*** OFFICIAL *** COVID-19 CoronaVirus Thread. Fresh epidemic fears as child pneumonia cases surge in Europe after China outbreak. NOW in USA (9 Viewers)

[fatness]

To be fair, I’m pretty sure I’m at lot better interpreting statistics than some of our resident experts. Heck, my survival skills might even exceed Gordon Gekko’s.

 

[fatness]

Vaccines - with a booster - are fantastic.  It would also, in parallel, be great to have easy and expansive access to mass testing.  Why do you think vaccines aren’t helpful?

Never said they weren't helpful. Just saying the push RIGHT NOW during this Omicron wave should be on testing rather than vaccines.

I'd love if limitless free testing kits were available to everyone. Pretending for a minute that they are, what % of the US do you think will use them daily AND will stay home while positive?

 

[Doug B]

How are they generally learning of their infections? Tested because of recent close contact? Tested for other reasons (e.g. travel, work)?

They were all symptomatic 

Ah. I interpreted "they were fine" as "asymptomatic".

 

[fatness]

Ah. I interpreted "they were fine" as "asymptomatic".

Apparently someone with no symptoms is fine and someone with symptoms is fine.

 

[Dezbelief]

You serious? If everyone tests themselves at home everyday before leaving the house, that won't stop the spread?

I'm in a state without mask mandates or vax mandates. The state is fighting the federal government on vax mandates for federal employees/contractors within the state. There is no way a testing mandate is happening. 

Also a big percentage of people in this country do not care about others. They won't test, but if they did they wouldn't quarantine. There would be a percentage of those people not masking while out in public. 

My kids school district is returning to pre-COVID visitor policy after winter break; no temp checks, masks "encouraged", no vax needed.

We aren't going to test our way out of Omicron. Practically everyone on earth is going to catch this variant, it's just a matter of how bad. Get vaxed, get boosted keep your antibodies up.

I'm starting to wonder if a virus wiped out the dinosaurs. 

 

[Don't Toews Me]

I'm starting to wonder if a virus wiped out the dinosaurs. 

It was the Covidosaurus. Took out the T-Rex one by one. 

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Mass testing

I agree that cheap/free/convenient mass testing at home would definitely play a big role in helping prevent covid.  I firmly believe that very few people would knowingly unnecessarily put themselves around others if they knew they were covid positive. The problem with current covid testing is that you either have to inconveniently set up a test somewhere—the walk in places can have lines/backlogs and can be pricey.  Home kits currently range for 14-25 bucks—and my understanding is that accurate home tests could literally be made for under a buck.  With all of the trillions of dollars that our government has pumped into covid—literally a few billion dollars should make home tests a lot more available to everybody. It would be a relatively small investment that could have a moderate to significant impact. 

 

[BigJim®]

You serious? If everyone tests themselves at home everyday before leaving the house, that won't stop the spread?

The same people who won’t trouble themselves even to wear a mask will test themselves daily? Get your vaccinations and boosters, wear a mask in public and wash your hands. After nearly 2 years I think it’s safe to conclude that society as a whole doing anything collectively ain’t happening.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Apparently someone with no symptoms is fine and someone with symptoms is fine.

And someone who questions that logic is weird.

 

[Navin Johnson]

Please do better research before shouting your conclusions/accusations at others. Medical experts are universally NOT saying you won't get Covid if vaxxed, but rather your chances of getting a bad outcome are greatly reduced.

Don't bother

 

[Terminalxylem]

It was the Covidosaurus. Took out the T-Rex one by one. 

I thought it was Dino-SARS?

 

[Terminalxylem]

The majority of people have taken the vaccines. Hyperbole much?

I never said majority. Stop putting words in my mouth 

But since you mentioned it, the majority of people haven’t been boosted, including roughly half of people over 65. That doesn’t cut it for delta, and probably won’t work for omicron either.

Hoping omicron turns out to be mild isn’t a risk mitigation strategy. And yes, I know you didn’t say it was.

 

[Navin Johnson]

Instead of focusing on vaccines now, government needs to pivot to mass testing whether that be opening up testing centers again or making home kits available ASAP. Vaccines aren't gonna get us out of Omicron.

As I said upthread, the positive case guy is also flying home today instead of quarantining or at the minimum renting a car and driving back to California. 

