Official Thread: Coronavirus "COVID-19"

[12Bass]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/25/healt...ial/index.html

(CNN)Pfizer and BioNTech have begun a clinical trial for their Omicron-specific Covid-19 vaccine candidate, they announced in a news release on Tuesday.

The study will evaluate the vaccine for safety, tolerability and the level of immune response, as both a primary series and a booster dose, in up to 1,420 healthy adults ages 18 to 55.

The study is broken up into three groups:

Participants in the first cohort have received two doses of the current Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at least 90 to 180 days before the study. They will receive one or two doses of the Omicron-specific vaccine.

Participants in the second cohort have received three doses of the current Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at least 90 to 180 days prior to the study. They will receive one dose of the current Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine or the Omicron-specific vaccine.

Participants in the third cohort have not received any Covid-19 vaccine. They will receive three doses of the Omicron-specific vaccine.

The Omicron-specific vaccine will be administered as a 30-microgram dose, the same as the current vaccine.

"While current research and real-world data show that boosters continue to provide a high level of protection against severe disease and hospitalization with Omicron, we recognize the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address Omicron and new variants in the future," Pfizer Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research and Development Kathrin Jansen said in the release.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said last month that if a new vaccine is needed for the Omicron coronavirus variant, the company will have one in March. However, a Pfizer spokesperson confirmed that the company has already begun to manufacture this vaccine.

[koralis]

Originally Posted by SD-[Inc]

Guess we can throw out the argument that variants only come from other parts of the world now?

No one said that. They've said that they HAVE, and unless you're stopping all travel it doesn't matter where they originate... they'll eventually end up here.

As for this one, there's a lot more outside of the US than inside it. Even though the US is bound to create a new one eventually especially since vaccines don't completely prevent infection now, this one probably was still foreign born.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/th...cid=uxbndlbing

Viruses mutate constantly, mostly in harmless ways. There is no current evidence that BA. 2 is more virulent, spreads faster or escapes immunity better than BA. 1.

“Variants have come, variants have gone,” said Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University School of Medicine. “I don’t think there’s any reason to think this one is a whole lot worse than the current version of omicron.”

BA. 2 has been detected in India, Denmark and Britain, among other countries, according to health officials and media reports abroad. In Europe, it appears the most widespread in Denmark, but that may be because the Scandinavian nation has a robust program of sequencing the virus’s genome.

At least three cases have been found in the United States at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, which also is studying the genetic makeup of virus samples from its patients.

https://www.newsweek.com/stealth-omi...ies-40-1672104

The Omicron BA.2 sub-variant, also dubbed "stealth Omicron," has been detected in at least 40 countries worldwide.
...
Labs in countries including Denmark and Norway have reported that the sub-variant has been gaining ground, accounting for nearly half of all COVID cases in the former as of January 20, marking a sharp increase in recent weeks.

[SD-[Inc]]

Originally Posted by koralis

No one said that. They've said that they HAVE, and unless you're stopping all travel it doesn't matter where they originate... they'll eventually end up here.

As for this one, there's a lot more outside of the US than inside it. Even though the US is bound to create a new one eventually especially since vaccines don't completely prevent infection now, this one probably was still foreign born.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/th...cid=uxbndlbing




https://www.newsweek.com/stealth-omi...ies-40-1672104

US has over 20% of Covid cases reported worldwide. So, this is the country most likely to create a new variant.

[Greasy]

Originally Posted by SD-[Inc]

US has over 20% of Covid cases reported worldwide. So, this is the country most likely to create a new variant.

You keep saying reported. It's much higher elsewhere as it is here in the US.

[Greasy]

[KAC]

Sorry to hear JCD. Hope your fam recovers fast.

[Java Cool Dude]

Both baby and dad have recovered mashAllah 🙏🏽

[SD-[Inc]]

Originally Posted by Greasy

You keep saying reported. It's much higher elsewhere as it is here in the US.

I can claim the US undercounts worse than all countries without providing any proof. It’s a gut feeling I have.

[ugly]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGmRwQ4TZc4

I'm glad people are starting to call out Dr. Campbell. So many people treat Dr. Campbell as if he is some type of authority or valuable resource. He talks a lot of nonsense, and doesn't add a lot of insight. And, especially after he embarrassed himself on ivermectin, he's started leaning into the conspiracy theories. It's such a common strategy with YouTubers/podcasters. They talk about some alt-right/conspiracy theory and don't dismiss it as nonsense. Then they get that sweet enagement bump from all the cult members. Then start learning harder and harder into conspiracy theories to keep that engagement up.

