Official Thread: Coronavirus "COVID-19"

[SubCog]

We have a trip to Hawaii planned for the end of January... I suppose that'll probably be the height of the omicron wave, eh? Crossing my fingers that nobody in my family gets sick.

[SD-[Inc]]

We have a trip to Hawaii planned for the end of January... I suppose that'll probably be the height of the omicron wave, eh? Crossing my fingers that nobody in my family gets sick.

Hawaii is getting it right now. Word is Omicron spike is a quick one so hopefully by end of January it’ll be calming down. Omicron is so incredibly contagious it’s eventually going to hit everywhere. So, there is no avoiding it. Just do the right things to be safe is all you can do. Hawaii is a great place for outdoor activity. So it’s the best place to be when it hits anyway!

[acroig]

Aaaand my Family Christmas is cancelled for me. One of the couples in our building tested positive and they have been walking everywhere in the building maskless, sharing teh elevator etc etc. So since I'm completely unwilling to even potentially expose either my 90 some year old grandmother or other family, vaccinated or not, me and my SO are out

Luckily my work is remotable AND my work wouldn't even be back till the 4th.

At least they notified everyone, but damn it

Crap man sorry to hear this. Maybe get a quick test and keep mask on? Just a thought, I understand you don't want to risk a potential exposure.

[Greasy]

Everyone is going to get this now. Mask or no mask. Vax up, and you should be fine. Still going to get it, but you most likely will feel like you did when you had a cold the last time.

[huskylord]

The hospital where my wife works basically advised if you have cold symptoms, assume you have Omicron at this point.

[Riptide]

live in fear i won't

Why would you? You're far more likely to recover from it than not even if you haven't taken the drug.

I hate the masks and am so tired of them at this point it's really getting stale. I wear them though because it (and good hygiene) are the best way to slow down the spread of the infection and it's also requested of me by private business as well as suggested by healthcare organizations.

Question is how many years is it going to be until we finally can put them away and stop dealing with it? How many variants are going to come out each year and so on and so forth? I fear it could be decades. Hope I'm wrong.

[Canesfan2020]

Why would you? You're far more likely to recover from it than not even if you haven't taken the drug.

I hate the masks and am so tired of them at this point it's really getting stale. I wear them though because it (and good hygiene) are the best way to slow down the spread of the infection and it's also requested of me by private business as well as suggested by healthcare organizations.

Question is how many years is it going to be until we finally can put them away and stop dealing with it? How many variants are going to come out each year and so on and so forth? I fear it could be decades. Hope I'm wrong.

Variants will likely keep popping up more frequently than not until people stop whining about vaccine and get it. Mutations are what leads to variants.

[Riptide]

Variants will keep coming out for sure until people stop whining about vaccine and get it.

So taking the drug is going to completely halt the disease from mutating when those who have can still get sick from it and spread it?

That seems rather far-fetched.

[Canesfan2020]

So taking the drug is going to completely halt the disease from mutating when those who have can still get sick from it and spread it?

That seems rather far-fetched.

reducing infection rates has a positive impact on slowing mutations. could take much much longer for a variant vs the months we are seeing now.

[Riptide]

All it will take is one new variant per year and we'll be perpetually living like this. Masks constantly, lockdowns, new drug variants constantly having to be injected to try and combat it, etc..

Until and if the government literally goes around and holds people down forcibly to take the drug you're not going to get everyone to go along with the plan to actually find out if 100% drug adoption rate does acutally completely halt mutation.

Over time eventually regardless, the disease may become less harsh from what I understand. That takes a long time though generally.

Buckle your seat belts! lol

[Canesfan2020]

All it will take is one new variant per year and we'll be perpetually living like this. Masks constantly, lockdowns, new drug variants constantly having to be injected to try and combat it, etc..

Until and if the government literally goes around and holds people down forcibly to take the drug you're not going to get everyone to go along with the plan to actually find out if 100% drug adoption rate does acutally completely halt mutation.

Over time eventually regardless, the disease may become less harsh from what I understand. That takes a long time though generally.

Buckle your seat belts! lol

Science figured out a virus won't mutate if it can't infect a long time ago. Again, it's about reducing the amount of the population that will be infected to numbers so low that we won't keep doing this frequent circle.

[Riptide]

Sadly, those who took the drug can still be infected.

There is plenty of room here for skepticism that even a 100% adoption rate of the drug is going to halt mutation 100% and to the point we aren't stuck in this cycle for a very long time to one degree or another.

