"Horrific" New Covid Variant Discovered

[PeterRS]

From the BBC website  

We're back in familiar territory - growing concern about a new variant of coronavirus. 

The latest is the most heavily mutated version discovered so far - and it has such a long list of mutations that it was described by one scientist as "horrific", while another told me it was the worst variant they'd seen. 

It is early days and the confirmed cases are still mostly concentrated in one province in South Africa, but there are hints it may have spread further. 

Immediately there are questions around how quickly the new variant spreads, its ability to bypass some of the protection given by vaccines and what should be done about it.

There is a lot of speculation, but very few clear answers.

The variant is called B.1.1.529 and is likely to be given a Greek code-name (like the Alpha and Delta variants) by the World Health Organization on Friday. 

It is also incredibly heavily mutated. Prof Tulio de Oliveira, the director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa, said there was an "unusual constellation of mutations" and that it was "very different" to other variants that have circulated. 

"This variant did surprise us, it has a big jump on evolution [and] many more mutations that we expected," he said.

More at https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59418127

[vinapu]

we have two choices : to allow ourselves to be scared to death by every news coming from here and  there well before their possible severity is  confirmed

or vaccinate ourselves , wear mask and try to live our lives as close to normal as we can.

I opt for a second option if only because none of my enemies got so far seriously sick with covid  nevermind died from it, so if they survived barely scratched so must I. 

 

[msclelovr]

I read about the new variant in The NY Times yesterday. Their report was, to my mind, more alarming than this later report on the BBC.

FWIW I agree with @vinapu that his “second option” is the way to live. 
And so I guess I won’t be going on  my usual trip to SA in January.

[Pete1111]

I am scheduled for my Moderna booster today.

I still wear a mask at work and in public.

Will the new variants coupled with holiday events cause infections to rise?  It's worrisome.

 

 

[caeron]

 

I feel grateful that I'm rich enough that I can choose what level of exposure to the world I'm comfortable with.

[Vessey]

I am booked for January, but this is an obvious concern and although my initial reaction was to cancel everything, have an immediate nervous breakdown and then join a monastery, I try and look at it like this:

We are stuck with this pandemic/endemic - its not going to go away any time soon, if ever, and mutations will come and go, some being of more concern than others.

So I either join that monastery and commit to an ongoing life of perpetual celibacy, or else I proceed with my trip, and maybe subsequent ones next year, and accept the fact that everything is fluid and subject to possible change until I am on the flight itself, and then just hope that I can enjoy my stay and return home without interruptions.  

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, Vessey said:

.... or else I proceed with my trip, and maybe subsequent ones next year, and accept the fact that everything is fluid and subject to possible change until I am on the flight itself, and then just hope that I can enjoy my stay and return home without interruptions.  

that sounds like wise choice 

[fedssocr]

The biggest open question is how severe the illness is from this variant or how deadly it might be compared to the others. If it's able to get around the vaccines that's obviously a problem since it appears to be more transmissable. But I've seen some reporting today about other variants that seemed like they might be a problem at first but they all got squeezed out by delta.

[TotallyOz]

Just when you think it is safe to go back in the water.....

This is not a surprise but I was hoping for more time. I feel for the first time in ages I have started to have a bit of normalcy.

[Lucky]

I sure don't want to go back to the shelter in place style of living. But then, I don't want COVID either. I think traveling will take a back seat. Again.

[Guest]

Astra Zeneca had been doing trials of a vaccine for the previous SA variant.

I wonder how well that works with the latest one ?

Then, if the risk of this is serious, governments should ask/order the big pharma companies to design vaccines to deal with it.

[spoon]

On 11/27/2021 at 2:03 PM, z909 said:

Astra Zeneca had been doing trials of a vaccine for the previous SA variant.

I wonder how well that works with the latest one ?

Then, if the risk of this is serious, governments should ask/order the big pharma companies to design vaccines to deal with it.

Moderna said they are already developing it while pfizer is doing a study to see how effective is the current vaccine (hopefully including booster) and said they can develop the vaccine within 100days. Still, the gap and logistical nightmare might mean it could be much longer than that before enough of us will get the vaccine. 

Maybe we should just do this. Even the current vaccine is not foolproof from infection, thus we will always need to be vigilant and wear masks, social distancing and avoid crowded places.

[spoon]

Covid: South Africa 'punished' for detecting new Omicron variant

South Africa has complained it is being punished - instead of applauded - for discovering Omicron, a concerning new variant of Covid-19.

The foreign ministry made the statement as countries around the world restricted travel from southern Africa as details of the spread emerged.

A statement by the South African foreign ministry on Saturday strongly criticised the travel bans.

"Excellent science should be applauded and not punished," it said.

The bans were "akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker".