[Nunz]

Originally Posted by SD-[Inc]

US has over 20% of Covid cases reported worldwide. So, this is the country most likely to create a new variant.

Not when you account for percentage of vaccinated individuals and what that does to transmission rates, you know, that argument some of you were just having a page or two back. There are still plenty of countries struggling to procure vaccines that have a far less percentage of population vaccinated.

So no, just because the US has over 20% of COVID cases reported, does not necessarily mean it's automatically the most likely to produce a new variant through infection. You also (expected, of course) ignored the fact that accurate reporting is an intense toll on support agencies and requires a lot of coordination - something many nations do not have or were not prepared for. The US, sitting in the international eye, is likely going to report more accurately, not less. Once again, I don't think you've travelled much to developing countries .. they do not, in any sense of the word, have the infrastructure, personnel, or organization to accurately handle reporting. It's an immense toll on many fronts.

[12Bass]

Originally Posted by ugly

I'm glad people are starting to call out Dr. Campbell. So many people treat Dr. Campbell as if he is some type of authority or valuable resource. He talks a lot of nonsense, and doesn't add a lot of insight. And, especially after he embarrassed himself on ivermectin, he's started leaning into the conspiracy theories. It's such a common strategy with YouTubers/podcasters. They talk about some alt-right/conspiracy theory and don't dismiss it as nonsense. Then they get that sweet enagement bump from all the cult members. Then start learning harder and harder into conspiracy theories to keep that engagement up.

Campbell doesn't strike me as the type who is sensational and/or looking for more YT followers. I get the impression that he's genuinely trying to help educate laypeople about the pandemic. However, he seems to have some biases that lead him astray from time to time, keeping him from being objective and properly scientific. FWIW, I did watch his videos for a while, but lost interest when I found he was being sloppy with his analysis and moved on to other more credible sources.

[12Bass]

Originally Posted by Nunz

So no, just because the US has over 20% of COVID cases reported, does not necessarily mean it's automatically the most likely to produce a new variant through infection. You also (expected, of course) ignored the fact that accurate reporting is an intense toll on support agencies and requires a lot of coordination - something many nations do not have or were not prepared for. The US, sitting in the international eye, is likely going to report more accurately, not less. Once again, I don't think you've travelled much to developing countries .. they do not, in any sense of the word, have the infrastructure, personnel, or organization to accurately handle reporting. It's an immense toll on many fronts.

While some countries certainly lack the ability to accurately track COVID cases, some parts of the US seem to be deliberately failing to do so.

[Nunz]

Originally Posted by 12Bass

While some countries certainly lack the ability to accurately track COVID cases, some parts of the US seem to be deliberately failing to do so.

Sure, but even then, their lax policies on reporting are still beyond what some countries are even capable of.

[12Bass]

FWIW, I think the takeaway is that the US has had a relatively high number of COVID cases per capita and in total, many more than necessary, given the availability of vaccines. The stats are pretty poor when compared with other developed nations, even if the reporting in less developed nations is sketchy. Put another way, it seems to be a bad idea to minimize the breadth and seriousness of the pandemic and to attempt to shift focus to "foreigners" as the problem, when COVID is being handled poorly at home.

[Greasy]

Originally Posted by Java Cool Dude

Both baby and dad have recovered mashAllah 🙏🏽

Awesome! Did they require any intensive care?

[AllexxisF1]

Originally Posted by Java Cool Dude

Both baby and dad have recovered mashAllah 🙏🏽

Great to hear.

[acroig]

Originally Posted by Java Cool Dude

Both baby and dad have recovered mashAllah 🙏🏽

[Nunz]

Originally Posted by 12Bass

FWIW, I think the takeaway is that the US has had a relatively high number of COVID cases per capita and in total, many more than necessary, given the availability of vaccines. The stats are pretty poor when compared with other developed nations, even if the reporting in less developed nations is sketchy. Put another way, it seems to be a bad idea to minimize the breadth and seriousness of the pandemic and to attempt to shift focus to "foreigners" as the problem, when COVID is being handled poorly at home.

I don't know who is doing what you just claimed. I'm certainly not, but we have to be honest when we look at the data and the capabilities of some nations to report accurately. I'm not bashing or blaming, it's simply being honest and realistic. The US could have handled things better, sure (especially the first year.. no doubt), and I certainly don't agree with the anti-vax, anti-mask crowd.. but the constant hammering on how the US has handled or is handling the response efforts is becoming ridiculous. There's been a lot of oversight and international focus on the US numbers, and as a country we've been very transparent compared to other first world nations. I think that needs to be acknowledged.

