New heavily mutated variant B.1.1.529 in South Africa raises concern

I am hoping for many mutations as fast as possible where each step is more infectious and less dangerous to our health.

This natural progression is the displacement of the previous deadly variants with only annoying variants.
 
I am hoping for many mutations as fast as possible where each step is more infectious and less dangerous to our health.

This natural progression is the displacement of the previous deadly variants with only annoying variants.
Maybe the latest variant will have low health impact and yet offer protection from future infection. Wouldn't that be nice? A natural immunity that spreads around the world.
 
The new variant has arrived into the UK and in Belgium.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59445388

Two people in the UK have been found to be infected with the new Covid variant, Omicron, the health secretary has said.

Sajid Javid said the UK Health Security Agency had detected cases in Brentwood, Essex, and in Nottingham.

He said the cases were linked to travel in southern Africa and they and their households were self-isolating as more tests and contact tracing take place.

The new variant has also been identified in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.



Also, 10% of passengers (61 out of 600) on 2 flights from South Africa test positive for Covid in Amsterdam. (still testing them for Omicron)


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59442149

Sixty-one people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa have tested positive for Covid-19, Dutch officials say.

They have been placed in isolation at a hotel near Schiphol airport.

They were among some 600 passengers held for several hours after arrival while they were tested for the virus.

The Dutch authorities are carrying out further testing to see if there are any cases of Omicron, named on Friday as a variant of concern by the WHO.
 
Read Alan's links. It appeared that the infected were to be isolated: no reports of anyone being rushed to ICU - yet.
 
The new variant has arrived into the UK and in Belgium.

I've seen this pattern before. The virus is everywhere but the US... but in reality, it is already here. How could it not be?
 
Same here. Even if it took getting a free booster shot every month, if I can get in and out of a pharmacy to get it, I'll do it. To me, it's easy protection. Actually, it seems like a bit of a luxury - to be able to get a quick, virtually painless jab, that protects one with a pretty high % against a killing or life-changing disease.
When I was in the hospital for weeks in first grade, I got to see Mary in the iron lung (whether I wanted to or not) every day during my brief out-of-bed walk. I wanted to turn left from my room, the battle-axe always turned me right, down the hall, and into Mary's room to say hello. Mary was about 6th grade. I would guess that if Mary knew, she would have wanted a polio shot instead. Polio later struck a girl a year older than me in my neighborhood. I was told that Mary would spend her life in an iron lung, no hope. Reminds me again of the luxury I have in getting a shot.


‘Polio Paul’ is one of the last men left with an iron lung
 
I am hoping for many mutations as fast as possible where each step is more infectious and less dangerous to our health.

This natural progression is the displacement of the previous deadly variants with only annoying variants.

Watching a Sat Morning news program, a doc there brought up this very point. If ends up the mutation infects faster than delta but is less deadly, could be a blessing in disguise.
 
It would be interesting to find out what vaccine the 61 infected passengers out of the 600 passengers that landed in Amsterdam had. It appears that the pre-flight COVID test requirement plus proof of vaccination may become the norm until the pandemic is under control. The Netherlands and other EU countries only required proof of vaccination for entry and those that could not prove their vaccination status (or were vaccinated with a vaccine that was not approved by the EU) are required to provide a negative COVID test within 48 hours prior to the flight.
 
Here I think how much I'm suffering because I can't travel to other countries without a lot of uncertainty and extra expense. Then I read about Polio Paul and realize I'm such a wimp and should be thankful and grateful for what I have.

I had occasion as a very young child to use the rehab facilities at the local Easter Seals around 1956-57. I vividly remember older kids and adults relearning to walk using the wooden bars and the adults in swimsuits in the therapy pools. I believe there was an iron lung patient there a few times as well. Easter Seals is long gone, but there are still many "graduates" left.
 
I had occasion as a very young child to use the rehab facilities at the local Easter Seals around 1956-57. I vividly remember older kids and adults relearning to walk using the wooden bars and the adults in swimsuits in the therapy pools. I believe there was an iron lung patient there a few times as well. Easter Seals is long gone, but there are still many "graduates" left.

Looks like they still have some locations!

Autism seems to be one of their causes now.

https://www.easterseals.com/who-we-are/news/press-releases/board-member-connect.html
 
Watching a Sat Morning news program, a doc there brought up this very point. If ends up the mutation infects faster than delta but is less deadly, could be a blessing in disguise.
The virus needs to spread in order to evolve. What that doctor and you commented doesnt help us. The first step of stopping the virus is to stop it's spread (with vaccines, masking, and social distancing) not only because it would help to reduce deaths but really is to reduce the transmission rate.

It may seem helpful to have a less deadly virus among us now but that is just for this specific strain. It is when not if until the next more deadly and highly transmissible strain to show up. So I say whatever you are hoping is short visioned. Controlling the spreading should be the only goal in a pandemic.
 