The statement added that the reaction had been completely different when new variants were discovered elsewhere in the world.

An African Union official told the BBC developed countries were to blame for the emergence of the variant.

"What is going on right now is inevitable, it's a result of the world's failure to vaccinate in an equitable, urgent and speedy manner. It is as a result of hoarding [of vaccines] by high-income countries of the world, and quite frankly it is unacceptable," said AU vaccine delivery alliance co-chair Ayoade Alakija.

"These travel bans are based in politics, and not in science. It is wrong... Why are we locking away Africa when this virus is already on three continents?"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59442129

[caeron]

 

Of course the travel ban won't prevent the spread. But, it might slow it a bit and buy scientists a bit more time. 

And while I can't disagree with the comment that the rich countries are taking care of their own more than sharing, when has that ever been any different?

The US has pledged a billion doses of the vaccines to developing nations. I think that's a good start in a fight that will likely drag on for some time.

[Guest]

Rich and middle income nations developed the vaccines and have made them available all over the world.  Hence Astra Zeneca is available at cost for a few £ per dose and has been licensed widely.  American,German, British, Russian, Chinese and possibly other vaccines are available.

Poor countries like Cambodia have higher vaccination rates than most rich countries. 

The balance is about right. Of course governments will prioritize their own voters and will continue to do so.  However, vaccines have been available for the countries that want tthem.

 

[vinapu]

and there's another problem : even if vaccines are available will they be used as certain part of populaces in both developed and developing countries are flat-earthers flatly refusing getting a shoots ?

[macaroni21]

Regardless of how any of us might think we shouldn't overreact to the Omicron variant and try to carry on as usual, particularly in our plans to travel to Thailand, the fact is that it is not something entirely within our control. News from many countries are of borders slamming shut again, or quarantines being demanded. Japan is barring entry of all foreigners. Morocco is banning all incoming flights. Who knows how many countries will follow? Airlines will be watching and adjusting their flight frequencies.

I will predict that singling out southern Africa will prove meaningless. The variant has already reached many other places as the rising number of reports of Omicron being found here and there, in just the last few days, attest. So, if governments are of a mind to close borders or require quarantine, it won't be restricted to travellers coming from or through southern Africa. 

Of special cooncern is this report in the South China Morning Post (and elsewhere)that says Omicron has some 43 mutations in the spike protein compared to the original virus and compared to 18 mutations in the Delta variant's spike protein. Since the mRNA vaccines were developed to target the spike proteins of the original virus, this may mean reduced effetiveness of vaccine protection for those who have been vaccinated with either Pfizer or Moderna. It's to early to be certain -- no doubt we will hear more shortly -- but the big bad news is if the answer is "yes, noticeably reduced effectiveness", then we can expect more border control measures as countries try to protect their domestic populations while waiting for modified vaccines.

[vinapu]

8 minutes ago, macaroni21 said:

...... then we can expect more border control measures as countries try to protect their domestic populations while waiting for modified vaccines.

and this brings another question; will their populaces will be patient enough to go through another rounds of lockdowns and closures ?

[reader]

As time passes and events threaten to overwhelm us, I believe the last best hope is for manufacturers of the most effective vaccines to greatly broaden the practice of granting licenses to local entities to produce the newest versions of the jab. It's understood that this would likewise require providing on-site expertise to enable many other nations to actually execute the necessary means of production and quality control.

It would seem to be a task tailor made for the WHO. That, however, would require a remake of WHO's sense of mission. Instead of just casting a critical eye on what it views as obstacles to getting vaccines to poor and developing countries, it would need to refocus efforts on actually making it happen. In other words, it would need to pull together the logistical capacity of the world's industries and research centers and fuse them into a solution that knows no borders.

=========================================

From Thai Enquirer

Wave of online misinformation leads to vaccine hesitancy in Thailand’s refugee camps

As Thailand struggles to control lingering cases of COVID in the north, many refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border are reluctant to be vaccinated. Misinformation is seeping into the camps. And now, local groups are rushing to spread the truth.

Oo Reh has no intention of getting vaccinated.  The 34-year-old Karreni refugee lives in ‘Camp 1,’  a refugee settlement a two hour drive from Mae Hong Son through dirt roads and rough terrain.

It’s a place where tens of thousands have found themselves living after fleeing decades of conflict in neighboring Myanmar. At one end of Oo Reh’s sprawling camp, the sound of a loudspeaker system echoes in the distance.

The voice announces basic instructions on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But for refugees like Oo Reh, the messaging is not convincing. Instead, he believes that vaccines are ineffective and dangerous.

“More people say now that after you get the Covid-19 vaccine some people will die or become disabled,” Ooh Reh said. “So I do not feel comfortable receiving [the vaccine] and I worry for myself what will be the impact in the future if I do.” 

