Just the Facts, the Crown virus.

[SwampDonkey]

Seeing scientists saying the new variant came from an unvaccinated HIV infected person who was not taking any antivirals. In parts of Africa there is no access to treatment, people are poor.

Ivermectin is a protease inhibitor like the new Pfizer. Fact. Protease 3CL breaks a long protein which is needed to make the virus from the amino acids once the protein chain is broken. It also shows a high affinity to clog both the spike protein and the binding site (ACE2 receptor), also glycoprotein, Nsp14 protein, and PLPro. Don't know what all those are but they are part of the virus replication. So it's a heck of a lot more than a dewormer.

[Walnut Beast]

No vaccines out now will work on the new variant they say. How many shots are you willing to take 10, 20, or more

[Ianab]

No vaccines out now will work on the new variant they say. How many shots are you willing to take 10, 20, or more

That is pure speculation. No one Knows how the vaccines will perform because it's NEW. 
I hope that's not correct, because that would mean naturally acquired immunity is probably not going to work either... AND it appears easier to catch than the current Delta. Also not known if it's more or less dangerous. Hey it could be less dangerous, but don't count on that.
What's your call, another round of boosters, or a rerun of 2020? 

[Southside]

Pfizer already came out and said it will take them 100 days to create a new jab for the Nodnarbogstel-21 variant as it's being called.  When you say "another round of boosters" are you paraphrasing Albert Einstein by chance? 

[SwampDonkey]

No vaccines out now will work on the new variant they say. How many shots are you willing to take 10, 20, or more

No scientist has made that claim yet, too early, not data to prove it. But I sure hope the vaccine (s) are effective. No idea why some people seem to be wanting vaccines to fail. So they can sing some kind of told you so chant? Got me baffled there. It may possibly be a less severe mutant, one can hope. As of now, we have never yet been given data on how severe those infections have been in patients, zero. The current situation is pure speculation on all sides right now. Regardless, if it isn't effective against it, you can be certain a new vaccine will be developed or the old one(s) tweaked.  Maybe if flights across continents from Africa are cancelled, it gives us some time for that 100 day lead time of a tweaked version.  Early on Europe has shut off flights from Africa. Let's not play the wait and see over here again, that didn't work the last time (2 times let the record show). :

Did you know 9 diseases are vaccinated for in young children before they enter grade school in New Brunswick public schools? I still have my vaccine cards from almost 50 years ago.

New COVID variant: Canada to ban some travellers | CTV News

I don't see an update on the Canada Travel website yet though.

[doc henderson]

the term "new variant" says it all.  a travel ban, lets us get it later in the game after some research has been done.  If you had the disease covid 19, you may have thousands of antibodies. to many parts of the virus.  I would think (based on my understanding of virology and the immune system) you would be better equipped to fight the disease from the variant, better than just vexed.  It sounds like a different configuration to the spike protein that the monoclonal and immunization are directed to.

[SwampDonkey]

Sounds like 32 changes (10 on the receptor binding site) to the spike protein in this one compared to 9 in Delta and 2 in the previous dominant one.

[doc henderson]

In nature, mutations occur during reproduction.  Most miscarriages are mistakes in joining two sets of DNA and happens in 1:4 human pregnancies, even before it is known that a person is pregnant.  Viruses reproduce exponentially, and result in a large viral load at the crescendo of the infection.  This was why we mitigated (to slow spread) and vaccinated (hoping to shut it down) in the beginning.  viruses go from 1 to a million copies in a day (just a guess/statement that may be high or low)

[doc henderson]

the vast majority of mutations (mistakes in replication) do not survive to replicate again, some survive and replicate but do not confer an advantage. In a million cycles it only takes one to turn the world upside down.  This does not even address if people are doing things in a lab.

[Paul_H]

No scientist has made that claim yet, too early, not data to prove it. But I sure hope the vaccine (s) are effective. No idea why some people seem to be wanting vaccines to fail. So they can sing some kind of told you so chant? Got me baffled there. It may possibly be a less severe mutant, one can hope. 

Respectfully I would say that is not the case although there will always be some despicable people that wish ill upon others. Most of of us have many people we love and cherish on both sides of the fence so there would be no winners.
Sometimes there needs to be a cooling off and a time to look at the strategy whether it be a mechanic or a doctor working on a machine or a patient. Maybe the vaccines will be the thing or maybe it will be boosting the immune system and helping the infected person through the sickness. Placing people into a two tier system and dehumanizing another group works well for dividing and conquering nations but maybe not so well in fighting a plague.

[SwampDonkey]

Sometimes it's difficult to separate ill will from brotherhood.

[Southside]

It's hard accepting that we have been lied to by those in a position of trust and authority, even if the the lie was well intended, say for our own good, or simply out of ignorance of the truth.  Can you imagine a world where TPTB would actually stand up and say "Even now, we just don't know for sure", they would actually have more credibility than they do now.  

[Ianab]

Can you imagine a world where TPTB would actually stand up and say "Even now, we just don't know for sure", they would actually have more credibility than they do now.  

That might be the difference here in NZ.  We actually got a lot of that, right from the beginning. If they didn't have the info, "we don't know for sure" was the answer. Other countries have certainly tried to fudge things so they don't look as bad, or don't scare the voters / markets / tourists.  But if you start with "Look this is no big deal and totally under control", then it's hard to pivot to "well actually it IS a problem, and we need to do x,y, and z to get out of this mess". 

