The COVID-2019 Thread

[hallelujah]

^ From what I have been reading this morning, the hospitals are not getting any kind of break with Omicron. It spreads many times faster and is reaching a larger number of people so there are still as many hospitalizations and deaths as before.

Absolutely not true (as per the links above).

It's reaching a greater number of people, as viruses do because they want to survive but have to weaken to do so, but only causing any kind of issue for the elderly and the already sick.

Rising Omicron cases not being matched by hospitalisations, figures show | Daily Mail Online

As it was before, pretty much, but the numbers are even lower now because the virus is even weaker than it previously was. Simple maths because the virus is already weaker, so it won't affect many apart from the very weakest.

Figures aren't helped at home by the way the government exaggerates them either:

NHS is urged to stop counting thousands of Covid 'patients' in official data as critics say the QUA | Daily Mail Online

And the reason hospital rates are higher at this time of year is because it's winter in the northern hemisphere and is standard for the course. Omicron is nothing more than a sniffle and doctors on the front line are saying the same.

PROFESSOR CARL HENEGHAN: I'm a GP on the frontline, and I don't think we're overwhelmed with Covid | Daily Mail Online

It's just a continuation of Project Fear and, although it pains me to say this, only the right wing media are willing to put these facts out into the open. The lockdown-loving lefties at the Guardian most certainly aren't.

[hallelujah]

This is the average age of a death involving COVID as published by the UK government's Office of National Statistics:

Average age of those who had died with COVID-19 - Office for National Statistics

Crucial word, involving, and it's still over 80 years old pre the vaccines (Jan 2021)! So their death "involved" Covid but may well not have been caused by it (like the British government's ridiculous statistics) yet it's still over 80 years old before we had the vaccines!

And from an earlier post displaying the death rate by age range:

Infection fatality rate of COVID-19 in community-dwelling populations with emphasis on the elderly: An overview | medRxiv

It's near non-existent at the younger age range, but even 80 year olds have an almost 95% survival rate!

Wake up people. Go out, take your masks off when you're outside and enjoy yourself. You are exceptionally unlikely to die from Covid and you've got even less chance from Omicron unless you are really really old/ill.

[hallelujah]

Sorry to go on but, you know, it means a lot to me with me being a relatively young man yet also having my mum on the UK's vulnerable list and receiving regular updates regarding her impending demise. This is not good for anyone's mental health.

Panama Hat responded to a post on here a week or two ago about this Omicron bollocks and said "it's about the severity."

He was bang on and the rest of you need to get on Google and do some research of medical journals before worrying yourself into an early grave.

You're gonna be ok, people. Enjoy yourselves while you can. You only get one chance at life and we can't spend it in a never-ending state of doom.

[misskit]

I’m living in a place that is wide open. No one wears a mask unless they want to. No lockdowns. Low vaccination rate. Only time will tell what will happen in this area over winter.

[misskit]

Life expectancy fell almost 2 years in 2020: CDC


Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped by almost two years last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, representing the biggest single-year decline in more than 75 years, according to finalized statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Mortality data released by the National Center for Health Statistics calculated the life expectancy in 2020 at 77 years — a 1.8-year decrease from 2019.


COVID-19 ranked as the third leading cause of death with more than 350,000 fatalities, behind heart disease and cancer deaths, which both surpassed 600,000.

MORE Life expectancy fell almost 2 years in 2020: CDC | TheHill

[Buckaroo Banzai]

Absolutely not true (as per the links above).

It's reaching a greater number of people, as viruses do because they want to survive but have to weaken to do so, but only causing any kind of issue for the elderly and the already sick.

Rising Omicron cases not being matched by hospitalisations, figures show | Daily Mail Online

As it was before, pretty much, but the numbers are even lower now because the virus is even weaker than it previously was. Simple maths because the virus is already weaker, so it won't affect many apart from the very weakest.

Figures aren't helped at home by the way the government exaggerates them either:

NHS is urged to stop counting thousands of Covid 'patients' in official data as critics say the QUA | Daily Mail Online

And the reason hospital rates are higher at this time of year is because it's winter in the northern hemisphere and is standard for the course. Omicron is nothing more than a sniffle and doctors on the front line are saying the same.

PROFESSOR CARL HENEGHAN: I'm a GP on the frontline, and I don't think we're overwhelmed with Covid | Daily Mail Online

It's just a continuation of Project Fear and, although it pains me to say this, only the right wing media are willing to put these facts out into the open. The lockdown-loving lefties at the Guardian most certainly aren't.

