General Coronavirus chit chat thread - non-travel specific

[drron]

Omicron is now making up 40% of covid cases in London. At least 10 hospitalised and 1 confirmed death.

At least one patient dead after getting omicron, Boris Johnson says

PM declines to rule out further Covid restrictions before Christmas

www.independent.co.uk

 

[OZDUCK]

This might cause some interesting reactions if introduced here.

Norway bans serving alcohol in bid to curb Omicron surge

Restaurants and bars will no longer serve alcohol in what the government says "will feel like a lockdown", as the country expects Omicron to become the dominant variant in the coming days.

www.abc.net.au

 

[jrfsp]

Omicron is now making up 40% of covid cases in London. At least 10 hospitalised and 1 confirmed death.

At least one patient dead after getting omicron, Boris Johnson says

PM declines to rule out further Covid restrictions before Christmas

www.independent.co.uk

Certainly seems to be spreading like wildfire and looks to become dominant even sooner than expected.

They are really going for it with the boosters over there. Will be interesting to see....

 

[JohnM]

This might cause some interesting reactions if introduced here.

Norway bans serving alcohol in bid to curb Omicron surge

Restaurants and bars will no longer serve alcohol in what the government says "will feel like a lockdown", as the country expects Omicron to become the dominant variant in the coming days.

www.abc.net.au

Sketchy report that doesn't give the rationale. Why specifically stopping serving alcohol? Is a coffee or milkshake OK?

 

[Lynda2475]

Why specifically stopping serving alcohol?

One can only surmise that people under the influence of alcohol are less likely to maintain physical distance and comply with other health guidelines.

Licensed establishments certainly seem to be accounting for the lions share of new cases here now.

 

[JohnM]

One can only surmise that people under the influence of alcohol are less likely to maintain physical distance and comply with other health guidelines.

Licensed establishments certainly seem to be accounting for the lions share of new cases here now.

In that case, why not just close bars or disallow standing? And why stop serving alcohol in restaurants, but presumably still serve meals and other drinks?

As I said, the report is too sketchy to make any sense of it.

 

[JohnM]

For those having the Moderna booster, make sure you have nothing planned the next day.

Would you care to elaborate on the vaccine rollout thread, JT?

 

[drron]

And now a new type of treatment -chewing gum. But with a difference.

Chewing Gum Could Reduce the Spread of Covid-19 By Cutting the Virus in Saliva, Says New Study

Scientists have invented a chewing gum stick that traps COVID-19 viral particles and can significantly reduce viral load in saliva.

www.goodnewsnetwork.org

 

[VPS]

 

[VPS]

I really want to buy this Christmas wrapping paper

 

[drron]

The new QLD CHO is way better than the last. Hopefully he can convince the Government that their measures are counter productive. Good to see some common sense from a CHO.

The Chief Health Officer is now also saying that we’re not trying to contain the spread of the virus too much anymore, and now actually need it to spread.


“Not only is the spread of this virus inevitable, it is necessary. In order for us to go from the pandemic phase to an endemic phase, the virus has to be widespread.


“We all have to have immunity. You will all have to develop immunity.


“There’s two ways you can do that – by being vaccinated or getting infected.


“And once we’ve done that, once the virus is spreading, once we all have some degree of immunity, the virus becomes endemic and that is what is going to happen,” Doctor Gerrard said.

myGoldCoast

The Gold Coast's Best Music Variety

www.mygc.com.au

 

[clifford]

The new QLD CHO is way better than the last. Hopefully he can convince the Government that their measures are counter productive. Good to see some common sense from a CHO.

They didn't know what they would get when they picked him. He's a bit rabid.

Perhaps no one else was available.

 

[drron]

They didn't know what they would get when they picked him. He's a bit rabid.

Perhaps no one else was available.

If by rabid you mean he is speaking common sense I agree. Numerous experts around the world agree with him and the numbers are growing daily. Vaccines aren't the total answer that is now very obvious. The policies of the last 2 years are now inappropriate.

It is good to go back in history and see how things panned out in the past.There was a flu pandemic that is estimated to have caused 1-4 million deaths. The world population then was ~ 2.87 billion. so adjusted for todays population would be equivalent to 2.75 - 11 million. At present Covid deaths world wide are ~5.5 million.

But the world didn't lock down.

They Considered and Rejected Pandemic Closures in 1957 ⋆ Brownstone Institute

Newspaper reports at the time offer no record of widespread public event cancellations much less forced closures. Sometimes college and high school football games were postponed due to illness absences. Some conventions were cancelled by organizers. But that is all.

brownstone.org

 

[jakeseven7]

They didn't know what they would get when they picked him.