How will mass testing help if people refuse to be inconvenienced by a positive test? 

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Putting this here for @[icon] and me:

A booster shot of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine significantly raises the level of antibodies that can thwart the Omicron variant, the company announced on Monday.

The news arrives as Omicron rapidly advances across the world, and most coronavirus vaccines seem unable to stave off infection from the highly contagious variant.

Moderna’s results show that the currently authorized booster dose of 50 micrograms — half the dose given for primary immunization — increased the level of antibodies by roughly 37-fold, the company said. A full dose of 100 micrograms was even more powerful, raising antibody levels about 83-fold compared with pre-boost levels, Moderna said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/20/health/moderna-covid-booster-omicron.html

Edit: Lab results, antibodies only, corporate data, unreliable reporter, etc.  But still

 

[[icon]]

Putting this here for @[icon] and me:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/20/health/moderna-covid-booster-omicron.html

Edit: Lab results, antibodies only, corporate data, unreliable reporter, etc.  But still

Woot! Thanks GB!

Our antibodies got antibodies, mane! 

 

[AAABatteries]

Yeah, I'm bigly in favor of more at-home testing and testing in general - but I find it hard to believe that people who aren't taking Covid seriously at all up until now (no vaccine, no masks, no distancing) are all of a sudden going to start testing themselves daily.  It will help the spread with the rest of us some though.

 

[[icon]]

Yeah, I'm bigly in favor of more at-home testing and testing in general - but I find it hard to believe that people who aren't taking Covid seriously at all up until now (no vaccine, no masks, no distancing) are all of a sudden going to start testing themselves daily.  It will help the spread with the rest of us some though.

These people absolutely lost their #### when told they had to test once a week to keep their job, and we think they'll test daily for the good of society?

Hell naw. 

 

[jobarules]

Apparently someone with no symptoms is fine and someone with symptoms is fine.

Someone with mild symptoms is fine. Yes. Last time you had a mild cold and someone asked how you were doing. "I'm fine"

 

[Redwes25]

Putting this here for @[icon] and me:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/20/health/moderna-covid-booster-omicron.html

Edit: Lab results, antibodies only, corporate data, unreliable reporter, etc.  But still

So happy to be on team moderna 

 

[rockaction]

Wonder if I can score a Moderna booster given the news. I'm Team Pfizer. Team P####ed, really. 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Wonder if I can score a Moderna booster given the news. I'm Team Pfizer. Team P####ed, really. 

Right there in the same lifeboat with you GB

 

[rockaction]

Right there in the same lifeboat with you GB

One paddle, boat going in circles. 

 

[beer 30]

Never said they weren't helpful. Just saying the push RIGHT NOW during this Omicron wave should be on testing rather than vaccines. We can't vaccine our way out of this in the short term especially when the majority of the country has been vaccinated.

Tend to agree with this, I think we're hitting the limit for getting people vax'd. If you haven't done it yet then chances are pretty good you're not going to. Boosters, sure, go ahead and keep pushing that. We also tangentially need to do more testing and free, at home testing has got to help.

Do I think this will change the narrative and miraculously people that haven't taken this seriously are now going to start testing at home? Absolutely not. Do I think folks who have been responsible about this but don't want to or can't afford to shell out $15 a pop for an at home test? Yes. I think it might also pay some dividends with fringe folks who, if they have a free test sitting on the counter, out of curiosity, might use it.

Putting this here for @[icon] and me:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/20/health/moderna-covid-booster-omicron.html

Edit: Lab results, antibodies only, corporate data, unreliable reporter, etc.  But still

#STRONGLIKEBULL #TEAMMODERNA

 

[beer 30]

Wonder if I can score a Moderna booster given the news. I'm Team Pfizer. Team P####ed, really. 

Right there in the same lifeboat with you GB

Take a vaccine vacation to SC. There are only 5m of us in the state and most don't believe in the virus so we have extra. CVS lets you pick your cocktail of choice.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Percentage of hospital beds in use for Covid, per state

Scroll down for map.

 The map is labeled Percentage of Hospital Beds in Use for Covid, but it is a bit misleading, or the data is all just poorly worded.