Really early days, with conflicting and inconclusive reports.
In the US it is being reported that Omicron is now 73% of the cases
"Omicron now the dominant U.S. Covid strain at 73% of cases, CDC data shows "
Omicron now the dominant U.S. Covid strain at 73% of cases

and they are seeing a +4.4% increase in hospitalizations

and a +8.2% increase in deaths


COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review | CDC

What does that mean? perhaps relevant perhaps a blip, who knows? Suspending the Thai pass until we have better data is IMO a good idea , if it turns out that Omicron is no problem it can be reinstated.
Better to err on the side of caution IMO

[HermantheGerman]

Sorry to go on but, you know, it means a lot to me with me being a relatively young man yet also having my mum on the UK's vulnerable list and receiving regular updates regarding her impending demise. This is not good for anyone's mental health.

Panama Hat responded to a post on here a week or two ago about this Omicron bollocks and said "it's about the severity."

He was bang on and the rest of you need to get on Google and do some research of medical journals before worrying yourself into an early grave.

You're gonna be ok, people. Enjoy yourselves while you can. You only get one chance at life and we can't spend it in a never-ending state of doom.

The hospitals are full in Europe! What are you babbling about? Don't pick the raisins out of Google that fits your little bollocks brain.

[malmomike77]

I've also read about the increased transmissability of Omi and that its finding those who've not had the vaccine. Som nam na

[Switch]

The promising data produced by S African science is based on the impact it might have had there!

While promising, it is far from conclusive and not yet peer reviewed. I hope it is correct.

It will be at least one month before similar comparisons are possible in the UK and in other countries. Some of the data is dependent on community rules and behaviour, and other data depends on a host of variables like vaccination rates, NHS admissions, individual responses to normal infections, and the response of unvaccinated cases.

Far too early for amateurs like us to be making assumptions based on a single pre printed study fro another country. Wait and see.

[Troy]

Omicron my be milder for most but it's transmission rate is staggering. This means the number of people requiring hospital treatment remains high, as shown by the figures in the UK, Germany and France.
In September, Germany changed its lockdown rules from being based on number of infections per 100,000 to number of free hospital beds. It was at a time when most thought the worst was over, however, this wave is as bad for Germany as last winter. Over 10,000 covid deaths since I've been in Thailand.

[hallelujah]

The promising data produced by S African science is based on the impact it might have had there!

While promising, it is far from conclusive and not yet peer reviewed. I hope it is correct.

It will be at least one month before similar comparisons are possible in the UK and in other countries. Some of the data is dependent on community rules and behaviour, and other data depends on a host of variables like vaccination rates, NHS admissions, individual responses to normal infections, and the response of unvaccinated cases.

Far too early for amateurs like us to be making assumptions based on a single pre printed study fro another country. Wait and see.

No. You're wrong because reports now published in the UK also show that the infection is much less severe and results in 45% fewer overnight hospital stays (and this is from the SAGE doom-mongers). Other reports in Scotland say, in keeping with the South African research, that it is around 65%.

Omicron Covid IS MILDER, says SAGE member Neil Ferguson in first real-world study on severity | Daily Mail Online

As I've said all along, facts not fear. Omicron is nothing more than a heavy cold or a bit of flu for the absolute massive majority. With the booster drive, previous exposure and a better understanding of the virus, it's time to get back to living life.

[Edmond]

ordered all 13 million residents of Xi’an into isolation after 52 new COVID-19 cases were reported

authorities ordered 200,000 people into isolation this week after one of their neighbors tested positive for COVID-19.

They don't fuck about eh.


6,000 new cases per day back home: pubs ordered to close at 8pm.

[HermantheGerman]

They indicate that, contrary to some here on TD, both China and Thailand are both superior in managing and delivering their response to COVID-19, i.e. fewer cases and fewer deaths compared to the alleged "leaders".

Absolutely! Chinese are like chickens. When the flu spreads they can be ALL locked up in no time.

This Lockdown In China Is Biggest Since Covid Broke Out In Wuhan

The 13 million residents of Xi'an were told to remain in their homes and to designate one person to go out every other day for necessities, triggering fights over access to food. Non-essential travel out of the city was banned. This came after a second round of mass testing pinpointed 127 Covid infections scattered across 14 districts, making containment of the virus "grave and complicated," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

[HermantheGerman]

Omicron is nothing more than a heavy cold or a bit of flu for the absolute massive majority. With the booster drive, previous exposure and a better understanding of the virus, it's time to get back to living life.

