COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[jojoju1998]

Is it possible masks will be something to live with for literally the rest of our lives?

I don't think so, though it may have raised general awareness for other infectious diseases. mask wearing and other measures against Covid have significantly reduced the number of flu infections (at least in Germany; I would expect the same is true for the US and elsewhere).

Masks in crowded spaces are pretty standard in many Asian countries and have been for many years, in stark contrast the Northern America or Europe.

Asians are much more communal than the Western World. America and Europe in a lesser way, is very individualistic.

[Tekken_Guy]

If the reports are true that Omicron is considerably milder than past strains, isn't this a good thing?  Don't we want it yo become the dominant strain?  Zero covid is never going to happen, but it will eventually likely be pretty harmless.

Though, unless it significantly evades natural immunity, I think much of the South will have a hard time spiking again, at least not to the extent of previous waves.

Yes. IF it is considerably milder.
Emphasis on IF, because that is not known.

Isn’t there usually a trade off between virulence and transmissibility? If a virus kills its host it dies off with it.

[rosin]

If the reports are true that Omicron is considerably milder than past strains, isn't this a good thing?  Don't we want it yo become the dominant strain?  Zero covid is never going to happen, but it will eventually likely be pretty harmless.

Though, unless it significantly evades natural immunity, I think much of the South will have a hard time spiking again, at least not to the extent of previous waves.

Yes. IF it is considerably milder.
Emphasis on IF, because that is not known.

Isn’t there usually a trade off between virulence and transmissibility? If a virus kills its host it dies off with it.

If the virus is less prone to kill a victim, yes, it will have a evolutionary plus. But death rate and hospitalization rate doesn't neccesarily correlate well, and the latter one is the most important one for the society (pressure on the health system).

[Tekken_Guy]

If the reports are true that Omicron is considerably milder than past strains, isn't this a good thing?  Don't we want it yo become the dominant strain?  Zero covid is never going to happen, but it will eventually likely be pretty harmless.

Though, unless it significantly evades natural immunity, I think much of the South will have a hard time spiking again, at least not to the extent of previous waves.

Yes. IF it is considerably milder.
Emphasis on IF, because that is not known.

Isn’t there usually a trade off between virulence and transmissibility? If a virus kills its host it dies off with it.

If the virus is less prone to kill a victim, yes, it will have a evolutionary plus. But death rate and hospitalization rate doesn't neccesarily correlate well, and the latter one is the most important one for the society (pressure on the health system).

Has a virus ever evolved to get both more contagious and cause more severe illness at the same time? What’s probably the threshold for hospitalizations that is needed for COVID to not be a threat to hospitals anymore?

[jamestroll]

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!

NO MORE TRAVEL BANS!

STOP TRYING THINGS THAT DID NOT WORK IN THE PAST!

GET POKE WITH  A VACCINE NOW!

[pbrower2a]

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!

NO MORE TRAVEL BANS!

STOP TRYING THINGS THAT DID NOT WORK IN THE PAST!

GET POKE WITH  A VACCINE NOW!

There is no logical reason, except for duress, for any person to not be inoculated. The vaccine is easy to get and the price is right. Not only that, the consequences for refusing the inoculation are simply too severe. It is not a matter of conscience. Little could be more immoral than to expose others to a serious risk of either death or bodily harm.

[StateBoiler]

If the reports are true that Omicron is considerably milder than past strains, isn't this a good thing?  Don't we want it yo become the dominant strain?  Zero covid is never going to happen, but it will eventually likely be pretty harmless.

Though, unless it significantly evades natural immunity, I think much of the South will have a hard time spiking again, at least not to the extent of previous waves.

Yes. IF it is considerably milder.
Emphasis on IF, because that is not known.

Isn’t there usually a trade off between virulence and transmissibility? If a virus kills its host it dies off with it.

If the virus is less prone to kill a victim, yes, it will have a evolutionary plus. But death rate and hospitalization rate doesn't neccesarily correlate well, and the latter one is the most important one for the society (pressure on the health system).

Yes, but the virus of today that put you in a hospital would've likely killed you 200 years ago due to lack of good medical care. So viruses due to improvement in modern medical care can be more virulent AND don't die off in the host. It's the embodiment of Red Queen Theory.

[GregTheGreat657]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/12/01/covid-omicron-vaccines-testing-requirements/8814830002/

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Get over it I had the 24 Hr flu it has to do with high A1C sugar levels and High red blood count, if you take your vaccine and vitamins it goes away

But, your taste buds are gonna be sour for awhile

It's the season for it it's not Snowing but we have cooler nights now even in Cali and flus are starting to creep up, Cali around this time last yr had a high case

But, if you understand Diabetes and high sugar levels you understand how flu works

Flus aren't caused by 191 sugar levels, it's caused by 300/500 mg of sugar levels

[pbrower2a]

If the reports are true that Omicron is considerably milder than past strains, isn't this a good thing?  Don't we want it yo become the dominant strain?  Zero covid is never going to happen, but it will eventually likely be pretty harmless.

Though, unless it significantly evades natural immunity, I think much of the South will have a hard time spiking again, at least not to the extent of previous waves.

Yes. IF it is considerably milder.
Emphasis on IF, because that is not known.

Isn’t there usually a trade off between virulence and transmissibility? If a virus kills its host it dies off with it.

If the virus is less prone to kill a victim, yes, it will have a evolutionary plus. But death rate and hospitalization rate doesn't necessarily correlate well, and the latter one is the most important one for the society (pressure on the health system).

Yes, but the virus of today that put you in a hospital would've likely killed you 200 years ago due to lack of good medical care. So viruses due to improvement in modern medical care can be more virulent AND don't die off in the host. It's the embodiment of Red Queen Theory.

