39 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – November 27 2021”
Thanks TK.
For the past 12 hours or so I have heard the following regarding the “O” variant:
Moderna is already working on a new vaccine which should be ready within a month.
Any new vaccine would take at least 6 months to produce.
The current vaccines “may” still be effective against the “O” variant. Don’t panic yet?
Some passengers from the Netherlands may have already spread the new variant after recently returning on a flight from South Africa.
According to a “Dr. Patel”, the new variant “is” already here in the U.S. (She was being interviewed on the PBS Newshour, her EXACT words.) She did not say why she is so sure, the interviewer iirc did not follow up.
I’m am virtually certain it is here.
Breakthrough cases in MA have risen 30%.
How far into the Greek alphabet before we are done with these variants? This is getting more scarier every day.
I find it interesting that with the 1918-20 pandemic there were no variants to best of my knowledge. We were one and done with the “alpha”, whatever that was called. Spanish flu?
Hi Philip,
I found a good article on the “Spanish” flu and how it had indeed mutated. Eventually, the mutations made it far less deadly. This shows that each mutation doesn’t necessarily become more deadly. As Joshua has stated in previous posts, a virus’s objective is to survive and prosper. It does not “prosper” if it kills its host. We’ll soon find out if this new variant is more deadly, but my guess is that it will not be. However, if it is confirmed to be more transmissible…not a good thing.
While the articles do put things into a different perspective for me, I do fear that the “current” pandemic is going to last considerably longer. I hope by “mid-decade” at least (2024-5 or so). Too many stubborn people still won’t get vaccinated.
Mutations become more contagious but less deadly over time (the trend, though there can be variations in it, like weather). This is true of virtually all viruses. If they become more deadly, they will only kill themselves off by killing all available hosts.
Does each new variant always get stronger than the previous one?
See my comment above. This has been mentioned numerous times.
Thanks TK, but I don’t know if “less deadly” makes me feel any better at this point.
Haven’t had time to study the new variant.
What we do know:
– It is already in Europe and the UK, and probably here, too;
– It has a lot of mutations.
What we don’t know:
– Whether it’s more transmissible (this has been conjectured and not proven yet;
– Whether it’s more lethal;
– Whether it’s more vaccine-evasive than previous variants – the mutations suggest it may be, but I do think we all have to take a deep breath and wait and see whether this is valid.
I am quite concerned about it, because it demonstrates the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to `adapt’ rather quickly. And, if it’s more transmissible it will propagate and `find’ new hosts, some of whom will be vulnerable to severe disease.
I don’t like travel bans, but do think that being cautious now may help. Keep in mind, in Europe they sequence a lot more than we do and have only found a relatively small number of cases thus far. If they can isolate these people, they have a chance of more or less nipping it in the bud. I do think that this new mutation will mean that Covid-19 measures that are being enforced across Europe will be reinforced. I do think we should do more on the mitigation front. I wish the President had mentioned this. I’m not talking lockdowns, but I am talking more masking, more distancing, fewer crowds, etc …
How much more “masking” do we need Joshua?There isn’t a single public indoor facility or transportation system where masks are “optional” that I know of. I am certainly NOT going to wear a mask walking down the street with precious few people around. Been there and did that last year in 2020.
Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate! is the best line of defense along with the above.
I believe that masking is necessary for some time to come.
I believe we will need it indefinitely because of those who don’t mask. No masking is required out here ….anywhere
Sadly, no place out this way requires masks.
I broke down and ordered KN95 masks. I always double surgical masks. I’m not reading yet about F O yet. Sometimes, I just have to step back. I know enough from comments. I haven’t been able to wear the 95 masks. But I think I need to learn how.
We have N95 masks. They are fine. My daughter had been exposed over and over but never got it due to her N95 mask.
