COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[BigSerg]

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1464595770691174406?t=iTyjHJzCHYrTWuvS5Exrig&...

[BigSerg]

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1464556895528800263?t=aFQc_23ckfuwvTuWXMN1-A&...

[jamestroll]

I am about to roll around on the floor and scream!!

[DINGO Joe]

I am about to roll around on the floor and scream!!

I always assumed you did that everyday.

[CEO Mindset]

No need to worry about the Omnicron virus strain.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/mrna-vaccines-could-help-other-diseases-other-than-covid19/5b671934-2826-4fd6-9b37-ae3805edf9c2

At this point in time, it is a Stage 1 media virus.

It's amazing how the world media machine is sitting waiting for a front page story.

Journalists are demons. The only way to end this "pandemic" is exorcism by whatever means necessary.

[soundchaser]

I am about to roll around on the floor and scream!!

Relax.

https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1464622927333232640?s=20

[Lief 🗽]

My god the media is disgusting. Americans are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving, after Trump canceled it last year, but they can’t help trying to ruin it with this “Omicron” nonsense. No one cares! Those of us who are vaccinated will go on with our lives and those of us who are not will go on with their lives and/or die.

[Person Man]

I am about to roll around on the floor and scream!!

Relax.

https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1464622927333232640?s=20

The media is out of control.

[roxas11]

I have seen a lot of conspiracy theories during this pandemic, but this hands down has to be the craziest ones lol

https://twitter.com/Mediaite/status/1464622474679758848

[It’s so Joever]

Masks are definitely not costless.  

I have been forced to teach wearing a mask this semester, and it is a total pain in the ass.  The worst of it is during student presentations.  Half of the students don’t speak loudly enough to be heard in the back of the class wearing a mask, and I have to constantly be asking them to speak louder.

Last year, we were allowed to use face shields, but for some reason my university decided to ban them this semester despite the fact that we also have a vaccine mandate (which is a very good thing!) for all faculty and students.

Sadly, I have to agree with you because wearing a mask has definitely caused me some problems

For example me and my sister had gone to Walgreens and I had gotten out of the store before she did. As I was waiting for her outside a manager suddenly comes out of the store to tell me that I had somehow scared 1 of their customers.

apparently because I am a black guy wearing a mask at night the customer actually believed that I going to rob the place lol

Thankfully, my sister had finally come out of the store to clear everything up. But that incident definitely showed me that wearing a mask is not costless especially not in a state like louisiana

Okay, this is actually a legitimate point for once that isn’t just a mild inconvenience which can easily be fixed.

[roxas11]

Masks are definitely not costless.  

I have been forced to teach wearing a mask this semester, and it is a total pain in the ass.  The worst of it is during student presentations.  Half of the students don’t speak loudly enough to be heard in the back of the class wearing a mask, and I have to constantly be asking them to speak louder.

Last year, we were allowed to use face shields, but for some reason my university decided to ban them this semester despite the fact that we also have a vaccine mandate (which is a very good thing!) for all faculty and students.

Sadly, I have to agree with you because wearing a mask has definitely caused me some problems

For example me and my sister had gone to Walgreens and I had gotten out of the store before she did. As I was waiting for her outside a manager suddenly comes out of the store to tell me that I had somehow scared 1 of their customers.

apparently because I am a black guy wearing a mask at night the customer actually believed that I going to rob the place lol

Thankfully, my sister had finally come out of the store to clear everything up. But that incident definitely showed me that wearing a mask is not costless especially not in a state like louisiana

Okay, this is actually a legitimate point for once that isn’t just a mild inconvenience which can easily be fixed.

True and unfortunately this has happened to me a few times since they started requiring everyone to wear a mask

It sucks, but sadly there are some people who will atomically assume that I am up to no good if I walk into a store wearing a mask. They will either keep a close eye on me while I'm in the store or another customer will complain to the manger that I may be some kind of threat

Thankfully, most people are not this ignorant and outside of a few crazy incidents I am overall ok when I wear the mask most of the time

[emailking]

For sure it's concerning, though not the time for panic. WHO held an emergency meeting today to assess the situation.

I know the CDC's response is just going to be "more masks", because that's their response to everything.

Masks, masks, masks. That's their only answer.

That is the answer. Well, so is getting out those cleaning wipes. So is social distancing. People who acted recklessly and lucked out the first couple times are the ones who will die.

We have learned something since the first outbreak of COVID-19. Trust science more than politics. 

Who still does this lmao

If someone's wearing a mask, I try to keep my distance from them. I also try not to get too close to the face of an unmasked person. So I still do that to some extent.

[emailking]

I don't know what you guys want from the media. Governments were restricting travel ahead of any media reporting about this. Should they have hid that from you? I heard plenty of caveats about how it's precautionary and we need to know more.

[roxas11]

I don't know what you guys want from the media. Governments were restricting travel ahead of any media reporting about this. Should they have hid that from you? I heard plenty of caveats about how it's precautionary and we need to know more.

