Coronavirus thread

[prémont]

Yes, they can! These figures are an indication of your chance, as an individual, of dying from Covid. It doesn't mean that you definitely won't but it certainly looks like you're far more likely to live than die of Covid. Are you vaxxed? If so then your chances got even better.

What I mean is, that I have a risk of getting Covid no matter how small or large the risk is, and as I'm particularly susceptible (due to reduced immune competence) my risk of contracting the disease and even of serious disease is obviously large. You can't tell me the real risk, which is rather individual. And if I contract Covid, all that talk about risk and chances makes no real sense in the end.

Of course I'm vaxxed, two full doses and a more recent booster.

[Que]

But surely it's too late! Especially if you've not had any vaccinations already.

I'm afraid you are right.... Though here the current lockdown buys them a little bit of extra time.

[Que]

Of course I'm vaxxed, two full doses and a more recent booster.

That's all you can do. Hopefully after a while group immunity will stop the spread of the virus and significantly reduce the chance of infection. All the best!

[prémont]

That's all you can do. Hopefully after a while group immunity will stop the spread of the virus and significantly reduce the chance of infection. All the best!

Thanks, yes hopefully. You may call me pessimistic, but I 'm not so sure. With the omikron's tendency to reinfections/breakthrough infections it all depends upon the frequency of these manifestations whether R can be kept under 1 or not. Possibly we shall not reach herd immunity until an omikron specific vaccine has been developed. And maybe we shall be in a similar situation next year with an omega variant, which is even more transmissible than the omikron, until also an omega specific vaccine has been developed.

[Karl Henning]

Indeed, we are talking about breakthrough infections of people who have been fully vaccinated
The interesting thing here is that breakthrough infections of fully vaccinated with Omicron are used by sceptics to dismiss the value of previous vaccinations.

Why, I have read a snarky post by our own Andrei obliquely to this effect, on this very thread.

[Karl Henning]

In addition to my previous post. Given that Omicron is hard to avoid due to its infectiousness and because it has widely spread,  it is all the better that the vaccinations - even if they were designed for an earlier variant - still offer crucial protection. And this reality has finally gotten through with some people... I live very close to a vaccination location, and I can see the repenting unvaccinated lining up every day.

I wish there were such sensible repentance here in the States.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, yes hopefully. You may call me pessimistic, but I 'm not so sure. With the omikron's tendency to reinfections/breakthrough infections it all depends upon the frequency of these manifestations whether R can be kept under 1 or not. Possibly we shall not reach herd immunity until an omikron specific vaccine has been developed. And maybe we shall be in a similar situation next year with an omega variant, which is even more transmissible than the omikron, until also an omega specific vaccine has been developed.

Stay safe, friend!

[Mandryka]

Interesting to see the numbers coming out of France at the moment - presumably they have radically underestimated the extent of the omega epidemic there. This is a country with a good reputation for masking up too - it suggests that if you want to put the breaks on omicron you need quite serious constraints, constraints with immediate economic and social undesirable implications, like restrictions in retail and education. The UK is saying everything's under control because of the high vaccination rate - but France had a high vaccination rate too! Maybe France is having a problem rolling out boosters, though hard to imagine why unless they haven't got the doses (but if not, why not?)

If it isn't omega, if it's delta and due to vaccine wane, then it's pretty poor show. Vaccine wane has been understood since Israel saw it this Summer.

[Karl Henning]

Despite omicron, Covid-19 will become endemic. Here's how.

[Florestan]

Why, I have read a snarky post by our own Andrei obliquely to this effect, on this very thread.

The protected must be protected from the unprotected by forcing upon the unprotected the protection that doesn't protect the protected. 

[Karl Henning]

Federal court denies Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's attempt to stop military vaccine mandate

[Karl Henning]

With COVID-19 cases surging, Rockport cancels New Year's Eve celebration

Vermont hopes to give 80,000 at-home COVID-19 tests to parents — 1:34 p.m.

Worcester officials to limit audience sizes at school sporting events, hand out masks daily to staff amid COVID-19 surge — 1:17 p.m.