My sons-in-law use them regularly when they are with clients. Or they use their full face respirator things. I just have trouble breathing with them. I’ll practice and am sure I’ll figure it out
I tried wearing an N95 mask very briefly when the pandemic first started last year. No thanks! I ended up wearing it covering my mouth, but with my nose exposed just so I could breathe. I do believe that bandannas and those “masks” that you can wear “fashionably” around your neck then pull up over your face (no idea specific name) only offer very limited protection.
I mostly only wear those “hospital-issued” masks for the general public. If they’re not good enough then what is.
I think the surgical masks are good. Many say go double them so I do. I am not sure where F O will go so thought id try 95. I had same trouble you did but if needed will figure it out. And if I don’t need, either or both SILs can use them.
Hi all, need some advice. My in-laws just returned today from a 3 month trip to Italy. They want to see my kids (2 and 4, so not vaccinated) and my mother in-law is also not vaccinated. How long should we wait to let them see the kids? They said they’ll get tested but I want them to wait at least 5 days to get tested to catch any potential exposures from the return trip. I’m thinking a negative test at 5 days plus a total of at least 10 days quarantine.
I’m thinking 7 days then a negative test, quarantine and a test the morning they come to see you. But then with all of that five should be fine too. Most I read suggest a negative at 3 days before and then day of.
I was actually going to ask the thought behind the 3 days before if a person has a negative day of.
Glad they got to go. Abruzzi? I asked before but of course forgot to go see if you answered. Sorry if you did
I reread. Will they have PCR or home test?
Thanks Vicki. Not sure about the test type. I don’t think they have nor even know there are home tests (are they even reliable?). Yes, Abruzzi region, Sulmona to be exact. No sightseeing, it was purely an olive harvest and property maintenance trip since it’s the first time they’ve been since the pandemic began.
Dave said the biovaxNOW are 97%. I found some info too. I got some at Walgreens. Son and family…since he is very exposed daily…have said they will be happy to use so we can be together for Christmas. I can’t begin to say how happy I am that we can all see each other.
Walmart are less expensive. Two tests come in a kit.
There are now seven “variants of interest” or “variants of concern” and they each have a Greek letter, according to a W.H.O. tracking page.
Some other variants with Greek letters do not reach those classification levels, and the W.H.O. also skipped two letters just before Omicron — “Nu” and “Xi” — leading to speculation about whether “Xi” was avoided in deference to the Chinese president, Xi Jinping.
“‘Nu’ is too easily confounded with ‘new,’” Tarik Jasarevic, a W.H.O. spokesman, said on Saturday. “And ‘Xi’ was not used because it is a common last name.”
Subscription required, but I get the gist of your post. Thanks SC.
AFAIC, any variant of “interest” is already a “concern” of mine!
Very interesting. Thank you.
From NYT also….is it truth?
“As Omicron Variant Circles the Globe, African Nations Face Blame and Bans
With countries trying to close their doors to the new coronavirus variant, southern African officials note that the West’s hoarding of vaccines helped create their struggle in the first place.”
On a non-covid topic….sort of…I use Instacart for groceries. And I may continue if covid ever goes away. I tip well as I should but also understand that may be the shoppers only income but have to check on that. I also chat online with the shoppers because I truly am thankful for their help. This morning when I thanked Jen, she wrote this back. I think it is important to remember that their jobs are as important to the shoppers as it is to us
“Not at all! Thank you for shopping with instacart 🙂 couldn’t do it without you! ”
Israel has shut down virtually all international travel.
Overreaction? Perhaps. But, Israel has been on top of the pandemic for at least 11 months.
Does it know something we don’t? Unclear at this time.
Not an overreaction. But not sure if we could do the same
News this week isn’t good. Even the Covid-19 pill has issues; safety concerns. May not be a slam dunk approval after all.
Thanks TK.
For the past 12 hours or so I have heard the following regarding the “O” variant:
Moderna is already working on a new vaccine which should be ready within a month.
Any new vaccine would take at least 6 months to produce.
