COVID-19 News and Discussions

[andmar74]

'Stealth omicron' is now in North Texas. Is it a new COVID variant? What we know.
Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center say there are at least two cases of a new form of omicron, “stealth omicron,” in North Texas.

Texas is one of a few states where stealth omicron has been detected. Along with the cases in North Texas, three cases have been identified in Houston.

Stealth omicron cases have been found in 40 countries. In the U.S., there are about 100 cases.

In Denmark, where stealth omicron cases are rapidly increasing, it went from 20% of cases in December, to 45% of cases two weeks ago, and now it’s about 65% of cases.

Read more: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/coro ... 85748.html

It must be the BA.2 variant.

[erowind]

.

[andmar74]

This is an unknown at the time. But if the new omicron variant is more infectious and can reinfect people already infected by omicron than how exactly is it a "subvariant?" Wouldn't that be grounds enough to be a new variant entirely? Or is this part of the whole bid that "covid is over." Are we just going to name new variants omicron, A, B, C, D, etc from now on? It may well be a subvariant, but it's presumptuous to say that no?

As I understand it, you can be infected with the same omicron variant multiple times. There have been talks about giving BA.2 a new name, but that really isn't important I think. BA.2 doesn't seem to give more severe disease than BA.1.
It's quite a mess.

[andmar74]

It's going downhill for Feigl-Ding, now he's dragging Hitler into it.



Update: He removed it shortly after he tweeted..

[Cyber_Rebel]

He removed it shortly after he tweeted..

What did it say? The only thing I see on his tweets which relate to Hitler are the comparisons to Putin/Ukraine, and him being worried about it. Not much to do with Covid, but I really hate this international focus when resources should be focused on ending the pandemic.

[andmar74]

He removed it shortly after he tweeted..

What did it say? The only thing I see on his tweets which relate to Hitler are the comparisons to Putin/Ukraine, and him being worried about it. Not much to do with Covid, but I really hate this international focus when resources should be focused on ending the pandemic.

Good question, I can't exactly remember, it was about Covid. Maybe the tweet will resurface from someone.

[caltrek]

But if the new omicron variant is more infectious and can reinfect people already infected by omicron than how exactly is it a "subvariant?"

Well, to me, calling it a subvariant gives a better indication of its lineage. Calling it a variant would make it unclear as to whether it mutated from an earlier form of Covid, or from the Omicron form. At least, that is how I interpret the words.

What I came here to post:

Good News for the United States: Omicron Is Waning. Bad News: It’s Still Really Bad.
by Pema Levy
January 29, 2022

https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus ... still-bad/

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) The Omicron variant of Covid-19, which has overwhelmed hospitals and set new pandemic case records, is starting to wane in states that saw late surges—a sign that the worst of the highly contagious variant wave may have passed in the United States.

The latest available numbers reveal that Omicron is following a pattern from rapid acceleration to quick drop-off. In South Africa, where the variant was first identified, infections are down 87 percent from a mid-December peak. In the US, Omicron first hit the northeast. According to New York Times data, infections in those states started coming down as quickly as they rose—though new infection rates remain above last winter’s record. Now, the Times reports, rates are finally falling in the last states where Omicron surged:

• In Arizona, the seven-day average of daily cases fell from a peak of 20,778 on Monday to 18,208 on Friday, a roughly 12 percent decrease over five days, according to a New York Times database. Cases in Utah have declined 35 percent and in Mississippi 25 percent since peaking on January 19. Cases in North Dakota have fallen 19 percent since a Jan. 22 peak.

The bad news is that hospitals remain overwhelmed. Since Covid-related hospitalizations and deaths lag behind infection rates, the pain this wave will inflict is probably at least a few weeks from dissipating. When it finally ends, the question will be whether there’s a new variant—and just how bad it might be. One contender nicknamed “stealth omicron” has already popped up in Europe. The future remains as uncertain as ever.

[raklian]

Herd immunity DOES NOT work with this virus, that's an undisputable fact.

[Ken_J]

It's going downhill for Feigl-Ding, now he's dragging Hitler into it.



Update: He removed it shortly after he tweeted..

I don't have a particular thing he's said or done that make me feel like I take him less seriously. There is just a sense about his posts that come across as doom scrolling, and a bit hyperbolic. Actually reminds me of those people before new year Y2K. Like yes, it was a real glitch, it could have been very bad, and caused a few problems, but the bomb shelter stocked with 30 years of canned goods because you think the all the worlds nukes would launch at once, or burying gold in coffee cans in the yard because you thought the whole monetary system of the world was going to collapse with the internet and computers in general.