Doernberg: This variant’s two most concerning features are: 1) it is very highly contagious and so it is spreading really rapidly, and 2) Omicron is able to get around some of the defenses we have developed over the past couple of years, namely vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
Information about the severity of infection from Omicron continues to emerge; some reports suggest that severe infections may be less common, but this is a quickly evolving area. Even if this variant proves milder than others, the sheer number of people infected will result in many hospitalizations and will cause many disruptions.
While vaccine effectiveness appears lower for Omicron, the vaccines do still protect against severe disease, and having a booster dose increases the level of protection. Getting vaccinated remains one of the most important defenses. Unfortunately, many of the monoclonal antibodies that we had previously been using for treatment of mild and moderate infections and for post-exposure prevention do not have activity against Omicron. The monoclonal antibody predicted to retain activity, sotrovimab, is in extremely short supply.

As Omicron Surges, UCSF Experts Answer Questions About the COVID-19 Variant | UC San Francisco

[malmomike77]

Omicron: Half of colds will be Covid, warn UK researchers

If you have a sore throat, runny nose and a headache there is a good chance it will be Covid, warn UK researchers.

The Zoe Covid study team has been tracking the pandemic using feedback from the general public, and estimates half of people with cold-like symptoms actually have Covid.

They describe an "explosion" of Covid cases over the last week, driven by the new Omicron variant.

About 144,000 people a day are catching it and then feeling unwell.

For most, Covid is a mild disease. Some get no symptoms at all.

But it can still cause very serious illness in some people, including those who have not been vaccinated.

If you have cold-like symptoms, take a Covid test, says lead scientist Prof Tim Spector.

"The number of new symptomatic cases has exploded over the last week," he said.

"For most people, an Omicron positive case will feel much more like the common cold, starting with a sore throat, runny nose and a headache. You only need to ask a friend who has recently tested positive to find this out.

"We need to change public messaging urgently to save lives."

The UK reported 106,122 new Covid cases on Wednesday - exceeding 100,000 on a single day for the first time.

With infections doubling every two to three days, experts say, health officials are concerned about the pressure this could put on the NHS.

Preliminary studies suggest the Omicron coronavirus variant is milder, with fewer people getting severely ill than with other variants.

But a massive wave of infections would still mean many people needing hospital care, as well as lots of doctors and nurses being off sick with Covid.

People are being advised to do rapid Covid tests before meeting up with friends and family at Christmas.

Lateral flow tests help to find cases in people who may have no symptoms but are still infectious, meaning they can give the virus to others.

Omicron: Half of colds will be Covid, warn UK researchers - BBC News

[russellsimpson]

As I've said all along, facts not fear. Omicron is nothing more than a heavy cold or a bit of flu for the absolute massive majority. With the booster drive, previous exposure and a better understanding of the virus, it's time to get back to living life.

Hear! hear to all of that Hal.

Big time freak out by all levels of government here in the Great White North.

The overall hysteria really is quite depressing at times. Canadian rules once again much more severe than American. The British Columbia response is way over the top, once again.

No hockey.

[OhOh]

The upside.

Sea turtles return to Thailand’s shores during pandemic

Reclaimed by nature


By AFP Published: Dec 23, 2021 06:34 PM

A marine biologist handles a sea turtle with a deformed flipper at the Phuket Marine Biological Center in Phuket, Thailand, on November 23, 2021. Photo: AFP

"After laying eggs on a deserted Thai beach, a green sea turtle dives back into the turquoise-colored waters of the Andaman Sea - a welcome sight for biologists who say the absence of tourists spurred the marine animal's return.

The turtle's nesting was spotted in November by scientists. In about two months, the 100 eggs will hatch and babies will slide towards the sea, guided by the moonlight.

Pre-pandemic, millions of tourists thronged to the white sand beaches of southern Thailand, ferried to the islands by tour boats which dissuaded the skittish creatures from venturing ashore.

But with almost 20 months of COVID-19 travel restrictions in place, several different species of sea turtles have returned to nesting around Phuket, an ultra-popular beach destination before the pandemic.

Between October 2020 and February 2021, 18 nests of leatherback turtles - which can grow up to 400 kilograms as an adult and are the largest species of sea turtles - were found in Phuket.

"Their nesting has improved in the last two years thanks to the absence of tourists, noise and light pollution," Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong, director of the Phuket Marine Biological Center, told AFP.

"We had never seen such a number in 20 years."

Although chances of survival are very low - about one egg hatched out of 1,000 will reach adulthood - Kongkiat said the increase in nesting is a positive sign for efforts to preserve endangered species.