For example, when you hover over PA, it says 85.9% of hospital beds in use,  When you scroll down to the data table and go to PA.  The columns read:  1.  Percent of Beds in Use:  85.9%; 2.  Percentages of Hospitalizations for Covid:  16.7%.

 

[[icon]]

All #teammoderna jokes aside, it really is pretty awesome that the US has the two best vaccines in the world (by a sizable margin).  Would suck to have Sputnik as your only option. 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Take a vaccine vacation to SC. There are only 5m of us in the state and most don't believe in the virus so we have extra. CVS lets you pick your cocktail of choice.

I’ll just drive 30-40 min north to Janesville WI (home of Paul Ryan).  Lots of doses there.  Already boosted, so need to wait til spring.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

So with a lot of good lab data on the booster (and tangentially 2-shots which at least should keep most people out of the hospital), is Omicron not a big deal if boosted -- continue as you were going to?  Or maybe wait a couple of weeks into 2022 to see how bad spikes may or may not be?

 

[morinput]

Routine tests don’t distinguish delta from other variants, but specialized testing has revealed it’s the predominant variant for several months.

Omicron, on the other hand, can often be identified with widely used NAATs. Although I haven’t seen all the data, since we’ve been looking for it in HI, there have been relatively few tests suggesting omicron.

Also cases had been downtrending until very recently, and are now increasing, corresponding pretty well with omicron’s emergence.

Even contagious stuff takes a while to become widespread, typically measured in months, rather than a few weeks.

But to clarify, which variant do you think predominates?

I still think Delta predominates, but in my opinion a lot if the current spike is Omicron related especially on the coasts.

 

[beer 30]

So with a lot of good lab data on the booster (and tangentially 2-shots which at least should keep most people out of the hospital), is Omicron not a big deal if boosted -- continue as you were going to?  Or maybe wait a couple of weeks into 2022 to see how bad spikes may or may not be?

My personal opinion is the 'cron spike we are going to see will be well publicized and in our face until February. It's starting now with one of the biggest holiday travel periods coming up so January and February are going to see big numbers. If you have 2 shots or 2 shots + booster, it doesn't seem like you have much to worry about, similar to a cold. There are going to be fringe cases that will see all the headlines but I think the majority will weather the storm.

Guess it depends on your level of confidence in the vaccine and your bodies immune system.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

So with a lot of good lab data on the booster (and tangentially 2-shots which at least should keep most people out of the hospital), is Omicron not a big deal if boosted -- continue as you were going to?  Or maybe wait a couple of weeks into 2022 to see how bad spikes may or may not be?

For me personally, it's business as usual, but that comes with a massive caveat that "business as usual" for me this time of year is really just one small step removed from June 2020.  Students are gone, so campus is pretty dead.  The only people I see at work most days are the folks who work in my little suite -- the exact same people (plus my wife) who were the only people I saw in three dimensions for an entire calendar year.  Our parents don't live anywhere near here, so we always spend the holidays with our own kids and that's it.  No big family gatherings to worry about, no air travel, no parties.  

We'll go to church on Christmas eve, which was different than last year.  I'm also going to the gym now, but there's hardly anybody there at 5:00 am so I don't consider that overly risky.  (I'm still running outside whenever the weather allows, but it's always spotty during the winter).  

TBF, I would be at least a little concerned if I was travelling someplace, especially if I was going to be around a bunch of unvaccinated family.  There's "background risk," and then there's "jumping into the open ocean" risk.  Omicron seems transmissible enough that I'd like to hunker down for a little bit to see how it plays out.  The data so far seem to gently suggest that it may be somewhat less dangerous to vaccinated people than previous variants, but I'd rather get confirmation of that fact by studying the data as opposed to first-hand observation.  

That said, if I had been planning to travel someplace, I'm sure I would still go.  I'd just take more precautions that usual.

 

[gianmarco]

I still think Delta predominates, but in my opinion a lot if the current spike is Omicron related especially on the coasts.

Username checks out.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

For me personally, it's business as usual, but that comes with a massive caveat that "business as usual" for me this time of year is really just one small step removed from June 2020.  Students are gone, so campus is pretty dead.  The only people I see at work most days are the folks who work in my little suite -- the exact same people (plus my wife) who were the only people I saw in three dimensions for an entire calendar year.  Our parents don't live anywhere near here, so we always spend the holidays with our own kids and that's it.  No big family gatherings to worry about, no air travel, no parties.  