[Canesfan2020]

Sadly, those who took the drug can still be infected.

There is plenty of room here for skepticism that even a 100% adoption rate of the drug is going to halt mutation 100% and to the point we aren't stuck in this cycle forever to one degree or another.

Yeah, because the amount of unvaccinated people was decimating vaccinated. That's called a variant factory. Variants can be vaccine resistant. We can't quitecatch up because of it

[Riptide]

I see you have complete faith that after 100% adoption we'll be out of this and the whole issue will just go away.

Fine. Not everyone shares such a positive outlook.

Merry christmas btw.

[Canesfan2020]

I see you have complete faith that after 100% adoption we'll be out of this and the whole issue will just go away.

Fine. Not everyone shares such a positive outlook.

Merry christmas btw.

Didn't say out of it but I'd be willing to bet it won't be all year every year.

[Riptide]

Since we're not going to get 100% adoption (or very nearly so) without some seriously Gestapo like tactics being employed it's a pipe dream anyway. Best that can be hoped for is that over time more people will take the drug. Eventually it will plateau.

[bill dennison]

Science figured out a virus won't mutate if it can't infect a long time ago. Again, it's about reducing the amount of the population that will be infected to numbers so low that we won't keep doing this frequent circle.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-56237778

good luck with the third world countries

delta came from India that is still only 40% of 1.38 billion
thats is what about 2 times the total us and canada population that is unvaxed


and omicron south africa that is 26%

[pax]

People who prefer pills to vaccines might want to take a good look:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-cancels-order-mercks-covid-19-antiviral-drug-2021-12-22/

PARIS/MILAN, Dec 22 (Reuters) - France has cancelled its order for Merck & Co's (MRK.N) COVID-19 antiviral drug following disappointing trial data and hopes instead to receive Pfizer's (PFE.N) competing drug before the end of January, the health minister said on Wednesday.

Also the way it works is by generating mutations in the virus... which sounds like a bad idea offhand.

https://www.science.org/content/article/prominent-virologist-warns-covid-19-pill-could-unleash-dangerous-mutants-others-see-little-cause-alarm

A prominent virologist warns COVID-19 pill could unleash dangerous mutants. Others see little cause for alarm
Merck & Co.’s newly approved oral drug works by generating mutations, raising hypothetical fears

Still seems to me the best thing to do is get the vaccine. I wouldnt gamble on this.

[bill dennison]

People who prefer pills to vaccines might want to take a good look:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-cancels-order-mercks-covid-19-antiviral-drug-2021-12-22/

Also the way it works is by generating mutations in the virus... which sounds like a bad idea offhand.

https://www.science.org/content/article/prominent-virologist-warns-covid-19-pill-could-unleash-dangerous-mutants-others-see-little-cause-alarm

Still seems to me the best thing to do is get the vaccine. I wouldnt gamble on this.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/09/22/beware-covid-19-vaccine-trials-designed-succeed-start/

he seems to be against everything new

[pax]

At the time he was concerned the vaccine would be authorized with just a few hundred people tested on it and that further larger trials would be stopped if emergency use was authorized too early.

IIRC they had a 300k people trial before it went live so maybe his concern wasnt warranted or was taken into consideration.

Also the pills wont be fabbed in any signifcant amount for months. While the vaccine is readily available. Except the third world which is a crime in itself due to IP constraints.

[Canesfan2020]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-56237778

good luck with the third world countries

delta came from India that is still only 40% of 1.38 billion
thats is what about 2 times the total us and canada population that is unvaxed


and omicron south africa that is 26%

80% of India has received at least one dose and rates are climbing. Who needs luck?

[Greasy]

JJ and other vaccines are more suited to the poor countries. They don't have the infrastructure to support the cooling needs of the mRNA vaccines in most areas. We've donated tons of shots, but what good are they if the places they're going to can't support their rollout effectively?

[pax]

Regular fridges can take the vaccines. At first it was thought youd need super cold ones that went to -80c but not anymore. But the IP is on all the vaccines right now.

And its not just to benefit them its to protect everyone. Letting the vaccine rollout take too long just means covid gets a bigger reservoir for longer putting us all at risk.

[KAC]

Flying back today after 7 days in Switzerland. Ass is frozen. Legs are hurting. Test is negative. Can’t wait to get back.

[Greasy]

Flying back today after 7 days in Switzerland. Ass is frozen. Legs are hurting. Test is negative. Can’t wait to get back.

Cold up there is it?

[KAC]

Yes I am not a -10 C and 4000 m alt person.