I don't think this is P&R material but if it is.. whatever.. just delete the post I guess. I don't feel discussing the response efforts is political but the line on what is and what isn't considered P&R on this particular subject has become quite blurred.

[acroig]

Originally Posted by Nunz

I don't think this is P&R material but if it is.. whatever.. just delete the post I guess. I don't feel discussing the response efforts is political but the line on what is and what isn't considered P&R on this particular subject has become quite blurred.

It's very hard to discuss this subject without it falling into the P&R realm. Happens to me all the time.

[Nunz]

It's not intentional, but at the same time.. this forum is so small at this point that I don't know why we bother differentiating anymore. It's the same, what, 30-40 of us that post here? At this point it could be one big section of the forum that we put everything into

[SD-[Inc]]

Originally Posted by Nunz

Not when you account for percentage of vaccinated individuals and what that does to transmission rates, you know, that argument some of you were just having a page or two back. There are still plenty of countries struggling to procure vaccines that have a far less percentage of population vaccinated.

So no, just because the US has over 20% of COVID cases reported, does not necessarily mean it's automatically the most likely to produce a new variant through infection. You also (expected, of course) ignored the fact that accurate reporting is an intense toll on support agencies and requires a lot of coordination - something many nations do not have or were not prepared for. The US, sitting in the international eye, is likely going to report more accurately, not less. Once again, I don't think you've travelled much to developing countries .. they do not, in any sense of the word, have the infrastructure, personnel, or organization to accurately handle reporting. It's an immense toll on many fronts.

So we don’t have more cases than anywhere else? Or is 20% too high? If you do travel to other countries you will see universal mask wearing. Because they lack, they also are a lot more careful. We have far more Covid deniers here than anywhere else. Do you think they diligently report their case when they get sick? We under count actual cases as well. There is nothing about our current political environment that ensures our count is accurate either. So if you want to use specious arguments to say who under counts the most you can. But, I only use the data we have.

[pax]

Only a few posters but many readers... Its hard not to P&R but some things dont have to be like mandates. Just cuz they use the same words doesnt mean they are political. Which I thought I was clear enough about when saying workplace mandates... which falls into the social mandates sphere imo not gov.

[acroig]

Originally Posted by pax

Only a few posters but many readers... Its hard not to P&R but some things dont have to be like mandates. Just cuz they use the same words doesnt mean they are political. Which I thought I was clear enough about when saying workplace mandates... which falls into the social mandates sphere imo not gov.

In USA everything is political now, even wearing a face mask.

[12Bass]

Originally Posted by acroig

In USA everything is political now, even wearing a face mask.

Yeah... it's ridiculous. Denying science and turning life saving efforts into wedge issues. I didn't expect it, except maybe a few small fringe groups. Naively, I figured that the preservation of life was a universal goal. My opinion of humanity is near an all-time low...

[shrike126]

Originally Posted by bill dennison

i dismiss all government agencies top to bottom under this administration .

Be that as it may, we should still be encouraging everyone to talk to their doctor and follow their recommendations about getting vaccinated to curb the worst parts of this pandemic right? A simple yes or no answer will suffice.

[acroig]

Originally Posted by 12Bass

Yeah... it's ridiculous. Denying science and turning life saving efforts into wedge issues. I didn't expect it, except maybe a few small fringe groups. Naively, I figured that the preservation of life was a universal goal. My opinion of humanity is near an all-time low...

I share your grim opinion.

[Trunks0]

If I had to pick a country to visit during COVID. The US would be dead last right now. High numbers, almost no safety measures in place and high community spread because of it.

*shakes head* nope. Not political for us outside the US. And right now visiting the US couldn't be less of a good idea.

[acroig]

You're not wrong.

[Nunz]

Originally Posted by Trunks0

If I had to pick a country to visit during COVID. The US would be dead last right now. High numbers, almost no safety measures in place and high community spread because of it.

*shakes head* nope. Not political for us outside the US. And right now visiting the US couldn't be less of a good idea.

I'd rather be in the US right now than the ****ing middle-east..

[Java Cool Dude]

Originally Posted by Nunz

I'd rather be in the US right now than the ****ing middle-east..

I was in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain as recently as last month. Came back broke AF but had the time of my life!