I had my probems with the media in the past but when it comes to this I dont have any issue with how the media is covering it

There is a new covid variant that we know very little about

It may be nothing or I could be a big deal either way I don't see the issue with the media putting tons of focus on it because as far as I'm concerned its better to be safe than sorry

Imagine if the new variant turned out of to be very dangerous and the media just ignored it. They would literally be doing the exact same thing they did in late 2019 when they payed hardly any attention to the original covid virus in order to focus more on the latest trump controversy at the time.

now of course some in the media are going to go over the top with it and jump to conclusions before they know anything about the new variant, but I still think most of them did the right thing by giving it massive coverage

[Pericles]

The cost of doing nothing is so great that governments need to be going at least as far as they are now. If Omicron does turn out not to be more dangerous than Delta or even somehow less dangerous, that's great but it's better to take a precautionary approach and act to prevent the pessimistic scenario when our knowledge is so poor.

[Green Line]

Code:

The cost of doing nothing is so great that governments need to be going at least as far as they are now. If Omicron does turn out not to be more dangerous than Delta or even somehow less dangerous, that's great but it's better to take a precautionary approach and act to prevent the pessimistic scenario when our knowledge is so poor.

Really?  What are the costs of doing nothing, exactly?  And what are these effective measures governments need to take - more masks?  They've worked so well to stem the tide of Delta (not), I'm sure they'll be effective against a variant that is far, far more infectious.  Travel bans?  Its already in Europe, across multiple countries.  Its almost certainly already on every continent by now.  The last thing governments should do is ineffective, virtue signalling travel bans and NPIs just to make it look like they're "doing something" to their scared, sheep populaces.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

I am about to roll around on the floor and scream!!

Relax.

https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1464622927333232640?s=20

If this is true and Omicron is significantly more infectious and able to outcompete more much lethal forms of the virus, this could actually be incredibly good news and finally stamp out pandemic for good.

[Person Man]

I am about to roll around on the floor and scream!!

Relax.

https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1464622927333232640?s=20

If this is true and Omicron is significantly more infectious and able to outcompete more much lethal forms of the virus, this could actually be incredibly good news and finally stamp out pandemic for good.

Omicron then is the thing that makes this “just the flu”.

[BG-NY]

"We have to prepare for the worst, always. Because if you don't, then the worst happens." -Fauci

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

My local supermarket was already being stripped this morning by Omicron-panic shoppers who seemed to think a lockdown is coming.

It would be hilarious if the response to the news that the pandemic was on its last legs as Covid became more widespread but less threatening was met with blind, incoherent panic.

[BigSerg]

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1464734073897766919?s=20

[Meclazine for Israel]

Australian Govt ships diseased South Africans straight into the country:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-28/tavellers-test-positive-omicron-covid-sydney/100657076

English Govt says foreigners need a PCR test on their 2nd day in the country:

"People travelling into the UK will have to take a PCR test by the end of the second day after their arrival and self-isolate until they get a negative test."

https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-52544307

And of course, the US Govt just gave South Africans a 3 day window to come into the country before the ban is imposed on Monday 29 November 2021.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-impose-travel-curbs-eight-southern-african-countries-over-new-covid-19-2021-11-26/

It's like these three countries are run by Imperial Stormtroopers giving every opportunity for people with COVID-19 Omicron to come into the country.

[Pericles]

Code:

The cost of doing nothing is so great that governments need to be going at least as far as they are now. If Omicron does turn out not to be more dangerous than Delta or even somehow less dangerous, that's great but it's better to take a precautionary approach and act to prevent the pessimistic scenario when our knowledge is so poor.

Really?  What are the costs of doing nothing, exactly?  And what are these effective measures governments need to take - more masks?  They've worked so well to stem the tide of Delta (not), I'm sure they'll be effective against a variant that is far, far more infectious.  Travel bans?  Its already in Europe, across multiple countries.  Its almost certainly already on every continent by now.  The last thing governments should do is ineffective, virtue signalling travel bans and NPIs just to make it look like they're "doing something" to their scared, sheep populaces.

Mass death and lockdowns obviously. The cost of preventing the pandemic at the very beginning, or keeping out later variants, is so much less than the cost that America has ultimately suffered.

[emailking]

Yeah we need more than just that one quote before concluding this is nothing.

[Green Line]

Code:

The cost of doing nothing is so great that governments need to be going at least as far as they are now. If Omicron does turn out not to be more dangerous than Delta or even somehow less dangerous, that's great but it's better to take a precautionary approach and act to prevent the pessimistic scenario when our knowledge is so poor.

Really?  What are the costs of doing nothing, exactly?  And what are these effective measures governments need to take - more masks?  They've worked so well to stem the tide of Delta (not), I'm sure they'll be effective against a variant that is far, far more infectious.  Travel bans?  Its already in Europe, across multiple countries.  Its almost certainly already on every continent by now.  The last thing governments should do is ineffective, virtue signalling travel bans and NPIs just to make it look like they're "doing something" to their scared, sheep populaces.

Mass death and lockdowns obviously. The cost of preventing the pandemic at the very beginning, or keeping out later variants, is so much less than the cost that America has ultimately suffered.

The thought of keeping out this variant is a fantasy.