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The Omicron variant

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12357…117

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    #122
    galwaybabe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭galwaybabe


    I'm already mixing up the words Omicron and Unicorn. In fairness, the Unicorn Variant has quite a nice ring to it



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    #123
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    60 out of 600 passengers tested positive on the flights stopped in Amsterdam from SA. All asymptomatic. Would assume most are omicron infected.



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    #124
    fun loving criminal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,491 ✭✭✭fun loving criminal


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231474#Comment_118231474

    Where did you get this info?


    Also, they could be in early stages of the virus so still being asymptomatic. No one knows if they will go on to develop severe symptoms. Will these people be monitored to find out how it goes?


    Edit: just found it online. They don't know what variant these people have.



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    #125
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,829 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231075#Comment_118231075

    The health Minister, who is a practicing Doctor, said that it appears to be milder.


    That's still an observation, we'll see what the results say.



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    #126
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231485#Comment_118231485

    I got the info from the news:

    https://twitter.com/naomiohreally/status/1464509404238209025?s=21




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    #127
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,829 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231371#Comment_118231371

    That's the same for all rapidly spreading viruses.


    Probably always will be.



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    #128
    daheff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,866 ✭✭✭daheff


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231492#Comment_118231492

    This is good news then if true. If it's milder and more virulent, everybody would get it sooner and less people would get very sick and die. Then the pandemic would burn itself out.



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    #129
    BanditLuke
    Registered Users Posts: 2,600 ✭✭✭BanditLuke


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231474#Comment_118231474

    Wow. That's frightening.

    1 in 10 😲



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    #130
    corkie
    Registered Users Posts: 7,491 ✭✭✭corkie


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118228964#Comment_118228964

    The letters of the Greek alphabet are: alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu1, xi, omicron, pi1, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi1, psi1, omega.

    Was there other variants after 'epsilon' that we have skipped some? I know 'lambda' got a mention and the others where not raised to concern level.



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    #131
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231503#Comment_118231503

    Hardly frightening if they’re all asymptomatic?



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    #132
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231517#Comment_118231517

    Theta and others are used in mathematics. Assume they don’t to use them. Eg they won’t name variants sigma and pi.



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    #133
    Wolf359f
    Registered Users Posts: 5,854 ✭✭✭Wolf359f


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231371#Comment_118231371

    The original vaccines are still very effective vs serious disease and death with Delta. There's no need to tweak it untill you come across a vaccine escaping strain.

    With such a low vaccination rate in SA, even with a delta specific vaccine, this new variant more than likely would have still came about.

    So there would have had to have been another modified vaccine for that also etc...

    Would be endless tweaked vaccines it would be like a pic a mix for each countries and would severely limit supplies if they keep changing the vaccine for every single variant.



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    #134
    BanditLuke
    Registered Users Posts: 2,600 ✭✭✭BanditLuke


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231534#Comment_118231534

    1 in 10, incredible stat.



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    #135
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231545#Comment_118231545

    Incredible but far from “frightening”.



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    #136
    Valhallapt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭Valhallapt


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231474#Comment_118231474

    Reality is the flight from SA 24 hour previous were likely as infected, so omicron is here now. Early days, but initial reports seem to suggest it has involved into a much more mild flu like virus, good news if those reports turn out to be true.



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    #137
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I remember when we just got plain old covid, and we were glad of it. A good honest virus it were.

    Now it's all these fancy varients.

    It's not the same.



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    #138
    TonyMaloney
    Registered Users Posts: 2,147 ✭✭✭TonyMaloney


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231534#Comment_118231534

    Or they're all presymptomatic. Everyone, even those that die from it, are asymptomatic prior to getting symptoms.

    I see you're up to your old games. Fair play, you're very determined.

    Here's some counterbalance to your relentless positivity, from the guardian:

    The number of confirmed Omicron Covid cases in South Africa is still relatively low, with 2,828 new confirmed cases recorded on Friday, but its speed in infecting young people in the country has alarmed health professionals, the Associated Press reports.

    “We’re seeing a marked change in the demographic profile of patients with Covid-19,” Rudo Mathivha, head of the intensive care unit at Soweto’s Baragwanath hospital, told an online press briefing.

    “Young people, in their 20s to just over their late 30s, are coming in with moderate to severe disease, some needing intensive care. About 65% are not vaccinated and most of the rest are only half-vaccinated,” said Mathivha.

    “I’m worried that as the numbers go up, the public health care facilities will become overwhelmed.”

    She said urgent preparations are needed to enable public hospitals to cope with a potential large influx of patients needing intensive care.

    Diagnostic tests so far indicate the Omicron variant may be responsible for as many as 90% of the new cases, according to South Africa’s health officials.

    Early studies show that it has a reproduction rate of 2 — meaning that every person infected by it is likely to spread it to two other people.



