel bans actually help.

Vaccinated can still transmit the virus, albeit in a much shorter time window than unvaccinated as virus load decreases such faster.

Travel restrictions can't stop the Omicron variant for sure, but gives us some additional time to prepare and gather more data.

We have no room to talk on high case loads.





Granted, I am not sure how accurate numbers are in a developing country like Peru but I buy it is significantly less than the United States.

I know what does work to control the virus.. getting vaccinated and wearing masks.