[Greasy]

Man, amazing photos. I would love it there for like a week. Then back to warmer climates I go.

[KAC]

Swiss Alps were amazing. People were skiing everywhere. I was like, am I still breathing. I don’t think I can breathe. Maybe I have Corona.

[Java Cool Dude]

Funny how KAC is flying back to Dubai just as I'm driving out of it to Abu Dhabi!

[Meteor_of_War]

Amazing pictures, KAC. I would love to get over there someday.

[SirBaron]

People who prefer pills to vaccines might want to take a good look:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-cancels-order-mercks-covid-19-antiviral-drug-2021-12-22/

Also the way it works is by generating mutations in the virus... which sounds like a bad idea offhand.

https://www.science.org/content/article/prominent-virologist-warns-covid-19-pill-could-unleash-dangerous-mutants-others-see-little-cause-alarm

Still seems to me the best thing to do is get the vaccine. I wouldnt gamble on this.

Don't trust the company that makes the pills, but trust the very same company that makes the vaccine...

[pax]

I dont trust any for profit pharmaceutical company. One item is proven to work, the vaccine. But the other is dubious.

[KAC]

Funny how KAC is flying back to Dubai just as I'm driving out of it to Abu Dhabi!

You can always come back to visit me .

Amazing pictures, KAC. I would love to get over there someday.

Yes, it was dope af. Brrr.

[Canesfan2020]

Regular fridges can take the vaccines. At first it was thought youd need super cold ones that went to -80c but not anymore. But the IP is on all the vaccines right now.

And its not just to benefit them its to protect everyone. Letting the vaccine rollout take too long just means covid gets a bigger reservoir for longer putting us all at risk.

mRNA has to be kept at those temperatures if you want long term shelf life else they risk being destroyed by their environment. I think the changes now are synthetic mRNA

[acroig]

Amazing pictures, KAC. I would love to get over there someday.

Seconded!

[Meteor_of_War]

So we usually see family for Christmas eve and Christmas day, but kept the gathering very small this year. Just my mother-in-law and my two sister-in-laws came over to give the kids their gifts.

Then we decided to go to my wife's cousin's house the night of Christmas just for a quick visit. Turns our her husband woke up the next morning feeling sick so he bought a rapid test and it came back positive. Dammit. We were all in the same house for a good couple hours unmasked, but everyone is vaccinated so not too worried. I picked up some rapid tests for my family yesterday and just took them this morning - everyone is my house is negative and not showing symptoms. Will take a second test in two days to be sure.

But man, this new Omicron that is floating around is for sure more contagious. Right now I know no less than 4 people (friends and relatives) that currently have it, and many more that were exposed and are getting tested today. Thankfully from what we are hearing is this variant is much more mild.

[Lazy8s]

So we usually see family for Christmas eve and Christmas day, but kept the gathering very small this year. Just my mother-in-law and my two sister-in-laws came over to give the kids their gifts.

Then we decided to go to my wife's cousin's house the night of Christmas just for a quick visit. Turns our her husband woke up the next morning feeling sick so he bought a rapid test and it came back positive. Dammit. We were all in the same house for a good couple hours unmasked, but everyone is vaccinated so not too worried. I picked up some rapid tests for my family yesterday and just took them this morning - everyone is my house is negative and not showing symptoms. Will take a second test in two days to be sure.

But man, this new Omicron that is floating around is for sure more contagious. Right now I know no less than 4 people (friends and relatives) that currently have it, and many more that were exposed and are getting tested today. Thankfully from what we are hearing is this variant is much more mild.

We had very small gatherings as well, everyone vaccinated and tested, but yeah, every time someone sniffled everyone else would move away

I hope no one else in your family gets it.

[Meteor_of_War]

Thanks, I think we might have gotten lucky. We were there for a relatively short while, and he was glued to the couch watching the Green Bay/Cleveland game the whole time so he wasn't moving around much.

In their house he's now relegated to the basement apartment to quarantine and so far no one else over there is showing symptoms.

[Greasy]

My wife's brother and sister came over for Christmas. I started coughing because of sinus issues, and they had this look of horror on their faces.

[Lazy8s]

Thanks, I think we might have gotten lucky. We were there for a relatively short while, and he was glued to the couch watching the Green Bay/Cleveland game the whole time so he wasn't moving around much.

In their house he's now relegated to the basement apartment to quarantine and so far no one else over there is showing symptoms.

Good to know Everyone being vaccinated does give some peace of mind too.