Yes this pandemic numerically is worse than 1918, proportionally we are not there yet. But treating this like the plague in europe, and to a degree like the zombie apocalypse, where every person who has had it now has some wasting disease, or like it's an airborne prion disease, where the millions who have caught it and not died outright are now all withering away like watching family with MS, ALS or Parkinsons. It's a bit much. Very chicken little.

[caltrek]

Meanwhile, one can always count on Republican leadership to do their part to properly educate the public. /sarcasm


Sarah Palin Dined at Multiple New York Restaurants Despite Positive Covid Test
by Dani Anguiano
January 27, 2022

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... covid-test

Introduction:

(The Guardian) Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice-presidential candidate, has continued to dine out at New York City restaurants despite testing positive for Covid-19.

The ex-Alaska governor, who is not vaccinated, was spotted on Wednesday eating outdoors at the upper east side restaurant Elio’s after testing positive for the illness, according to photos published by Mediaite. Palin had dined at the same restaurant on Saturday night, where she was seen eating indoors in violation of city rules requiring proof of vaccination for indoor dining.

Palin was also seen eating outdoors Tuesday night at Campagnola, Gothamist reported. Under CDC guidance, people with Covid-19 should isolate for at least five days to avoid further spread.

The manager of Elio’s restaurant told the New York Times it was investigating Palin’s Saturday visit and that the restaurant had made a “mistake”. The manager told the Times that Palin had “probably just walked in and strolled over” to a table where she joined a regular customer.

Palin returned to the restaurant Wednesday evening. “Tonight Sarah Palin returned to the restaurant to apologize for the fracas around her previous visit,” Luca Guaitolini, Elio’s manager, said in a statement to Mediaite. “In accordance with the vaccine mandate and to protect our staff, we seated her outdoors. We are a restaurant open to the public and we treat all civilians the same.”

caltrek's comment: While it is nice that Palin apologized "for the fracas around her previous visit," perhaps she should also consider apologizing to all of the families of people that she might have exposed to a deadly virus. I suppose staying in the good graces of a small business owner is more important than such public health considerations.

[andmar74]

It's going downhill for Feigl-Ding, now he's dragging Hitler into it.



Update: He removed it shortly after he tweeted..

I don't have a particular thing he's said or done that make me feel like I take him less seriously. There is just a sense about his posts that come across as doom scrolling, and a bit hyperbolic.

Exactly. And it's getting worse. The experts should be calm and objective, instead many of them are spreading fear. They are exaggerating and some times they spread misinformation to promote their agenda.

I'm not an expert, but it should be clear than there is one reason why the current wave of omicron in the States is worse than in Europe. Everything else is just secondary. Vaccines. You need the booster shot to be reasonably protected against severe illness. Only 26 % of the US population has the booster. This is much higher in Europe. Who's fault is it? Those who do not get vaccinated. It's that simple.

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

This, especially the extract I have provided, is just a little bit of back to basics. Many of you understood these basics before Covid even arrived.

Why Covid-19 Surges Seem to End as Suddenly as They Begin
by Umair Irfan
January 31, 2022

https://www.vox.com/22905020/omicron-wa ... s-vaccines

Extract:

(Vox) A key variable is the basic reproductive number of the virus, or R0, which is the average number of people that one infected individual tends to infect. “If that number is above one, the epidemic grows exponentially; if it is below one, it declines exponentially,” Lessler said.

As more people get infected with a coronavirus variant, there are fewer people left to infect. When the basic reproductive number falls below one, new infections reach their peak and then decline. To plateau, the rate of new infections has to stabilize somewhere near one, but that would require an unusual set of conditions, according to (Justin) Lessler (professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health).

[caltrek]

What Causes Long Covid? Scientists are Zeroing in on the Answer.
by Yasmin Tayag
January 31, 2022

https://www.vox.com/22906853/omicron-lo ... toms-cause

Introduction:

(Vox) Even as the number of new Covid-19 cases in the US is dropping, hundreds of thousands of Americans are still testing positive every day. More than 28 million new cases have been reported since Omicron emerged in the US just two months ago, and the variant now drives 99.9 percent of cases, as of January 22, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thanks to vaccines, boosters, and increasingly available treatments, most people who get infected today won’t end up in the hospital or die. A big question, however, looms over the survivors: What about long Covid?

Long Covid is a condition that arises after acute infection and often includes shortness of breath, fatigue, and “brain fog” but can also involve a wide range of debilitating problems in the heart, brain, lungs, gut, and other organs. According to the World Health Organization’s working definition, long Covid usually occurs three months after symptomatic Covid-19 begins and lasts for at least two months. Sometimes, the symptoms just never go away after the initial infection. Occasionally, they appear months after recovery or after an asymptomatic case. This means that if you’ve recovered from Covid-19, you’re not necessarily in the clear.