Baker touts 2 million booster doses jabbed into Mass. residents' arms as COVID-19 battle rages on — 11:29 a.m.

Hospitals brace for increased COVID-19 among children as Omicron spreads — 9:23 a.m.

Amid record infections, France ups pressure on unvaccinated — 7:08 a.m.

WHO: global COVID cases up 11% last week, Omicron risk high — 6:16 a.m.

Massachusetts soars past million case milestone as Omicron sweeps the nation — 9:16 p.m.

[Que]

The Dutch govt. has just indicated that there will be two more booster rounds in 2022 and one in 2023.

My hunch is that these "boosters" will in actual fact be a new vaccination round with a vaccine modified to Omicron - if that stays the dominant variant.

[Mandryka]

The Dutch govt. has just indicated that there will be two more booster rounds in 2022 and 2023.

My hunch is that these "boosters" will in actual fact be a new vaccination round with a vaccine modified to Omicron - if that stays the dominant variant.

Interesting move -- to pin hopes in the next couple of years on vaccination rather than other medical interventions. Drugs to stop it getting serious, taken after you've already caught it. 

With all the difficulties getting the population to cooperate with vaccination programmes.

[Que]

Interesting move -- to pin hopes in the next couple of years on vaccination rather than other medical interventions. Drugs to stop it getting serious, taken after you've already caught it. 

With all the difficulties getting the population to cooperate with vaccination programmes.

The problem with these vaccines is that you have to put in your order early: first come, first served...

BTW Although vaccination sceptics are very vocal in the Netherlands, with 85.9% of all adults vaccinated (not taking into account the booster) vaccination acceptance is relatively high.

[MusicTurner]

2 mio tests were carried through during the four days around Christmas here in DK, equal to almost 40% of the population - one of the reasons for Denmark topping today's percentage lists of infected.

Surely, more jabs will be coming in 2022.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

2 mio tests were carried through during the four days around Christmas here in DK, equal to almost 40% of the population - one of the reasons for Denmark topping today's percentage lists of infected.

Surely, more jabs will be coming in 2022.

I'm so sorry to hear about the positivity rate, but it's good that you're testing rate is so high--if that makes sense.  As in best to know what's going on.

Trying to recall though, with the kind of tests that they are administering, what is the rate of false results?

PD

[MusicTurner]

I'm so sorry to hear about the positivity rate, but it's good that you're testing rate is so high--if that makes sense.  As in best to know what's going on.

Trying to recall though, with the kind of tests that they are administering, what is the rate of false results?

PD

The PCR tests are well up in the 90s-percentages as regards efficiency rate. I've heard the quick tests catching maybe only 55% of positive cases, which is why I took three of them in four days before Christmas; PCRs were booked up, but I got one on the 27th.

At a presser today, it was announced that there has been an official examination of 45 different types of quick tests (presumably including home kits), and the results will be published soon.

As regards the number of hospitalizations, the milder omicron has influenced stats too, in the way that about 25% of the registered ones aren't really hospitalized because of corona, but something else. Before omicron, that share was only 15 - 20%. Of course, the infected still strain the system because of isolation and equipment demands.

It seems that the picture of omicron being milder is consolidated here; but what remains to be seen however, is omicron hitting the elderly, which hasn't been the case that much so far.

[André]

The Dutch govt. has just indicated that there will be two more booster rounds in 2022 and 2023.

My hunch is that these "boosters" will in actual fact be a new vaccination round with a vaccine modified to Omicron - if that stays the dominant variant.

Re-re-re-re vaccinating the northern hemisphere while the southern hemisphere remains largely unvaccinated is a recipe for failure. While this virus remains untamed in the other half of the world, the more chances new variants will emerge and travel north, reinfecting us by the back door. Et vogue la galère...

[MusicTurner]

Re-re-re-re vaccinating the northern hemisphere while the southern hemisphere remains largely unvaccinated is a recipe for failure. While this virus remains untamed in the other half of the world, the more chances new variants will emerge and travel north, reinfecting us by the back door. Et vogue la galère...

Probably true, and a problem.