The current vaccines “may” still be effective against the “O” variant. Don’t panic yet?
Some passengers from the Netherlands may have already spread the new variant after recently returning on a flight from South Africa.
According to a “Dr. Patel”, the new variant “is” already here in the U.S. (She was being interviewed on the PBS Newshour, her EXACT words.) She did not say why she is so sure, the interviewer iirc did not follow up.
I’m am virtually certain it is here.
Breakthrough cases in MA have risen 30%.
How far into the Greek alphabet before we are done with these variants? This is getting more scarier every day.
I find it interesting that with the 1918-20 pandemic there were no variants to best of my knowledge. We were one and done with the “alpha”, whatever that was called. Spanish flu?
Hi Philip,
I found a good article on the “Spanish” flu and how it had indeed mutated. Eventually, the mutations made it far less deadly. This shows that each mutation doesn’t necessarily become more deadly. As Joshua has stated in previous posts, a virus’s objective is to survive and prosper. It does not “prosper” if it kills its host. We’ll soon find out if this new variant is more deadly, but my guess is that it will not be. However, if it is confirmed to be more transmissible…not a good thing.
https://www.history.com/news/1918-flu-pandemic-never-ended
Thank you, Joe S.
Yes, Thanks Joe.
While the articles do put things into a different perspective for me, I do fear that the “current” pandemic is going to last considerably longer. I hope by “mid-decade” at least (2024-5 or so). Too many stubborn people still won’t get vaccinated.
Mutations become more contagious but less deadly over time (the trend, though there can be variations in it, like weather). This is true of virtually all viruses. If they become more deadly, they will only kill themselves off by killing all available hosts.
Does each new variant always get stronger than the previous one?
See my comment above. This has been mentioned numerous times.
Thanks TK, but I don’t know if “less deadly” makes me feel any better at this point.
Haven’t had time to study the new variant.
What we do know:
– It is already in Europe and the UK, and probably here, too;
– It has a lot of mutations.
What we don’t know:
– Whether it’s more transmissible (this has been conjectured and not proven yet;
– Whether it’s more lethal;
– Whether it’s more vaccine-evasive than previous variants – the mutations suggest it may be, but I do think we all have to take a deep breath and wait and see whether this is valid.
I am quite concerned about it, because it demonstrates the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to `adapt’ rather quickly. And, if it’s more transmissible it will propagate and `find’ new hosts, some of whom will be vulnerable to severe disease.
I don’t like travel bans, but do think that being cautious now may help. Keep in mind, in Europe they sequence a lot more than we do and have only found a relatively small number of cases thus far. If they can isolate these people, they have a chance of more or less nipping it in the bud. I do think that this new mutation will mean that Covid-19 measures that are being enforced across Europe will be reinforced. I do think we should do more on the mitigation front. I wish the President had mentioned this. I’m not talking lockdowns, but I am talking more masking, more distancing, fewer crowds, etc …
How much more “masking” do we need Joshua?There isn’t a single public indoor facility or transportation system where masks are “optional” that I know of. I am certainly NOT going to wear a mask walking down the street with precious few people around. Been there and did that last year in 2020.
Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate! is the best line of defense along with the above.
I believe that masking is necessary for some time to come.
I believe we will need it indefinitely because of those who don’t mask. No masking is required out here ….anywhere
Sadly, no place out this way requires masks.
I broke down and ordered KN95 masks. I always double surgical masks. I’m not reading yet about F O yet. Sometimes, I just have to step back. I know enough from comments. I haven’t been able to wear the 95 masks. But I think I need to learn how.
We have N95 masks. They are fine. My daughter had been exposed over and over but never got it due to her N95 mask.
My sons-in-law use them regularly when they are with clients. Or they use their full face respirator things. I just have trouble breathing with them. I’ll practice and am sure I’ll figure it out
I tried wearing an N95 mask very briefly when the pandemic first started last year. No thanks! I ended up wearing it covering my mouth, but with my nose exposed just so I could breathe. I do believe that bandannas and those “masks” that you can wear “fashionably” around your neck then pull up over your face (no idea specific name) only offer very limited protection.