A nest of the olive ridley sea turtle was also spotted - the first time in two decades.

Other species that live in the warm waters around Thailand include leatherback, hawksbill, green and loggerhead turtles.

But as Thailand tentatively begins to reopen its doors to fully vaccinated international tourists, scientists have tempered their optimism.

"The pandemic may offer sea turtles a welcome break," Thon Thamrongnawasawat from Kasetsart University in Bangkok said.

"But they live long and are a highly migratory species. Without effective policies to protect them, we can't expect many long-term benefits to population recovery."

In Thailand - as in many other countries - the marine animal's future is threatened by global warming, which harms coral reefs and increases temperatures of waters.

The hotter conditions could in turn disrupt the species' populations: Studies have shown that warmer sands where they nest leads to more female hatchlings relative to males.

Pollution is also a problem.

At the moment, plastic and discarded fishing lines and nets remain the primary cause of disease and death.

"In 56 percent of the cases, the turtles that are brought to us have ingested marine waste or become trapped in it," said Dr Patcharaporn Kaewong from the Phuket Marine Biological Center.

Currently, 58 turtles are being treated there. Some need operations, amputation or prosthetics before they are released back into the wild.

At the moment, scientists and local authorities are on high alert for nesting season, which runs until February.
After a female turtle lays a nest, the authorities will act quickly - either moving them to a safe place if they are too close to the water or surrounding it with bamboo fences and security cameras.

"After hatching, we take care of the weak turtles until they are strong enough to go to the sea," Patcharaporn said."

Sea turtles return to Thailand’s shores during pandemic - Global Times

[HermantheGerman]

^

Great news and finally a good post from OhOh

Merry Christmas OhOh

[HermantheGerman]

The virologist Christian Drosten has described China as his "greatest concern" with a view to the corona pandemic. “Of course Omikron comes there too. And the vaccine that was used there was poorly effective against this variant. This is a real danger, also for the global economy, "said the head of virology at the Berlin Charité in an interview with the" Süddeutsche Zeitung "

Virologe Drosten bringt 1G fur Geboosterte ins Spiel


Let's hope they put out a big order for Moderna and Biontech

[hallelujah]

Another government report from the UK (this time the Health Security Agency) into the Omicron "threat" which tallies with the earlier South African evidence (and Scotland, Norway, Denmark etc) that it is up to 70% (SEVENTY PERCENT) less likely to cause hospitalisation than the last scariant.

Covid: People infected with Omicron up to 70% less likely to need hospital treatment, study suggests | ITV News

Omicron less likely to cause hospitalization, UK government study says

And they want us to get another booster and live by these draconian rules against what is nothing more than a cold or a bit of flu?

Yeah, fuck off.

[Switch]

No. You're wrong because reports now published in the UK also show that the infection is much less severe and results in 45% fewer overnight hospital stays (and this is from the SAGE doom-mongers). Other reports in Scotland say, in keeping with the South African research, that it is around 65%.

Omicron Covid IS MILDER, says SAGE member Neil Ferguson in first real-world study on severity | Daily Mail Online

As I've said all along, facts not fear. Omicron is nothing more than a heavy cold or a bit of flu for the absolute massive majority. With the booster drive, previous exposure and a better understanding of the virus, it's time to get back to living life.

Omnicron is a serious variation because it infects more people, and the infection rate is much faster. It translates to higher numbers being infected, and requires hospitalization in a similar number of cases as the Delta variant.
The outcome may well be milder, that is yet to be proven in countries outside Africa. The higher and Quicker infection rates will have similar serious effects purely based on numbers, and the different populations with age and co-morbidity rates having more serious effects.
I see where you are coming from and I hope you are correct, but your end game is not based on facts. It is much more complex than your generalizations make out. To suggest this at such an early stage is both naive and irresponsible.

[hallelujah]

The outcome may well be milder, that is yet to be proven in countries outside Africa.

I've just posted links to 3 or 4 government reports from the UK, which you asked for in post 12784 and actually quoted in your replying post!, stating that Omicron is a mild disease in keeping with previous studies carried out elsewhere.

Have you had a stroke or something?

[misskit]

U.K. Reports 132 Omicron Patients Admitted to Hospitals, 14 Deaths from COVID Variant

The United Kingdom reported that 132 patients with Omicron have been admitted to hospitals as of December 20, 14 of whom died.