We'll go to church on Christmas eve, which was different than last year.  I'm also going to the gym now, but there's hardly anybody there at 5:00 am so I don't consider that overly risky.  (I'm still running outside whenever the weather allows, but it's always spotty during the winter).  

TBF, I would be at least a little concerned if I was travelling someplace, especially if I was going to be around a bunch of unvaccinated family.  There's "background risk," and then there's "jumping into the open ocean" risk.  Omicron seems transmissible enough that I'd like to hunker down for a little bit to see how it plays out.  The data so far seem to gently suggest that it may be somewhat less dangerous to vaccinated people than previous variants, but I'd rather get confirmation of that fact by studying the data as opposed to first-hand observation.  

That said, if I had been planning to travel someplace, I'm sure I would still go.  I'd just take more precautions that usual.

Yea, I agree there.  I am more talking about after the holidays.

My house is strange right now.  Someone has had a cold here every week since Halloween basically.  My kids have been close contacts too.  So they all have been tested several times at the Dr. and had to miss school prior to a negative test.  My 5yr old was a close contact again last week.  My 7yr old had cold symptoms a couple of days prior to that.  Now they both are stuffy and have sore throats (so do I).  So they are off for PCR tests tomorrow, that will likely keep them out all week.  I will do a rapid test.  Blessing in disguise though, because we will avoid school germs and have covid tests before traveling after Christmas to see my family and my nephew who was born this fall for the first time.

 

[[icon]]

So with a lot of good lab data on the booster (and tangentially 2-shots which at least should keep most people out of the hospital), is Omicron not a big deal if boosted -- continue as you were going to?  Or maybe wait a couple of weeks into 2022 to see how bad spikes may or may not be?

My .02 as someone superboosted Moderna in August. 

My comfort level with not getting infected  is about a C+. 

I don't think we have enough data on Omicron yet to know exactly how good these boosters perform in real world settings. 

2 months ago I never put a mask on unless required. Zero limitations on dining out, crowded bars, hugging friends and family. Comfort level was a solid A. 

Now I'm back to masking up in crowded or high traffic indoor environments, and being a little more selective about events I go to (bailed on UT v MEM hoops game before it was cancelled). 
 

Will reevaluate in early January. 

 

[eoMMan]

My wife and I got our Pfizer boosters recently (mine was earlier in December and hers was a couple days ago).

No side effects for us aside from a sore arm. It feels like someone punched you hard in the arm for a couple days after. 

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

My .02 as someone superboosted Moderna in August. 

My comfort level with not getting infected  is about a C+. 

I don't think we have enough data on Omicron yet to know exactly how good these boosters perform in real world settings. 

2 months ago I never put a mask on unless required. Zero limitations on dining out, crowded bars, hugging friends and family. Comfort level was a solid A. 

Now I'm back to masking up in crowded or high traffic indoor environments, and being a little more selective about events I go to (bailed on UT v MEM hoops game before it was cancelled). 
 

Will reevaluate in early January. 

Good barometer.  Thank you. 

I had been intent on gradually returning to the office in January (which requires public transportation and being in a large city and sharing an elevator 35 stories up etc.) as well as traveling for two days of meetings (which would be with something like 20 people and include lunches and dinners and drinks) in Florida . . . .  

 

[Jamesinaz]

Percentage of hospital beds in use for Covid, per state

Scroll down for map.

Thanks for that link.  I just wish that there was a source that put these things into clearer perspective.  Such as what is the normal percentage of beds full?  Do we always see a rise in usage as winter sets in following Thanksgiving?  How many are in the hospital WITH Covid versus FOR Covid?  What percentage of FOR covid are vaccinated and which version of it do they have?

Sadly our government has let us down with poor messaging and somehow we have ended up with "sides" in the covid discussion on mandates, vaccines, masks and lockdowns.  Some people I have had discourse with for years on the internet have completely flipped out in this regard.  One is a sheeple for taking the vaccine or one is an idiot for not taking the vaccine.  Very sad.  Makes honest discussion difficult.

 

[jobarules]

 The map is labeled Percentage of Hospital Beds in Use for Covid, but it is a bit misleading, or the data is all just poorly worded.