I mostly only wear those “hospital-issued” masks for the general public. If they’re not good enough then what is.
I think the surgical masks are good. Many say go double them so I do. I am not sure where F O will go so thought id try 95. I had same trouble you did but if needed will figure it out. And if I don’t need, either or both SILs can use them.
Hi all, need some advice. My in-laws just returned today from a 3 month trip to Italy. They want to see my kids (2 and 4, so not vaccinated) and my mother in-law is also not vaccinated. How long should we wait to let them see the kids? They said they’ll get tested but I want them to wait at least 5 days to get tested to catch any potential exposures from the return trip. I’m thinking a negative test at 5 days plus a total of at least 10 days quarantine.
I’m thinking 7 days then a negative test, quarantine and a test the morning they come to see you. But then with all of that five should be fine too. Most I read suggest a negative at 3 days before and then day of.
I was actually going to ask the thought behind the 3 days before if a person has a negative day of.
Glad they got to go. Abruzzi? I asked before but of course forgot to go see if you answered. Sorry if you did
I reread. Will they have PCR or home test?
Thanks Vicki. Not sure about the test type. I don’t think they have nor even know there are home tests (are they even reliable?). Yes, Abruzzi region, Sulmona to be exact. No sightseeing, it was purely an olive harvest and property maintenance trip since it’s the first time they’ve been since the pandemic began.
Dave said the biovaxNOW are 97%. I found some info too. I got some at Walgreens. Son and family…since he is very exposed daily…have said they will be happy to use so we can be together for Christmas. I can’t begin to say how happy I am that we can all see each other.
Walmart are less expensive. Two tests come in a kit.
BinaxNOW. It is what schools are using
Yesterday, we were discussing the naming of the variants. This is from a NYTImes article (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/27/world/africa/omicron-covid-greek-alphabet.html):
There are now seven “variants of interest” or “variants of concern” and they each have a Greek letter, according to a W.H.O. tracking page.
Some other variants with Greek letters do not reach those classification levels, and the W.H.O. also skipped two letters just before Omicron — “Nu” and “Xi” — leading to speculation about whether “Xi” was avoided in deference to the Chinese president, Xi Jinping.
“‘Nu’ is too easily confounded with ‘new,’” Tarik Jasarevic, a W.H.O. spokesman, said on Saturday. “And ‘Xi’ was not used because it is a common last name.”
Subscription required, but I get the gist of your post. Thanks SC.
AFAIC, any variant of “interest” is already a “concern” of mine!
Very interesting. Thank you.
From NYT also….is it truth?
“As Omicron Variant Circles the Globe, African Nations Face Blame and Bans
With countries trying to close their doors to the new coronavirus variant, southern African officials note that the West’s hoarding of vaccines helped create their struggle in the first place.”
On a non-covid topic….sort of…I use Instacart for groceries. And I may continue if covid ever goes away. I tip well as I should but also understand that may be the shoppers only income but have to check on that. I also chat online with the shoppers because I truly am thankful for their help. This morning when I thanked Jen, she wrote this back. I think it is important to remember that their jobs are as important to the shoppers as it is to us
“Not at all! Thank you for shopping with instacart 🙂 couldn’t do it without you! ”
Israel has shut down virtually all international travel.
Overreaction? Perhaps. But, Israel has been on top of the pandemic for at least 11 months.
Does it know something we don’t? Unclear at this time.
Not an overreaction. But not sure if we could do the same
News this week isn’t good. Even the Covid-19 pill has issues; safety concerns. May not be a slam dunk approval after all.
https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1464775322109419520
I thought I’d posted this yesterday but clearly Waac sidetracked.
https://twitter.com/erictopol/status/1464233509820583938?s=21
C-19 for 11-28 is ready.