COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[pbrower2a]

With my first inoculation I got nasty side-effects that suggest that I would have been hit hard, if not killed. Some of those include chest pains. That was ten months ago. I have gotten the strongly-suggested two main inoculations, one booster, and one flu shot (so that I will not likely be referred to a hospital for flu-like symptoms and risk exposure to COVID-19 from fools who did not get inoculated.

If you have any trust in my integrity and have yet to be inoculated, then get your herd immunity by getting your @$$ to an inoculation site. You may save your life.

Oh, by the way -- with the Holidays coming up, especially Drunk Night... don't drink and drive.

[Inmate Trump]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10337845/Enormous-spread-Omicron-cause-140-MILLION-new-infections-January-1-March-1.html

Omicron wave will crash on US with 60% of people infected by March and 140 MILLION new infections - but 90% will never show symptoms

IHME projections have been updated and they look scary, but this article explains that most will be asymptomatic. Still scary prospects but hopeful too?

[jamestroll]

Please get vaccinated! I really do think I would be in the hospital about to die if I didn't get the vaccine.

Jimmie, I'm glad you're OK, but wow and you had Omicron too.

I have known others with breakthrough infections who had less severe symptoms then me. I still have some congestion and theirs is over. But I did have two very very bad hours  last Thursday night. Barely could breath (not next morning though)

[Aurelius]

The above graphic is promising but I’d also urge caution until a few more weeks have passed so we can see a clear indication of fewer deaths.


Deaths lag.

Deaths lag by about two weeks. It has been four.

Cases are also rapidly declining in South Africa. We would have known if hospitals were overwhelmed and people were dying in the streets like India in April.

It's like people are deliberately avoiding good news.

I'm convinced there is a segment of society (not Trump virus necessarily) who preferred living in COVID mode. They actually enjoyed the isolation and staying at home, they want the "new normal" to continue forever. These are the types of people who are fine with eternal masking but won't get vaccinated or don't think the vaccines are effective. They are incredibly misanthropic, and a bigger threat than the Trumpers who won't vax or mask. At least the latter group is out of COVID mode

Only on this forum could someone make a serious post declarnig that responsible people, who want to keep themselves and people they care about safe from COVID-19, and whose greatest sin is minimizing their time in public, are a "bigger threat" than a bunch of numbskulls who willfully spread a deadly disease around and who stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the government. What, are you a restaurant owner salty about the people who cancelled their holiday party reservations?

Just go hook yourself up to the metaverse already. Leave the 99% of us who still value sharing pheremones and seeing faces alone.

I understand you don't care that you're playing Russian roulette repeatedly for the rest of your life, given that you're going to catch COVID-19 approximately once every 6-12 months if you don't bother to protect yourself. But the virus is ridiculously contagious and vaccines don't provide anything close to sterilizing immunity. Your rights end when they infringe on mine, and I have the right to safe public spaces just the same as you. You don't get to spread noxious fumes in public indoor spaces just because you couldn't be bothered to put on a 5c mask that doesn't interfere with anything you want to do.

I get colds 2 or 3 times a year. I get the flu every year or two. Omicron is a bad cold or mild flu especially for the vaccinated which I am. I will not shut down my life for a routine illness. Please never leave your house again.

[compucomp]

The above graphic is promising but I’d also urge caution until a few more weeks have passed so we can see a clear indication of fewer deaths.


Deaths lag.

Deaths lag by about two weeks. It has been four.

Cases are also rapidly declining in South Africa. We would have known if hospitals were overwhelmed and people were dying in the streets like India in April.

It's like people are deliberately avoiding good news.

I'm convinced there is a segment of society (not Trump virus necessarily) who preferred living in COVID mode. They actually enjoyed the isolation and staying at home, they want the "new normal" to continue forever. These are the types of people who are fine with eternal masking but won't get vaccinated or don't think the vaccines are effective. They are incredibly misanthropic, and a bigger threat than the Trumpers who won't vax or mask. At least the latter group is out of COVID mode

Only on this forum could someone make a serious post declarnig that responsible people, who want to keep themselves and people they care about safe from COVID-19, and whose greatest sin is minimizing their time in public, are a "bigger threat" than a bunch of numbskulls who willfully spread a deadly disease around and who stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the government. What, are you a restaurant owner salty about the people who cancelled their holiday party reservations?

Just go hook yourself up to the metaverse already. Leave the 99% of us who still value sharing pheremones and seeing faces alone.

