COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Blue3]

Being transported to Walter Reed out of abundance of caution

[Blue3]

He now has "difficulty breathing"

[Blue3]

Depressing graphs of the day:

[Blue3]

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1341482964245487618
Oh no the penguins

It's actually pretty bad, because the scientists living in Antarctica live in very tight quarters.

[Blue3]

I think we need a new version of this thread... or at least a title change.

[Blue3]

Can we please close and restart this thread already, or at least rename it? It's been a while since that White House event with Barrett.

[Blue3]

Change the thread title
(or lock it and start over)

[Blue3]

^
Was already addressed a week ago (And many more times prior):

There’s no need to close this thread altogether (we don’t need a new one really) or rename it (title is creative and technically accurate). Stop requesting such.

It's wrong.

It's not accurate, it's outdated. And this thread title was being changed all the time, or closed and restarted for a new version, now it's stuck on this really outdated news? Really? Someone can come up with another inventive name.

[Blue3]

^
Was already addressed a week ago (And many more times prior):

There’s no need to close this thread altogether (we don’t need a new one really) or rename it (title is creative and technically accurate). Stop requesting such.

It's wrong.

It's not accurate, it's outdated. And this thread title was being changed all the time, or closed and restarted for a new version, now it's stuck on this really outdated news? Really? Someone can come up with another inventive name.

You're not wrong. But at the same time, it's just a name. Who cares?

I do. So have the several others who liked my previous posts bringing it up. It's so easy to change. Why not change it?

[Blue3]

I'll be delighted to take a third shot against a deadly variant for which my immunity is suspect.

Most communities now have places where they weren't check for your insurance, and most people who have wanted to be vaccinated have been vaccinated, so... up to you.

[Blue3]

Pfizer vaccine only 64% effective against Delta variant (compared to usual 94%)

https://www.wpri.com/health/coronavirus/israeli-health-data-shows-pfizer-vaccine-significantly-less-effective-against-delta-variant

[Blue3]

Reported for misinformation and vaccine denialism.

What is misinformation?
And I’m happy to be vaccinated, and tell others to get vaccinated. I think this just makes the case for a booster shot, if more studies confirm this.

What is this "usual 94%" claim? How much did J&J or AstraZenica pay you to pretend this drop is specific to one vaccine, or are you just that ignorant?

This is story reported in local news, so I’m passing it along so people know or can clarify anything wrong.

[Blue3]

Reported for misinformation and vaccine denialism.

What is misinformation?
And I’m happy to be vaccinated, and tell others to get vaccinated. I think this just makes the case for a booster shot, if more studies confirm this.

What is this "usual 94%" claim? How much did J&J or AstraZenica pay you to pretend this drop is specific to one vaccine, or are you just that ignorant?

This is story reported in local news, so I’m passing it along so people know or can clarify anything wrong.

The thread headline is highly misleading.

What is misleading?

[Blue3]

Reported for misinformation and vaccine denialism.

What is misinformation?
And I’m happy to be vaccinated, and tell others to get vaccinated. I think this just makes the case for a booster shot, if more studies confirm this.

What is this "usual 94%" claim? How much did J&J or AstraZenica pay you to pretend this drop is specific to one vaccine, or are you just that ignorant?

This is story reported in local news, so I’m passing it along so people know or can clarify anything wrong.

The thread headline is highly misleading.

What is misleading?

Title implies the vaccine is less effective than others, rather than less effective than a study on the same vaccine. It's also somewhat alarmist--the vaccine is still 89% effective against symptomatic cases as per UK study, while Israel's is on total infections.

It reported the news, not these implications, which you’ve brought into it by thinking I had an intention that I don’t.

Edit: and I just saw somebody post after you that that does seem to be the case.


