COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Matty]

IF it is indeed true that omicron is a mild version of covid that is also very contagious, we need to actively encourage its spread. It would essentially be nature providing us with a free vaccine

Govts should “bomb” entire third world cities and regions with omicron droplets to get as many people infected to commence mass immunity

[It’s so Joever]

IF it is indeed true that omicron is a mild version of covid that is also very contagious, we need to actively encourage its spread. It would essentially be nature providing us with a free vaccine

Govts should “bomb” entire third world cities and regions with omicron droplets to get as many people infected to commence mass immunity

IF true, I actually agree.
I just have my doubts that omicron is a lot more mild.

[Pericles]

IF it is indeed true that omicron is a mild version of covid that is also very contagious, we need to actively encourage its spread. It would essentially be nature providing us with a free vaccine

Govts should “bomb” entire third world cities and regions with omicron droplets to get as many people infected to commence mass immunity

Or you could just administer the actual vaccine, idiot.

[emailking]

The disease is going to kill a lot of vulnerable people, even if it's mild for most. The vaccines would kill many fewer people.

[roxas11]

IF it is indeed true that omicron is a mild version of covid that is also very contagious, we need to actively encourage its spread. It would essentially be nature providing us with a free vaccine

Govts should “bomb” entire third world cities and regions with omicron droplets to get as many people infected to commence mass immunity

Or you could just administer the actual vaccine, idiot.

In fairness to Matty even the South African doctor who was one of the first to discover omicron said this on Sunday

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1465056653200351239

Now if that does turn out to be the case than I don't think Matty is completely out of line for believing Omicron could potentially end up giving more people protection without any serious issues. Now, having said that I agree with you that everyone should just get vaccinated but if Omicron does in fact end up being very mild than I think we should not be so quick to dismiss the idea of just letting nature take its course

It sucks that we even have to consider something as crazy as this, but unfortunately there are simply too many people who will never get vaccinated and if we don't find a way to change that then we will never get out of this covid mess

[BigSerg]

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

[Calthrina950]

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.

[Inmate Trump]

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.

Yea, it's definitely already here.  I don't have any doubts about that.

[jojoju1998]

This is never going to end isn't it ?

[Donerail]

This is never going to end isn't it ?

It ends whenever you want it to end — not really the case, as you're in California. But it ends whenever there's no more community support for this.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

If Omicron is really as mild as it sounds like from early evidence, this should all end as soon as it outcompetes Delta.

[Del Tachi]

Omicron might as well be the common cold, which is what COVID-19 was always going to mutate into anyway

[ilikeverin]

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.

My girlfriend is a teacher and she's got these masks that have a transparent screen so you can see the lips moving.  You have to use a little spray to keep them from fogging up but otherwise they are a godsend.  They're also very comfortable, you just have to mess with the wires to keep your nose from smudging up against the screen.

I see people all over Seattle wearing those uncomfortable, scratchy blue medical masks that you get for like a penny apiece at the drugstore, and it always baffles me.  There are incredibly comfortable and attractive masks available online for only a dollar or two apiece.  The masks I wear are very comfortable, look snappy and fit great.  I'll sometimes spray a little bit of cologne on the inside of the mask about half an hour before I go out so the mask will smell really good all night too.

Ooh! Hey, as a speech perception researcher, I can help! I'm actually in Seattle right now for an acoustics conference! There's a prof in my department who has looked at production/perception of speech under different masking conditions.

1) those windowed masks are bad for comprehension. In fact, studies have shown they're worse than most of the alternatives because (a) our eyes are not used to seeing lips that are outlined by a dark outline and (b) the acoustics on them are terrible (the plastic material they use transmits sound differently from the rest of the mask around it). They should be avoided unless someone actually has a hearing impairment and would need to read lips in a normal environment.

2) Of cloth masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks, surgical masks tend to lead to the best speech perception outcomes. Cloth masks tend to muffle speech more, while surgical masks are somewhat more audible. I wear a surgical mask when I lecture and I think I'm fairly audible and much more than I would be with cloth (although I naturally tend to be a loud talker).

[BigSerg]

https://twitter.com/Gab_H_R/status/1465374677421989895?s=20

[Mr. Illini]

This is never going to end isn't it ?

I mean, what does “end” really look like? Most of the country is living pretty normally at the moment. Many of us still have to wear masks in public spaces - which doesn’t drastically change one’s day to day experience. Some are still working from home, but let’s be honest - that is more because businesses can’t get their employees to want to come back than it is about the virus.

Concerts and sporting events are full, restaurants are wide open, the country just celebrated a proper Thanksgiving. We’re (rightly) not going back into lockdown barring a variant so bad it’s effectively a new virus.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I just took a beating on Covid, due to Covid, it starts with stomach but I am not gonna die Inate too much sugar at Thanksgiving, I bwioo curb during Xmas

Orange Juice, no soda or Protein drinking

[Santander]

IF it is indeed true that omicron is a mild version of covid that is also very contagious, we need to actively encourage its spread. It would essentially be nature providing us with a free vaccine

Govts should “bomb” entire third world cities and regions with omicron droplets to get as many people infected to commence mass immunity

Or you could just administer the actual vaccine, idiot.

Natural immunity is stronger and has far better "logistics" than any human-run program could. I mean, bombing other countries with viruses, no matter how benign, is completely absurd, but still.

[Santander]

This is never going to end isn't it ?

I mean, what does “end” really look like? Most of the country is living pretty normally at the moment. Many of us still have to wear masks in public spaces - which doesn’t drastically change one’s day to day experience. Some are still working from home, but let’s be honest - that is more because businesses can’t get their employees to want to come back than it is about the virus.

Concerts and sporting events are full, restaurants are wide open, the country just celebrated a proper Thanksgiving. We’re (rightly) not going back into lockdown barring a variant so bad it’s effectively a new virus.

Bread and circuses don't mean things are remotely back to "pretty normal".

Open your eyes. The world is burning and nobody's trying to put out the fire.

[HillGoose]

yeah it never gets better

[Pericles]

IF it is indeed true that omicron is a mild version of covid that is also very contagious, we need to actively encourage its spread. It would essentially be nature providing us with a free vaccine

Govts should “bomb” entire third world cities and regions with omicron droplets to get as many people infected to commence mass immunity

Or you could just administer the actual vaccine, idiot.

Natural immunity is stronger and has far better "logistics" than any human-run program could. I mean, bombing other countries with viruses, no matter how benign, is completely absurd, but still.

No it isn't, at best it's similar but in no way is it safer than the vaccines.

[Mr. Illini]

This is never going to end isn't it ?

I mean, what does “end” really look like? Most of the country is living pretty normally at the moment. Many of us still have to wear masks in public spaces - which doesn’t drastically change one’s day to day experience. Some are still working from home, but let’s be honest - that is more because businesses can’t get their employees to want to come back than it is about the virus.

Concerts and sporting events are full, restaurants are wide open, the country just celebrated a proper Thanksgiving. We’re (rightly) not going back into lockdown barring a variant so bad it’s effectively a new virus.

Bread and circuses don't mean things are remotely back to "pretty normal".

Open your eyes. The world is burning and nobody's trying to put out the fire.

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.

[Santander]

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.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I don't know if I had Covid but it's the 24 bug and it's painful, it is caused by high A1C

If you go to a Hospital they have you sit in a chair and give you insulin, but if your sugar levels are elevated they're not gonna release you, I sent that route before

I can't eat pies and cakes at Xmas time that much

[soundchaser]

I can't eat pies and cakes at Xmas time that much

Ah yes, the Pi variant

[Person Man]

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”?