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    #139
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231560#Comment_118231560

    There’s very little reports (if any at all, I’ve seen none) on it being more serious anyway. Johannesburg hospitals are reporting no vaccinated cases and the SA health ministry said cases are “extremely mild” so far. Hong Kong cases were asymptomatic while the Belgian case had mild flu like symptoms. Little info so far but have to take the positives when they come.



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    #140
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231568#Comment_118231568

    Ah you’re still at it. Good news there, no vaccinated in hospital.



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    #141
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,161 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118230301#Comment_118230301

    Actually I'd be largely in agreement with him regarding his main subject cholesterol, which is often a contrary view to much of the mainstream on that subject, however on covid he's decided to be equally contrarian, the difference being he's veered over into the conspiracy angle and has fired out half and non truths to back that position up. Half and non truths that are quite easily debunked. It's that position my post was referencing.

    That said he and even way more conspiracy pseudo science driven types than him and the Kens and Karens on Whatsapp have been helped throughout this pandemic by many mainstream politicians and advisors coming out with regular howlers that either go against the actual evidence, or rely on half arsed evidence. Howlers that were absorbed often wothout question by a fearful populace looking for answers. That's certainly been the case in this country.

    This omicron variant is shaping up in a similar way. Media and some politicans are waxing lyrical on the matter with little evidence in the mix so far. What do we actually know at the moment? A new variant has sprung up, one with a lot more mutations than previous versions. It seems to be more transmissable, but its virulence is unknown. What seems to be the case at this stage is that no jump in hospitalisations or deaths have shown up where this variant appears to have originated and those who've been identified with this variant are either asymptomatic, or have mild symptoms. What we don't know and can't say yet? We don't know if it'll bypass any vaccines. We don't know if it's more deadly(and so far appears not). We don't know its incubation period(though if it's anything like delta and is more infectious because of higher viral loads, the incubation period will likely be shorter). And they've changed it's name once from Nu to Omicron. That's about it as this stage. Anything else is conjecture and scary headlines. Just noticed the new name is an anagram of "moronic". 😁

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



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    #142
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231598#Comment_118231598

    Great post, well said.



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    #143
    fun loving criminal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,491 ✭✭✭fun loving criminal


    Those two flights to Amsterdam where they found 61 positives. Isn't that alot of positives to have flying?



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    #144
    amandstu
    Registered Users Posts: 3,659 ✭✭✭amandstu


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231560#Comment_118231560

    Any links to those reports?

    I have heard that hospitalizations numbers in SA with Omicron are over representing the unvaccinated vs the vaccinated. Anything other than that? (don't have a link to that myself )



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    #145
    amandstu
    Registered Users Posts: 3,659 ✭✭✭amandstu





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    #146
    ACitizenErased
    Registered Users Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭ACitizenErased


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231650#Comment_118231650

    It’s well documented by the Hong Kong case and the Belgians that they’re either asymptomatic or very mild.

    South Africans are in agreement:

    However, Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association and a practising GP based in Pretoria, said it was “premature” to make predictions of a health crisis.

    “It’s all speculation at this stage. It may be it’s highly transmissible, but so far the cases we are seeing are extremely mild,” she said. “Maybe two weeks from now I will have a different opinion, but this is what we are seeing. So are we seriously worried? No. We are concerned and we watch what’s happening. But for now we’re saying, ‘OK: there’s a whole hype out there. [We’re] not sure why.’”

    https://t.co/q9lWZTyaeL?amp=1



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    #147
    BruteStock
    Registered Users Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭BruteStock


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231650#Comment_118231650

    Over 30 Million South Africans are unvaccinated. What do you expect to happen to these people?



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    #148
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231371#Comment_118231371

    We didn't need one. Pfizer looked at developing one but discovered that a 3rd dose of the original vaccine offered just as good protection.



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    #149
    amandstu
    Registered Users Posts: 3,659 ✭✭✭amandstu


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231674#Comment_118231674

    I would still expect the ratio of vaccinated to unvaccinated in the hospitals vs the same ratio in the general population (over a long enough time frame) to be very instructive.


    Of course it has been a game of Russian roulette to protect our own population at the expense of less wealthy populations.

    Hopefully the chickens do not return to roost on this occasion and SA has given us a silver bullet to end this disease in quite short order if we now have a mild but very transmissable form of the disease that may corner the market in due course.



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    #150
    BruteStock
    Registered Users Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭BruteStock


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231744#Comment_118231744

    If our hospitals can't handle a mere 7% unvaccinated then surely doomsday is coming for South Africa whose population of unvaxed is over 70%. Lets not forget that their hospitals should already be 10x over capacity from the Delta flavour.. Kinda strange how we don't see the bodies of the unvaccinated pilling up by the truck load.



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    #151
    Multipass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,678 ✭✭✭Multipass


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231634#Comment_118231634

    Not to worry, they probably all have their covid certs.



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