But Pfizer is now asking FDA for a 3rd booster shot, while saying it still has an impact yet research is pending :
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pfizer-seek-ok-3rd-covid-vaccine-dose-shots-still-protect-n1273426

Also, the amount of “Democrats” on here who are upset that Covid isn’t 100% magically solved and that the vaccines aren’t as effective as originally thought are only upset for political reasons. I guarantee you, had this been a Trump second term, they would be singing a different tune. Truly disgusting, and I honestly am increasingly annoyed with a majority of red avatars.

Um, I embrace vaccines and encourage others to take it. My concern is just that we should move towards more 3rd shots, and still encourage masks and some distancing in public (though a lockdown I don’t think is necessary right now). And I think Biden has been doing a great job. I hate Trump. Don’t project stuff onto me.

[Blue3]

Not only are the local hospital and nursing home now asking for COVID-positive employees to come in, they're even saying it for employees who HAVE SYMPTOMS. This is in local hospital and nursing home.

https://www.wpri.com/target-12/covid-positive-health-care-workers-called-into-work-in-rhode-island/

I've also heard talk about employers sneakily updating policies so they can sue people who quit their jobs, or at least withhold their last paycheck, no good source yet.

[Blue3]

Not only are the local hospital and nursing home now asking for COVID-positive employees to come in, they're even saying it for employees who HAVE SYMPTOMS. This is in local hospital and nursing home.

https://www.wpri.com/target-12/covid-positive-health-care-workers-called-into-work-in-rhode-island/



And... surprise, surprise:

https://www.wpri.com/target-12/outbreak-at-eleanor-slater-hospital-after-covid-positive-staff-called-into-work?

There’s now a huge outbreak among patients at the hospital after COVID positive employees came in.

[Blue3]

Thankfully my site/branch of our nonprofit has decided to stay virtual at least a little longer. 5-10% of us have gotten COVID and probably more since half haven’t gotten tested yet (we mandated it upon coming back but there’s a long delay/shortage), and most of our AmeriCorps members are roommates with those on other teams. And we’ve had a vaccine mandate. Most boosted too.

One of our middle school partners has over 40 confirmed positive cases. And most elementary classes have only 3 to 6 students per classroom and 20 teachers out.

In very depressing news:
India just learned it undercounted and found 3 million of its citizens they thought were alive are dead. 600% more deaths than previously believed.
Covid death toll in India likely far higher than official record, research says
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/covid-death-toll-india-likely-far-higher-official-record-research-says-rcna11357

[Blue3]

Thankfully my site/branch of our nonprofit has decided to stay virtual at least a little longer. 5-10% of us have gotten COVID and probably more since half haven’t gotten tested yet (we mandated it upon coming back but there’s a long delay/shortage), and most of our AmeriCorps members are roommates with those on other teams. And we’ve had a vaccine mandate.

One of our middle school partners has over 40 confirmed positive cases. And most elementary classes have only 3 to 6 students per classroom and 20 teachers out.

Sounds like you all should stop obsessively testing yourselves, continue to live your lives, and stay home if you're too sick to work.  What insanity this is.  You'll continue to get Omicron over and over again for years to come.  Feel sorry for all the healthy children that are at home "sick" because of mass hysteria.

Did you not read my post? We’ve been virtual this week and now next week. It’s the first time this year we required to be tested, after New Years.

[Blue3]

Thankfully my site/branch of our nonprofit has decided to stay virtual at least a little longer. 5-10% of us have gotten COVID and probably more since half haven’t gotten tested yet (we mandated it upon coming back but there’s a long delay/shortage), and most of our AmeriCorps members are roommates with those on other teams. And we’ve had a vaccine mandate.

One of our middle school partners has over 40 confirmed positive cases. And most elementary classes have only 3 to 6 students per classroom and 20 teachers out.

Sounds like you all should stop obsessively testing yourselves, continue to live your lives, and stay home if you're too sick to work.  What insanity this is.  You'll continue to get Omicron over and over again for years to come.  Feel sorry for all the healthy children that are at home "sick" because of mass hysteria.

Did you not read my post? We’ve been virtual this week and now next week. It’s the first time this year we required to be tested, after New Years.