For example, when you hover over PA, it says 85.9% of hospital beds in use,  When you scroll down to the data table and go to PA.  The columns read:  1.  Percent of Beds in Use:  85.9%; 2.  Percentages of Hospitalizations for Covid:  16.7%.

Impossible. @Terminalxylem told us every single hospital is full.

 

[Navin Johnson]

Impossible. @Terminalxylem told us every single hospital is full.

Link?  Or are we just playing fast and loose with the facts?  Again.

 

[jobarules]

Link?  Or are we just playing fast and loose with the facts?  Again.

Read the thread dude. Im not gonna do the work FOR you

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Impossible. @Terminalxylem told us every single hospital is full.

Seriously man—let it go.  The dude has done nothing but provide insight to us from the perspective of a healthcare worker.  He shares his knowledge and takes time to explain things to us even though he’s doing god’s work and treating patients in the middle of a plague.  The last thing he needs is snark from from a person he’s never met from a message board. If you disagree with him—just agree to disagree in a polite manner and move on.  

 

[jobarules]

Seriously man—let it go.  The dude has done nothing but provide insight to us from the perspective of a healthcare worker.  He shares his knowledge and takes time to explain things to us even though he’s doing god’s work and treating patients in the middle of a plague.  The last thing he needs is sneakiness from from a person he’s never met from a message board. If you disagree with him—just agree to disagree in a polite manner and move on.  

Aww man did I hurt his feelings? Jesus Christ dude. We're all adults here. Act like one.

Hes spreading misinformation about all hospitals being full based on an anecdotal story about his own hospital. It goes both ways.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Does anyone have a link to any data that shows Omicron impacts unvaccinated people less than Delta does?

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Aww man did I hurt his feelings? Jesus Christ dude. We're all adults here. Act like one.

Learning to appreciate people who happen to have different points of view is being an adult.  You are the only one that seems to have hard time figuring that out. Enjoy your day. 

 

[jobarules]

Learning to appreciate people who happen to have different points of view is being an adult.  You are the only one that seems to have hard time figuring that out. Enjoy your day. 

It works both ways

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Impossible. @Terminalxylem told us every single hospital is full.

He already explained to you that the stats for his own hospital are underreported, and why he extrapolates that to a different perspective based on his own experience in healthcare.  This personal battle you keep fighting is a giant distraction from a good thread.

 

[jobarules]

He already explained to you that the stats for his own hospital are underreported, and why he extrapolates that to a different perspective based on his own experience in healthcare.  This personal battle you keep fighting is a giant distraction from a good thread.

There's an ignore function if you don't like it

 

[Doug B]

Does anyone have a link to any data that shows Omicron impacts unvaccinated people less than Delta does?

No ... have you run across anyone claiming that elsewhere?

 

[jobarules]

Does anyone have a link to any data that shows Omicron impacts unvaccinated people less than Delta does?

All I've seen were hospitalizations for Omicron in South America were 29% lower than previous variants when factoring in vaccinations. That being said, I don't know what that italicized statement means exactly.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/healthcare/omicron-more-likely-to-reinfect-than-delta-no-milder-study

Some Excerpts:

• "We find no evidence (for both risk of hospitalization attendance and symptom status) of omicron having different severity from delta," the study said. Although it added that data on hospitalizations remains very limited.
  
• "Controlling for vaccine status, age, sex, ethnicity, asymptomatic status, region and specimen date, omicron was associated with a 5.4-fold higher risk of reinfection compared with delta," the study, which was dated Dec. 16, added.
  
• The researchers found a significantly increased risk of developing a symptomatic omicron case compared to delta for those who were two or more weeks past their second vaccine dose, and two or more weeks past their booster dose.
  
• Depending on the estimates used for vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection from the delta variant, this translates into vaccine effectiveness of between 0% and 20% after two doses, and between 55% and 80% after a booster dose. (AstraZeneca and Pfizer)
  
• "There is a huge amount of uncertainty in these modeled estimates, and we can only be confident about the impact of boosters against omicron when we have another month of real-world data on hospitalization ICU numbers and deaths," he said.
  
• The data analyzed by Imperial College was based on 333,000 cases, including 122,062 of delta and 1,846 which were confirmed as the omicron coronavirus variant through genome sequencing.