No one knows exactly how many people have or had long Covid. Estimates so far are “wildly disparate” in part because researchers define the condition differently and because the people seeking care may only be a small portion of those affected, said Nahid Bhadelia, an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine. Studies on the conservative end have found that 10 to 20 percent of Covid-19 survivors get long Covid, while others report 50 percent.

Scientists have proposed numerous hypotheses to explain long Covid’s myriad symptoms since research began in earnest after the first wave of cases in 2020. Early suspects included a weakened immune system, widespread inflammation, and even low sex hormone levels.

[caltrek]

Only 26 % of the US population has the booster. This is much higher in Europe. Who's fault is it? Those who do not get vaccinated. It's that simple.

That is true in a developed country where the delivery system is such that everybody has access. In the U.S., it is more convenient for some than for others. So, it is mostly a matter of vaccine reluctance. In less developed parts of the world, availability looms larger as an issue.

The larger the population of unvaccinated, the larger the number of cases, the greater the possibility of variants arising from mutations. The more variants, the greater the chance that new vaccines will need to be developed. To me, it has become too much like a game of whack a mole. A universal vaccine that would be effective against all variants would be nice. A reduction in vaccine hesitancy would also be nice. Availability in all parts of the globe would also be helpful. In the meantime, masks, social distancing, etc. can also be helpful back-up measures.

[andmar74]

In the meantime, masks, social distancing, etc. can also be helpful back-up measures.

Yea, tomorrow all restrictions are lifted here, including masks in stores and supermarkets. I think I will keep on using a mask since omicron is everywhere.

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine receives full FDA approval
Source: CNN

(CNN)Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, according to news releases from the FDA and Moderna.

The vaccine, named Spikevax, is now approved for use in people ages 18 and older. It is not approved or authorized for use in younger individuals. There's no difference between the approved vaccine and the vaccine previously available through emergency use authorization.

Moderna's is the second Covid-19 vaccine to receive full approval from the FDA. Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, was approved for use in people age 16 and older in August. The Pfizer vaccine is also authorized for use in individuals ages 5 to 15.

Moderna said the FDA based its decision to give full approval on scientific evidence shared by Moderna in its submission package to the agency, which included six month follow up data from a Phase 3 clinical trial study as well as FDA-required manufacturing and facilities data.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/31/health/m ... e=twcnnbrk

[weatheriscool]

Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children under 5 could be available by the end of February
Source: Washington Post

Coronavirus vaccines for children younger than 5 could be available far sooner than expected — perhaps by the end of February — under a plan that would lead to the potential authorization of a two-shot regimen in the coming weeks, people briefed on the situation said Monday.

Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, the manufacturers of the vaccine, are expected to submit to the Food and Drug Administration as early as Tuesday a request for emergency-use authorization for the vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old, which would make it the first vaccine available for that age group. Older children already can receive the shot.

The FDA urged the companies to submit the application so that regulators could begin reviewing the two-shot data, according to the knowledgeable individuals, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The companies in the last few months have been testing a third dose, following disappointing results for the two-shot regimen showing that while the vaccine is safe, two doses did not provide a strong enough immune response in all age groups. But data on a third shot will not be available until at least late March. Once that information is submitted, regulators are expected to authorize a third dose of the pediatric vaccine.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... n-under-5/

[caltrek]

Novel Nanoparticle SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Combines Immune Focusing and Self-assembling Nanoparticles to Elicit More Potent Protection
February 1, 2022

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/941972

Introduction:

(EurekAlert) PHILADELPHIA — (Feb. 1, 2022) — The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective, but also have limitations: their efficacy can wane without a booster shot, and they may be less effective against some variants. Now scientists at The Wistar Institute have developed a more targeted vaccine that, in animal studies, shows stronger, broader, and more durable protection in a single, low dose.

The vaccine combines three technologies – immune focusing, self-assembling nanoparticles, and DNA delivery – into a single platform for the first time. In addition to its other advantages, the vaccine could be stored at room temperature, making it potentially easier to transport to remote or developing locations than existing mRNA vaccines, which require specialized cold storage.

“This is among the first next-generation vaccines that will have more advanced features and broader protection,” said Daniel Kulp, Ph.D., associate professor in the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center at The Wistar Institute and corresponding author of the study.

The paper, “Nucleic acid delivery of immune-focused SARS-CoV-2 nanoparticles drive rapid and potent immunogenicity capable of single-dose protection,” was published in the journal Cell Reports.

Existing vaccines include an unmodifided receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The new vaccine includes a rationally engineered receptor binding domain using computational and structure-based design methodologies. The energinered receptor binding domain blocks ‘immune distracting’ sites and can therefore elicit stronger levels of protective, neutralizing antibodies.

The article concludes by noting that studies involving the Omicron variant are now underway.