Yes?  Thats my point.  Go back to work unless you're too sick to work.  You shouldn't even be required to get tested, its insane.  You can't hide from Omicron.

It requires 5 days since travel and isolation to be considered effective for a test. Due to delays, many of our people couldn’t return to our site physically until today. I’m an experienced manager, with other managers and a national organization. We’ve seen the data. We know we are making the best decision for us.

And you don’t seem to understand. Omicron is a variant, not its own virus. It will keep having more mutations.

Plus I don’t want to deal with someone saying to me it will be our fault if a grandparent of one of our students dies and how they would take it up with us, as happened in December when one of our members was positive and gone for 3 weeks but DOH never told them they were a close contact. Or about our members who live with a parent with cancer or members who are immuno-compromised themselves (like me).

And in case you missed the international news in my post, because I doubt India is the only one who has undercounted:

Thankfully my site/branch of our nonprofit has decided to stay virtual at least a little longer. 5-10% of us have gotten COVID and probably more since half haven’t gotten tested yet (we mandated it upon coming back but there’s a long delay/shortage), and most of our AmeriCorps members are roommates with those on other teams. And we’ve had a vaccine mandate. Most boosted too.

One of our middle school partners has over 40 confirmed positive cases. And most elementary classes have only 3 to 6 students per classroom and 20 teachers out.

In very depressing news:
India just learned it undercounted and found 3 million of its citizens they thought were alive are dead. 600% more deaths than previously believed.
Covid death toll in India likely far higher than official record, research says
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/covid-death-toll-india-likely-far-higher-official-record-research-says-rcna11357

[Blue3]

Well, after 2 shots of Pfizer in March and 2 shots of Moderna in July, I am positive with COVID.

I felt off last Friday, but symptoms began Monday, and Monday night into Tuesday was horrible, but thankfully the vaccines seemed to make sure the worst of it was only a couple days, have already started getting better (but still feel sick ) and have to continue in quarantine isolation until after my dad’s birthday on 2/10 (the full 10 days minimum because of my Crohn’s disease medicine making me immunocompromised). I think I just got it from work, we began giving candy to students in our room for those chronically absent on days they came in. The first night was bad. Feeling very hot then very cold, sweating a lot, felt too tired to move, like I had melted into the couch or bed, and kept shaking. Now it’s just coughing, sneezing, chest congestion, headaches, and very bad fatigue and brain fogginess. Sore throat going away. But I still feel very tired and brain foggy, and now I just lost the sense of smell.

[Blue3]

Week 4 of COVID for myself, still pretty sick and a little shallow breathing, prescribed an antibiotic that could help if I have pneumonia.

[Blue3]

Let's see if we can last 6 months without a scary new variant making waves. It is the #3 cause of death in the US again.

[Blue3]

Let's see if we can last 6 months without a scary new variant making waves. It is the #3 cause of death in the US again.

Do we have a heart disease or cancer thread stickied?

Are they new, contagious pandemics?

[Blue3]

What ever happened to B.A.2? The media and Fauci were hyping another wave that never happened. Typical

My state has risen from record low back to medium for COVID cases.

[Blue3]

I noticed many liberals get covid worse than conservative i have a theory all their worrying makes them hypochondriac when they get covid

Perhaps conservatives are more likely to hide it to prove they're tough.

Perhaps people with pre-existing conditions are more likely to support the party that said would protect them, and those same pre-existing conditions make them more likely to get COVID worse.

There's an interesting article in SciAm this month and it says that Omicron was likely the fastest spreading virus in human history! It has specific mutations that mask the spike protein from antibodies, and it also developed an easier way of getting into cells. On the flip side, and apparently coincidentally, it has mutations that make it much worse at hiding from the immune system's alarm bells, which is why it's milder.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-severe-previous-covid-variants-large-study-finds-2022-05-05/

Omicron as severe as other COVID variants -large U.S. study