Let's wait and see what happens with this new variant, keep our options open and look for ways to deal with new problems. Every day we gain new knowledge and experience in regards to this virus.

The people who know this virus the best are busy working on it. They are not running about to get in front of the microphones and cameras with dire predictions that compete for making the evening news. There are reasons to believe we will find ways to deal with this variant, if it truly is more dangerous. <-- which we don't know as of this moment.
 
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The vaccines cannot cause the virus to mutate. Viruses mutate on their own. If your antibodies, stimulated by a previous vaccine or infection, cannot stop an existing variant then that variant will survive to continue to infect you and others. Any particular mutation occurs independent of the vaccines. It is pure chance. The more people infected though, the more opportunities for a mutation.
+1 This is basic Biology 101 that most people slept through, didn't understand, or was not explained well by the teacher (who may not have a good understanding themselves). No wonder the average person becomes confused. To many people still think Lamarkian theory (Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics) is how it works.


Cheers!
 
Do you get a flu shot every year? This is really no different. If I need a COVID booster yearly to goose my immunity and cover me against new strains, I'll be there.

I do and I will be glad to get a booster on an annual basis. But I'm not planning on taking booster shots every 6 months.
 
It would be interesting to find out what vaccine the 61 infected passengers out of the 600 passengers that landed in Amsterdam had. It appears that the pre-flight COVID test requirement plus proof of vaccination may become the norm until the pandemic is under control. The Netherlands and other EU countries only required proof of vaccination for entry and those that could not prove their vaccination status (or were vaccinated with a vaccine that was not approved by the EU) are required to provide a negative COVID test within 48 hours prior to the flight.
Until prevalence is very low, I'm glad the US has stuck with the pre-flight covid testing for incoming international flights, and frankly very surprised that the EU countries dropped it. Glad that AMS tested everyone arriving on those flights. Big wake up call!

I would rather be on a flight with everyone tested, especially if people are not masking properly on the flight and not enforced.
 
It would be interesting to find out what vaccine the 61 infected passengers out of the 600 passengers that landed in Amsterdam had. It appears that the pre-flight COVID test requirement plus proof of vaccination may become the norm until the pandemic is under control. The Netherlands and other EU countries only required proof of vaccination for entry and those that could not prove their vaccination status (or were vaccinated with a vaccine that was not approved by the EU) are required to provide a negative COVID test within 48 hours prior to the flight.



I read that in South Africa, the vaccines used were Phizer and J&J. Also read that 40% of the South African population had been vaccinated. I am sure someone will disagree :)
 
I am hoping for many mutations as fast as possible where each step is more infectious and less dangerous to our health.

This natural progression is the displacement of the previous deadly variants with only annoying variants.

Yes. And this is what makes the recurrent speculation and fear of the latest "far more infectious" virus seem a bit overwrought.
 
+1 This is basic Biology 101 that most people slept through, didn't understand, or was not explained well by the teacher (who may not have a good understanding themselves). No wonder the average person becomes confused. To many people still think Lamarkian theory (Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics) is how it works.
Cheers!

I totally understand why average people think vaccines cause mutations. They see vaccines get rolled out by the billions and THEN new variants pop up. How could the obvious cause & effect be otherwise? Here though is another example of nature not always being exactly how it appears. Where a little education goes a long ways. Where, dare I say it (?), we can benefit from listening to experts. Maybe acknowledge that some things really are complicated. If the belief that vaccines cause mutations persist leading to people rejecting vaccines then we would be doing exactly the wrong thing.
 
I totally understand why average people think vaccines cause mutations. They see vaccines get rolled out by the billions and THEN new variants pop up. How could the obvious cause & effect be otherwise?

+1

Same thing with house fires. Every time I see a house on fire it is surrounded by firemen. They must be the ones burning down the houses. :rolleyes:
 
Just to help those who may need a little more convincing, here is another article from March 2020, describing how virologists were already identifying mutations in the COVID virus in an attempt to trace the spread of the disease at that time. Yes, the virus was already mutating prior to March 2020, long before there were any vaccines, because, as others have eloquently explained, that's what viruses do all by themselves - they mutate in the course of reproduction.

https://www.science.org/content/art...-coronavirus-moves-they-re-easy-overinterpret
 
Just to help those who may need a little more convincing, here is another article from March 2020, describing how virologists were already identifying mutations in the COVID virus in an attempt to trace the spread of the disease at that time. Yes, the virus was already mutating prior to March 2020, long before there were any vaccines, because, as others have eloquently explained, that's what viruses do all by themselves - they mutate in the course of reproduction.

https://www.science.org/content/art...-coronavirus-moves-they-re-easy-overinterpret

The website nextstrain.org has a couple of nice graphics of all the strains since January 2020.
 
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