I understand you don't care that you're playing Russian roulette repeatedly for the rest of your life, given that you're going to catch COVID-19 approximately once every 6-12 months if you don't bother to protect yourself. But the virus is ridiculously contagious and vaccines don't provide anything close to sterilizing immunity. Your rights end when they infringe on mine, and I have the right to safe public spaces just the same as you. You don't get to spread noxious fumes in public indoor spaces just because you couldn't be bothered to put on a 5c mask that doesn't interfere with anything you want to do.

I get colds 2 or 3 times a year. I get the flu every year or two. Omicron is a bad cold or mild flu especially for the vaccinated which I am. I will not shut down my life for a routine illness. Please never leave your house again.

You don't have the right to imprison me. I have the right to safe public indoor spaces free of noxious fumes, especially since this can be largely ensured if you put on a 5c mask which doesn't prevent you from doing anything. Smokers lost this argument decades ago and if the pandemic continues like it has, you will lose this argument too.

[DINGO Joe]

Thought this was interesting

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 59-year old male from Ohio County, a 59-year old male from Fayette County, a 37-year old male from Ohio County, a 74-year old female from Mason County, a 92-year old male from Kanawha County, a 52-year old female from Mingo County, a 58-year old female from Summers County, a 60-year old female from Marion County, a 40-year old male from Doddridge County, an 86-year old male from Jefferson County, a 77-year old female from Harrison County, a 53-year old male from Brooke County, a 68-year old male from Kanawha County, a 51-year old male from Ohio County, a 79-year old male from Jackson County, a 65-year old male from Marshall County, a 28-year old male from Harrison County, a 75-year old female from Monongalia County, a 91-year old female from Fayette County, a 40-year old female from Preston County, an 82-year old female from Raleigh County, a 70-year old male from Morgan County, a 54-year old male from Nicholas County, a 67-year old male from Kanawha County, a 44-year old male from Barbour County, a 61-year old male from Mercer County, an 86-year old male from Hardy County, a 72-year old male from Lewis County, a 64-year old male from Logan County, and a 73-year old male from Mineral County.

Included in the total deaths reported on the dashboard as a result of the Bureau for Public Health’s continuing data reconciliation with the official death certificate is a 60-year old male from Wood County. This death occurred in October 2021.

It the daily report of the Covid dead in WV.  16 out of 31 were under 65.  That's WV for ya.

https://www.wsaz.com/2021/12/22/covid-19-wva-31-additional-deaths-1149-new-cases-reported/

[LabourJersey]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10337845/Enormous-spread-Omicron-cause-140-MILLION-new-infections-January-1-March-1.html

Omicron wave will crash on US with 60% of people infected by March and 140 MILLION new infections - but 90% will never show symptoms

IHME projections have been updated and they look scary, but this article explains that most will be asymptomatic. Still scary prospects but hopeful too?

This doesn't square with the news from South Africa

[Donerail]

I understand you don't care that you're playing Russian roulette repeatedly for the rest of your life, given that you're going to catch COVID-19 approximately once every 6-12 months if you don't bother to protect yourself. But the virus is ridiculously contagious and vaccines don't provide anything close to sterilizing immunity. Your rights end when they infringe on mine, and I have the right to safe public spaces just the same as you. You don't get to spread noxious fumes in public indoor spaces just because you couldn't be bothered to put on a 5c mask that doesn't interfere with anything you want to do.

You are also going to catch the covid approximately once every 6-12 months, even if you do the whole triple mask-face shield-latex gloves routine. Hate to be the one to break the news to you, but that's how this goes.

[emailking]

You are also going to catch the covid approximately once every 6-12 months, even if you do the whole triple mask-face shield-latex gloves routine. Hate to be the one to break the news to you, but that's how this goes.

Well no, if you do all that you're probably not going to get it at all unless you're around people with it all the time. I don't know about the 6-12 months claim though. Probably at least once.

[Hammy]

Please get vaccinated! I really do think I would be in the hospital about to die if I didn't get the vaccine.

Jimmie, I'm glad you're OK, but wow and you had Omicron too.

I have known others with breakthrough infections who had less severe symptoms then me. I still have some congestion and theirs is over. But I did have two very very bad hours  last Thursday night. Barely could breath (not next morning though)

Glad you're feeling better, but your case is also a good reminder for a few others here who think one should still go to work and be around people when they're infected, that even if covid does evolve into 'just a bad flu', many have forgotten how utterly miserable the flu or even a bad cold can be.

I do want to ask how severe any sinus congestion was when you were at your worst--drainage in itself (even in allergies) can cause significant difficulty breathing, especially if you have anything like asthma.