Incorrect. They knew exactly what they would get. It’s why he was successful.

He's a bit rabid.

I doubt it, rabies isn’t really that common in QLD.

Perhaps no one else was available.

Incorrect, there were several people approached proactively and about 17 applicants (QH intel).

 

[JohnM]

If by rabid you mean he is speaking common sense I agree. Numerous experts around the world agree with him and the numbers are growing daily. Vaccines aren't the total answer that is now very obvious. The policies of the last 2 years are now inappropriate.

It is good to go back in history and see how things panned out in the past.There was a flu pandemic that is estimated to have caused 1-4 million deaths. The world population then was ~ 2.87 billion. so adjusted for todays population would be equivalent to 2.75 - 11 million. At present Covid deaths world wide are ~5.5 million.

But the world didn't lock down.

They Considered and Rejected Pandemic Closures in 1957 ⋆ Brownstone Institute

Newspaper reports at the time offer no record of widespread public event cancellations much less forced closures. Sometimes college and high school football games were postponed due to illness absences. Some conventions were cancelled by organizers. But that is all.

brownstone.org

I have for some time held the view that, when all of the recent events and responses are pieced together, history will not look kindly on this period. Time will tell.

 

[VPS]

True this

 

[drron]

What it's like with a covid zero policy.

Vice-premier ‘ashamed’ over woman losing baby after hospital turned her away

Sun Chunlan says medical facilities should not refuse patients, after the woman was reportedly denied admission because her Covid-19 test result had expired.

www.scmp.com

 

[ethernet]

Well, if we let Omicron rip, and test kits denied (clearly high risk individuals need better access) - not the Karen's and Wendy whingers.
1) It temperature a guide - Asia had laser temp senors everywhere
2) Does the tongue look different
3) Is your videogaming skills/ reactions off?
4) Need to go to bed early
5) Inability to appreciate fine whiskey

In the news tonight, I believe commercials saying 'Stay at home' are coming. And that under 12 vaccines may be in short supply till Feb.

 

[drron]

Well, if we let Omicron rip, and test kits denied (clearly high risk individuals need better access) - not the Karen's and Wendy whingers.
1) It temperature a guide - Asia had laser temp senors everywhere
2) Does the tongue look different
3) Is your videogaming skills/ reactions off?
4) Need to go to bed early
5) Inability to appreciate fine whiskey

In the news tonight, I believe commercials saying 'Stay at home' are coming. And that under 12 vaccines may be in short supply till Feb.

Though Minister for Health Greg Hunt was on the news here in Tassie Saying that there are 2.3 million in the 5-11 age group and there are 3 million doses in stock with 2 million due in February so supply shouldn't be a problem. Second doses basically not due until February.

 

[drron]

Some interesting articles on Omicron and why current vaccines are unlikely to be the answer.

Omicron was totally or partially resistant to neutralization by all mAbs tested. Sera from Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine recipients, sampled 5 months after complete vaccination, barely inhibited Omicron. Sera from COVID-19 convalescent patients collected 6 or 12 months post symptoms displayed low or no neutralizing activity against Omicron.

Considerable escape of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron to antibody neutralization - Nature

An isolate of the Omicron variant of SARS-COV-2 was completely or partially resistant to neutralization by all nine clinically approved monoclonal antibodies tested.

www.nature.com

Possibly if someone has had a common cold due to a coronavirus this might help prevent infection.

Could common colds hold the key to variant-proof COVID vaccines?

Though this group felt the T cell response they saw in many contacts who did not catch covid may have been due to an aborted infection.

UCL: New target for Covid-19 vaccines identified

Next generation vaccines for Covid-19 should aim to induce an immune response against ‘replication proteins’, essential for the very earliest stages of the viral cycle, concludes new research carried out by UCL scientists.By designing vaccines that a

indiaeducationdiary.in

Others feel that we need newer vaccines which target the N protein which is less likely to mutate.

Targeting intra-viral conserved nucleocapsid (N) proteins as novel vaccines against SARS-CoVs - PubMed

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the global pandemic of the Coronavirus disease in late 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccine development efforts have predominantly been aimed at 'Extra-viral' Spike (S) protein as vaccine vehicles, but there are concerns regarding...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Lastly an article on ways we may live with the virus.

COVID is here to stay: countries must decide how to adapt

The Omicron variant has laid bare the need to live with a disease that throws up an ever-changing set of challenges.

www.nature.com