COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[pbrower2a]

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?

The Latin alphabet used officially in China (at least for Mandarin) is Pinyin. It does not have anything like a one-to-one correspondence with English sounds of consonants.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin

[Sir Mohamed]

Not verified through enough data yet, but there's a possibility for immune escape among recovered patients without booster shots.

https://twitter.com/febdonline/status/1466425979409215504

[BigSerg]

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466442999030812675?t=Nt0MKebkGbKnwizQmcW-Gw&...

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466442999030812675?t=Nt0MKebkGbKnwizQmcW-Gw&...

Anime was a mistake.

[Person Man]

What’s the point of a travel ban now?

[Green Line]

What’s the point of a travel ban now?

The same reason for the mask mandates.  We have to do "something" and this is "something".

[BigSerg]

Uh posivity rate...

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466455961246306304?t=R_XZhWZO5Dr6XLlu8MKIOg&...

[jamestroll]

Its time to do what we should have done in March 2020.. let the virus run its course!

[GeorgiaModerate]

Its time to do what we should have done in March 2020.. let the virus run its course!

I guess you were in favor of the health care system collapsing.

[jamestroll]

Its time to do what we should have done in March 2020.. let the virus run its course!

I guess you were in favor of the health care system collapsing.

it is not like the United States.. will actually do anything!

And this time letting this variant run the course is more credible as we do have vaccines.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Its time to do what we should have done in March 2020.. let the virus run its course!

I guess you were in favor of the health care system collapsing.

it is not like the United States.. will actually do anything!

And this time letting this variant run the course is more credible as we do have vaccines.

This time, yes.  Given the prevalence of vaccines, it makes some sense unless/until the health care system gets dangerously strained.  Those who decide not to get vaccinated will die in much greater numbers than those who do, and frankly I do not care about them.  I do not wish for death or suffering to happen to them, but if it happens then it's entirely their own fault and I am out of empathy for them.

However, you said that we should have let it run its course in March 2020.  That would have been sheer madness.  Millions more would have died; the health care system would have collapsed; and the economy would have been in shambles -- much worse than that caused by lockdowns.  I hope that you were just exaggerating, because if you truly believe we should have let the virus run its course in early 2020 then I can only conclude that you must be a nihilist.

[jamestroll]

Its time to do what we should have done in March 2020.. let the virus run its course!

I guess you were in favor of the health care system collapsing.

it is not like the United States.. will actually do anything!

And this time letting this variant run the course is more credible as we do have vaccines.

This time, yes.  Given the prevalence of vaccines, it makes some sense unless/until the health care system gets dangerously strained.  Those who decide not to get vaccinated will die in much greater numbers than those who do, and frankly I do not care about them.  I do not wish for death or suffering to happen to them, but if it happens then it's entirely their own fault and I am out of empathy for them.

However, you said that we should have let it run its course in March 2020.  That would have been sheer madness.  Millions more would have died; the health care system would have collapsed; and the economy would have been in shambles -- much worse than that caused by lockdowns.  I hope that you were just exaggerating, because if you truly believe we should have let the virus run its course in early 2020 then I can only conclude that you must be a nihilist.

I was exaggerating to an extent but with the initial form of the virus, I wonder how much actual damage would have been caused if we let the economy keep going with masks and social distancing.

[jamestroll]

A serious thought I do have is how the pandemic would have went if there were no stay at home orders but instead mask mandates and social distancing measures only.

If Delta was the original strain of the virus, I wouldn't have been as strong against stay at home orders.

[emailking]

What’s the point of a travel ban now?

It delays when Omicron becomes dominant here which gives us more time to get people vaccinated/boosted.

[Person Man]

Uh posivity rate...

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466455961246306304?t=R_XZhWZO5Dr6XLlu8MKIOg&...

It definitely looks less virulent

[Not Me, Us]

Uh posivity rate...

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466455961246306304?t=R_XZhWZO5Dr6XLlu8MKIOg&...

It definitely looks less virulent

These numbers are really not that helpful for determining how infectious or severe delta is since SA is so much less vaccinated, and I'm sure nobody has gotten a booster there. Europe's numbers over the next few weeks will really give us an idea of where this is going.

[Person Man]

Uh posivity rate...

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466455961246306304?t=R_XZhWZO5Dr6XLlu8MKIOg&...

It definitely looks less virulent

These numbers are really not that helpful for determining how infectious or severe delta is since SA is so much less vaccinated, and I'm sure nobody has gotten a booster there. Europe's numbers over the next few weeks will really give us an idea of where this is going.

If it can breakthrough vaccines completely, sure. That would be bad. If vaccines were at least somewhat effective against it, that would be great.

[BigSerg]

It's happening!
https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466545776302170119?s=20

[Mr.Phips]

It's happening!
https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466545776302170119?s=20

And you’re loving it as usual.

[jamestroll]

Looks like there won't be a seven day quarantine requirement for inbound US Flights. Good!

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Uh posivity rate...

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1466455961246306304?t=R_XZhWZO5Dr6XLlu8MKIOg&...

It definitely looks less virulent

These numbers are really not that helpful for determining how infectious or severe delta is since SA is so much less vaccinated, and I'm sure nobody has gotten a booster there. Europe's numbers over the next few weeks will really give us an idea of where this is going.

I'm keeping an eye on Israel. Only two reported cases there, it seems. Israel is about 80% fully-vaccinated and while 60% of COVID patients are as well, that demographic leans older.

[Calthrina950]

Unsurprisingly, the Omicron variant has reached Colorado. By the end of the month, it will probably be identified in every state of the Union.

[BigSerg]

https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/1466583203804696577?s=20

[Dr. Arch]

Hmm.. if this variant is highly transmissionable and less lethal..

Should we have covid parties to try to get to herd immunity?

Are you listening to yourself? This is dumb. Stop posting. I have so little patience left for stuff like this.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Omicron Time

So now we have the Omicron variant to think about. I'm just as glad that I wasn't around to blog on Monday and Tuesday of this week while the news started hitting, because the main useful thing to say was that there wasn't much useful to say yet. That's still largely the case, but we can at least try to get our bearings and get ready to interpret the data that will be coming our way over the next couple of weeks. So here's my "Intro to Omicron", for what it's worth.