[Calthrina950]

I just saw on a search engine that Clyburn has tested positive for coronavirus. But that doesn't surprise me. It seems like everyone is destined to get this virus eventually. I wouldn't be surprised if one or both of Biden and Harris contract it between now and next year. And probably members of the Cabinet as well, which has surprisingly not been affected by at this point, along with other Supreme Court Justices besides Kavanaugh.

[Meclazine for Israel]

University of Facebook

PhD in Virology

https://youtu.be/uREpls3sTyU

[emailking]

230,000 cases today, a huge spike, jeez. The most since last winter.

You don't need to tell me we shouldn't track cases anymore, I've seen all those posts. I still think it's significant.

Deaths aren't exactly trivial. We're approaching peaks of 2K/day and they're going up. Maybe it's mostly delta but things are still getting bad again.

If we end up a million cases a day by the end of January like Collins forecast it could be really bad even if it's mild for most people.

[Inmate Trump]

I remember when Delta began people here were saying it would be the last big wave.

Now we have Omicron, which makes everything before it pale in comparison.

So what reason do we have to believe there won’t be a variant behind Omicron that will not only be more infectious but also cause more serious illness and more death?  I’m not dooming so stfu about “dOoMeRs”…I am legit curious if there’s actually any reason to think we won’t have to deal with worsening variants even after Omicron.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

The death count just isn't keeping up with the case count though.

[DINGO Joe]

The death count just isn't keeping up with the case count though.

Well, of course, deaths lag case counts for obvious reasons, but the vax levels for much of the US should keep deaths well below last Dec/Jan but still far too many dead people even if they are mainly rural white people.

[Horus]

The death count just isn't keeping up with the case count though.

Well, of course, deaths lag case counts for obvious reasons, but the vax levels for much of the US should keep deaths well below last Dec/Jan but still far too many dead people even if they are mainly rural white people.

SA has still not seen a spike in deaths. It has been 4 weeks, usually deaths begin to climb after 2.

[emailking]

That was fast.

FDA authorizes second antiviral pill to treat Covid-19

The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized Merck's antiviral pill, molnupiravir, to treat Covid-19 "for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in adults with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, and for whom alternative COVID-19 treatment options authorized by the FDA are not accessible or clinically appropriate."

This is the second Covid-19 antiviral pill authorized for ill people to take at home, before they get sick enough to be hospitalized. Merck has an agreement with the US government for the company to supply 3.1 million courses of molnupiravir upon this authorization.

...

Dr. Eliav Barr, senior vice president of global medical affairs at Merck, told CNN this month that he was optimistic this treatment would work against the Omicron variant.

"The Omicron variant is primarily different from the other types of Covid at the spike protein. Our drug works in completely different part of the virus. So we're very optimistic that the drug will continue to be effective against Omicron, and we're studying that right now."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/22/health/pfizer-antiviral-pill-authorized/index.html

[GregTheGreat657]

https://thehill.com/homenews/coronavirus-report/587061-fauci-says-large-holiday-gatherings-not-safe-even-with-booster

At this point, we just need to do what we want, and stop listening to the 'experts'. They want the pandemic and its restrictions to go on as long as possible to line their pockets

[xavier110]

I have COVID! Vaxxed but yet to be boosted. Symptoms: itchy sore mouth, congestion, nagging cough and low off and on fever. At times I have little appetite, like you would when you have a flu, but sometimes I feel close to normal.

I’ve been very cautious generally so yes omicron is highly contagious

[emailking]

This is referring to like Christmas parties, not seeing your family at Christmas.

[Hammy]

Health experts always recommend the most absolute course of action, I don't know why this would be surprising. They also say avoid high fructose corn syrup entirely but most people still consume it.

[THG]

COVID is the Democrat’s version of Iraq. And I will keep saying this until the hysteria stops- which it sadly won’t, until atleast January 20, 2025.

[Inmate Trump]

I don't see the problem.

Obviously everyone is completely and totally free to do whatever they like.

It's the *job* of the experts to advise us on the safest course of action.  We can abide by their guidelines, or not.  If these same people didn't advise appropriate caution in the face of rising cases and disease, that'd be extremely horrible of them.  They're simply doing their job to tell us the safest course.

[Inmate Trump]

I have COVID! Vaxxed but yet to be boosted. Symptoms: itchy sore mouth, congestion, nagging cough and low off and on fever. At times I have little appetite, like you would when you have a flu, but sometimes I feel close to normal.

I’ve been very cautious generally so yes omicron is highly contagious

I have a feeling we'll all be in this position eventually.  I hope you recover soon, and that your symptoms don't worsen!