"But you said it wasn't a problem! Were you lying then, or now?":-[   (Or Both?) 

As you say that's actually better than being fed a line, or being told what you want to hear, but "We don't know" seems to be a hard line for politicians to actually vocalise. 

[SwampDonkey]

I sure wouldn't want the job. It's no easy task to deal with this miss. You've got the  mess itself and everyone's opinion and conspiracies on top coming from all directions.

[DbltreeBelgians]

Just received a text from a cousin of mine to let me know that my aunt just got admitted to the hospital for Covid pneumonia. Not on a vent (yet).
She was so afraid to catch Covid. She lost my uncle recently along with her sister (my mom) and my dad who passed shortly after getting his first shot. She's had both shots and the booster. Now she wonders why she's so sick after taking all the precautions she could. I don't have an answer for her. 
My cousin just text me again to let me know she just tested positive also. More than likely from tending to my aunt after she had some outpatient surgery on her hand at a local hospital. My aunt told me they had her sign something that stated she could potentially catch Covid from being at the hospital for her surgery. Now she has it bad.
I read this thread all the time but refrain from commenting because I'm the farthest thing from being in the know but this has me a bit bummed. 
I'm not sure what to believe anymore. 

Brent

[SwampDonkey]

It's no easy thing Brent when you've been let down. I hope the best for your aunt and family. No idea why anyone has to sign a form like that to get tended to. But usually some kind of form is signed to go ahead with a surgery, even a colonoscopy.

[DbltreeBelgians]

I don't know either. We're a really close knit family that communicates all the time. The surgery she had was Dupuytren's contracture. The document she had to sign was acknowledgement of potential of contracting Covid within the facility while having the surgery on her hand.
She was absolutely scared to death of getting Covid hence getting the vaccine and the booster yet she still got it so bad that she's been admitted to the hospital in rough shape. 
I get it that a vaccinated person can still get it and obviously can pass it on but was under the impression that if that was the case you would be a lot less likely to be admitted. Like I said previously I don't know what to believe now.
The day before my dad passed we were visiting him at the nursing home and he told us "We're all victims of the government". 
As you can tell, he didn't trust the system. 
He said a lot of other things to us before he passed but I won't go there as it doesn't fit the topic of this thread.
Sorry for the rant, I'm just having my own personal issues with this ordeal and needed to vent a bit.
Thank you all for your contributions to this and most of all thank you 
Doc H for starting "Just the Facts". Hopefully we all gain something from this and we'll see this virus gone someday.
Stay safe,

Brent 

[SwampDonkey]

Omicron COVD-19 reports so far from South Africa (Dr Angelique Coetzee of SA Med Assoc).

Vaccinated folks have very mild symptoms (summation of many Dr's)

"storm in a teacup" is how she puts it.

Low vaccination rates in African countries will result in new variants.

Dr. Rudo Mathiva, head of an IC unit in a SA hospital.

Low rate of vaccinations. Seeing greater risk if not fully vaccinated and hitting younger folks under 40 the hardest with mild to severe symptoms. Hard hit cases so far are 65% unvaccinated and remainder are half vaccinated.

Can be spread among doubly vaccinated, mild symptoms in vaccinated. [sic. UK doctors are saying as 2 cases found in UK and were linked]

Dr's say will have better data in 2 weeks, so far just clinical experiences.

[doc henderson]

Brent, I hope she does OK.

[DbltreeBelgians]

Thank you Brian. I hope you and the family are doing well.

Brent 

[Stephen1]

Our thoughts are with your mom. There are no gaurantees in this world, thats for sure. she is not a ventilator , so thats a good sign. 

[thecfarm]

Hospital is the worse place to go!! 
But we have to at times. Wife had gall balder surgery. About 4 door down there was signs, Do not enter, This was about 5 years ago.

[doctorb]

Brent-

My best to you and your family fighting through this.

A real conundrum....hospitals.  I know many, many hospital workers who have gone in every day and not caught the disease, as far as they know.  Yet a family member accompanies a patient there and catches it!  We don't know the real transmission rates in our facilities.  Tough decision whether to go or not, as our other health problems march onward.

[SwampDonkey]

Well, the latest news on omincron variant is that it has been found on the continent already. Two passengers on a  flight in quarantine after having tested negative before boarding a flight. So they musta got it not long before boarding.

Lots of Dr's have said before this that if you found it in the first place where ever, then it's here. Looks to be true. I would not panic over it, just do what I've been doing for the other versions.

Stay safe and look after yourself.

[kantuckid]

Hospitals and their government mandates are a large internal concern and likewise for seniors like my wife & I, what with far more frequent medical provider visits than I'd like! I worry not as life must go on! 

I actually keep an appointment note in my billfold (I'm not enough of a cell phone freak to keep them on my phone) for handy ready reference while on the phone discussing dates. My medical calendar is far busier than one visit!!! One simple reason is that I'm pro-active toward my health.  That said, I'm quite busy with jobs everyday on our place and at the shop. Those doc visits keep my body moving and alive in between. 

Come January & February, my appointments will be Florida state parks: walking, bicycles and boat, no medical stuff for a bit. 

We, speaking for myself, just cannot stop living based on germs and viruses even though our politicians are hard at work trying to force new mandates as this virus thing heats up even more.
 
Tomorrow we both get our Moderna boosters-I do wonder how the math plays out what with variants floating around us all?