Initial data suggests that the Omicron variant of COVID is less severe, saying that sufferers are 50 percent to 70 percent less likely to need hospitalization than those with the Delta variant, the U.K. Health Security Agency said Thursday. They also said Omicron variant-infected people are estimated to be 31 percent to 45 percent less likely to go to a hospital emergency department than those with the Delta variant.


However, the agency warned the findings are "preliminary and highly uncertain" due to the small amount of Omicron patients in hospitals and the fact that a majority of them are younger. The 14 patients who have died were between the ages of 52 and 96.

Scientists also said any decrease in the severity of infection needs to be considered against the speed of infection of the Omicron variant versus the Delta variant, as well as the fact that Omicron can better evade vaccines.


Omicron is the dominant strain in Britain currently, with cases having increased over 50 percent in a week. On Thursday, Britain had 119,789 reported cases of COVID, the highest number in the pandemic and the second day the number has surpassed 100,000.


The agency's research said the protection a booster shot of vaccine gives against symptomatic Omicron infection appears to wane after about 10 weeks, though protection against hospitalization and severe disease is likely to hold up for longer.


UKHSA chief executive Jenny Harries said the analysis "shows an encouraging early signal that people who contract the Omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalization than those who contract other variants."


But she added that "cases are currently very high in the U.K., and even a relatively low proportion requiring hospitalization could result in a significant number of people becoming seriously ill."


U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the emerging information about Omicron was "encouraging news," But he said it was "not very clear yet ... by how much that risk is reduced" compared to delta.


The analysis follows two studies, from Imperial College London and Scottish researchers, that found patients with Omicron were between 20 percent and 68 percent less likely to require hospital treatment than those with delta.

Data out of South Africa, where the variant was first detected, have also suggested Omicron might be milder there.


Even if the early studies are borne out, the new variant could still overwhelm health systems because of the sheer number of infections. The British health agency said Omicron appeared able to re-infect people more easily than previous variants, with 9.5 percent of Omicron cases found in people who had already had COVID-19—a figure it said was likely an underestimate.


Britain's Office for National Statistics estimated that about 1 in 45 people in private households in England—1.2 million individuals—had COVID-19 in the week to December 16, the highest level seen in the pandemic.


Britain's Conservative government this month reinstated rules requiring face masks in shops and ordered people to show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test before entering nightclubs and other crowded venues in an attempt to slow Omicron's spread.


The government said Thursday it would not impose any new restrictions before Christmas, but might do so soon after.


Officials also urged people to get tested regularly and cut back on socializing. Many in Britain have heeded that advice, leaving entertainment and hospitality businesses reeling at what should be their busiest time of the year.


The government has offered grants and loans to support restaurants, bars, theaters, and other venues, but many say it is not enough to stop them going under.


Rules set by the U.K. government apply in England. Other parts of the U.K.—Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—have set slightly tighter restrictions, including the closure of nightclubs.


The government is hoping vaccine boosters will provide a bulwark against Omicron, as the data suggests, and has set a goal of offering everyone 18 and up a third shot by the end of December.

MSN

[hallelujah]

U.K. Reports 132 Omicron Patients Admitted to Hospitals, 14 Deaths from COVID Variant

The United Kingdom reported that 132 patients with Omicron have been admitted to hospitals as of December 20, 14 of whom died.

MSN

The UK government and their doom-mongers (SAGE) are getting called out at the moment big time at home for the way they report COVID figures and deaths

Two-thirds of new Covid hospital patients in England only tested positive AFTER being admitted | Daily Mail Online

U.K. Reports 132 Omicron Patients Admitted to Hospitals, 14 Deaths from COVID Variant

The United Kingdom reported that 132 patients with Omicron have been admitted to hospitals as of December 20, 14 of whom died.

MSN

And I bet you not one of those has actually died because of this current scariant, which has been shown to be 70 % less dangerous than the other bullshit (a fucking cold!). With it, yes, but because of it? Bollocks.

And the way that they have allowed SAGE to dictate government policy with their doom-laden predictions, which have time and time again proven to be hopelessly wrong, should be investigated after this nonsense is over.

Sir Patrick Vallance takes swipe at critics accusing scientists of scaremongering over Covid | Daily Mail Online

Facts not fear.

[misskit]

And the way that they have allowed SAGE to dictate government policy with their doom-laden predictions, which have time and time again proven to be hopelessly wrong:

Sir Patrick Vallance takes swipe at critics accusing scientists of scaremongering over Covid | Daily Mail Online

Facts not fear.

The article you have posted doesn’t back up your position! This is about people’s lives. I would rather trust scientists being cautious than politicians or some yahoo on the internet who doesn’t agree with them.