The advances of medicine are well known to most of us. We have inoculations to prevent or mitigate dangerous diseases, anesthetics to save us from excruciating pain that could make us goners, and antibiotics. We have medicines to counteract high blood pressure and kidney disease, and we are making clear progress against cancer -- even lung cancer, long one of the most damning of cancers.

I once got a very nasty infection from the scratch of a pet dog. A hundred years ago the infection might have killed me. I learned something from that incident: I am as careful about the fangs in a dog's paws as I am of the fangs between a dog's jaws. The infection hurt!

[Hermit For Peace]

Doesn't it seem strange that these new variants always seem to come just when we are managing the one before it? They don't come all at once, and why is that? Are these things being engineered? And now we are being told by pharmaceutical companies to get boosters. What? We are allowing pharmaceutical companies to run the dialogue?

I believe there is something fishy going on. I'm tired of being a human pin cushion. I think we are being hoodwinked.

[Mr. Morden]

What is "omnicron"?  A covid variant from the Robocop universe?

[Horus]

Is it possible masks will be something to live with for literally the rest of our lives?

Masks in crowded spaces are pretty standard in many Asian countries and have been for many years

No wonder their suicide rates are so high.

[emailking]

Doesn't it seem strange that these new variants always seem to come just when we are managing the one before it? They don't come all at once, and why is that? Are these things being engineered? And now we are being told by pharmaceutical companies to get boosters. What? We are allowing pharmaceutical companies to run the dialogue?

I believe there is something fishy going on. I'm tired of being a human pin cushion. I think we are being hoodwinked.

We're not being hoodwinked. It's omicron because we're on O. There have been plenty of variants that didn't get much news coverage. Viruses mutate. There's nothing strange about this at all. If you don't want to get a booster, don't get one I guess. They're free though.

[Hermit For Peace]

Doesn't it seem strange that these new variants always seem to come just when we are managing the one before it? They don't come all at once, and why is that? Are these things being engineered? And now we are being told by pharmaceutical companies to get boosters. What? We are allowing pharmaceutical companies to run the dialogue?

I believe there is something fishy going on. I'm tired of being a human pin cushion. I think we are being hoodwinked.

We're not being hoodwinked. It's omicron because we're on O. There have been plenty of variants that didn't get much news coverage. Viruses mutate. There's nothing strange about this at all. If you don't want to get a booster, don't get one I guess. They're free though.

I got a booster. But I am not going to keep getting a booster for each new variant. I am done. I got the jab and the booster and the flu shot. That's enough shots. I still say something is fishy. I am done being a pin cushion.

[ProudModerate2]

Gulp

[Horus]

Are we supposed to be scared or something?

[GP270watch]

Markets freaked the hell out about this today, it's all so premature.

[Joe Republic]

Welp, guess I'm wearing my mask again.

[DINGO Joe]

Is it possible masks will be something to live with for literally the rest of our lives?

Masks in crowded spaces are pretty standard in many Asian countries and have been for many years

No wonder their suicide rates are so high.

Is that why the West US has always had high suicide rates too?

[Smeulders]

If the reports are true that Omicron is considerably milder than past strains, isn't this a good thing?  Don't we want it yo become the dominant strain?  Zero covid is never going to happen, but it will eventually likely be pretty harmless.

Though, unless it significantly evades natural immunity, I think much of the South will have a hard time spiking again, at least not to the extent of previous waves.

Yes. IF it is considerably milder.
Emphasis on IF, because that is not known.

Isn’t there usually a trade off between virulence and transmissibility? If a virus kills its host it dies off with it.

There is some evolutionary pressure in that direction, but very limited in the case of Covid. It's true that killing off the host means it can't survive within the host, but if the host survives it usually kills off the virus, so in either case the virus needs to spread to new hosts. Since Covid is most contagious before symptoms occur, the severity of symptoms have little impact on the number of new hosts infected. (For diseases that are most contagious while symptomatic, mild symptoms are more important, as a bedridden or dead host will meet less other people).

[jamestroll]

damn it. I am tired of seeing places saying "curb side pick up" and "contactless delivery".

[emailking]

damn it. I am tired of seeing places saying "curb side pick up" and "contactless delivery".

Why is that a problem? I never minded the contactless delivery. I don't really care now that I'm vaxxed, but I don't see what the issue is there.

[StateBoiler]

Doesn't it seem strange that these new variants always seem to come just when we are managing the one before it? They don't come all at once, and why is that? Are these things being engineered? And now we are being told by pharmaceutical companies to get boosters. What? We are allowing pharmaceutical companies to run the dialogue?

I believe there is something fishy going on. I'm tired of being a human pin cushion. I think we are being hoodwinked.

We're not being hoodwinked. It's omicron because we're on O.

Well they skipped nu and xi. Nu because it sounds like new, and xi because that's the name of the leader of China.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Doesn't it seem strange that these new variants always seem to come just when we are managing the one before it? They don't come all at once, and why is that? Are these things being engineered? And now we are being told by pharmaceutical companies to get boosters. What? We are allowing pharmaceutical companies to run the dialogue?

I believe there is something fishy going on. I'm tired of being a human pin cushion. I think we are being hoodwinked.

We're not being hoodwinked. It's omicron because we're on O.

Well they skipped nu and xi. Nu because it sounds like new, and xi because that's the name of the leader of China.

So this is totally tangential...but can anyone explain why the Chinese President's name is transliterated as "Xi" and not "Shi"?  I.e. why is an "sh" sound in Chinese written as "x" in English, when "x" is almost never pronounced as "sh" in English words?