He added that Chinese made vaccines like Sinovac are particularly suspect, claiming that some in the camps are not interested in taking them anymore.

Although vaccines are beginning to become available in the nine camps on the Thai side of the border where over 100,000 refugees currently live, Ooh Reh said he’s not alone in his skepticism.

It’s unclear how widespread the vaccine hesitancy is in the camps, but health workers are working to combat the anti-vax disinformation that seems to have trickled in.

Refugees in informal settlements are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 as the camps lack access to full medical facilities and services. General education is low, compounding the vaccine hesitancy. But health workers and organizations working in the camps are rushing to combat bad information with safe messaging.

“There are different perceptions among the refugee community, some of them receive information from outside through their network or social media about the type of vaccines,” said Preeyalak Sataranon with International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian aid organization working in the nine camps.

“The information they receive varies, for example, some believe one type of vaccine is better than another, or some receive myths about the vaccine’s side effects.”

When the pandemic first hit in early 2020, refugees started to experience a range of vulnerabilities. She said that refugees saw restrictions of movement inside their own camps and that lockdown conditions led to limited supplies of basic amenities and food, creating negative impacts on their physical and mental health.

“Some camps faced ongoing outbreaks and significant numbers of confirmed positive cases have been reported,” said Preeyalak.  “Some of the refugees are not keen to cooperate in the surveillance and case detection because they are afraid of being quarantined and isolated.”

Continues at

https://www.thaienquirer.com/35383/wave-of-online-misinformation-leads-to-vaccine-hesitancy-in-thailands-refugee-camps/

[spoon]

Hospitals and GPs across Southern Africa are increasingly reporting that the symptoms of the aggressive new Covid strain Omicron are “unusual but very mild,” according to various media in South Africa this weekend.

Around 90 per cent of all new infections in the Johannesburg region are now caused by the Omicron strain but, so far, the Covid death rate and even hospital admissions appear not to be increasing significantly, local media report.

Some experts are therefore cautiously optimistic that – if Omicron turns out to be less lethal but more contagious and dominant than the Delta variant – the new mutation may actually be a blessing in the sky.

Hundreds of infected people across Southern Africa reportedly complain of nausea, headaches, fatigue and a high pulse rate, but none seem to suffer from a loss of taste or smell, which has been the case with most other Covid mutations.

Moreover, more and more medics across Southern Africa are confirming that most Omicron-infected patients merely have a severe headache, nausea or dizziness.

Dr Angelique Coetzee told various newspapers in South Africa: “Symptoms are so different and so mild from [non-Omicron] Covid patients I have treated before.”

A GP for over three decades, and chair of the South African Medical Association, she was the first African doctor to suggest to local authorities Covid had mutated into a new strain.

Coetzee reportedly said the symptoms “did not make immediate sense”, with patients including young people of different backgrounds and ethnicities with fatigue and a young child with a high pulse rate.

Looking at the first data coming out of Southern Africa, virologist Marc van Ranst said this weekend that “if the omicron variant is less pathogenic but with greater infectivity, allowing Omicron to replace Delta, this would be very positive.”

The WHO warned that preliminary evidence suggests the variant has an increased risk of reinfection and may spread more rapidly than other strains, including Delta.

They said there is early evidence to suggest Omicron has an “increased risk of reinfection” and its rapid spread in South Africa suggests it has a “growth advantage”.

“It is extremely important we need to closely monitor the clinical data of Omicron patients in South Africa and worldwide,” Van Ranst stressed.

The variant has more than 30 mutations – around twice as many as the Delta variant – which make it more transmissible and evade the protection given by prior infection or vaccination.

https://www.cityam.com/coronavirus-blessing-in-the-sky-omicron-may-be-very-positive-news-for-the-world-if-new-covid-mutation-kills-off-more-lethal-delta-variant/

 

So i guess its actually a blessing in diguise?

[Riobard]

Now on tap in Canada and in Brazil where I have plans to winter. I hope border measures don’t get too restrictive again based on regional VOC prevalence differentials. 

[reader]

From Bangkok Post

Untracked visitors from southern Africa asked to report for Covid tests

The government is trying to trace 307 people who arrived from eight southern African countries hit by the latest Covid-19 "variant of concern", Omicron, and are still in the country.

Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said on Wednesday that between Nov 15 and 27, 333 people arrived from the eight high-risk African countries.

Three had already left, so 330 remained in Thailand but only 23 of them had been traced, he said.

They had arrived from either South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Eswatini or Lesotho.

Of the 330 still here, 252 entered Thailand through the Sandbox programme, and only 11 of them had been traced. the other 78 people had entered the normal quarantine process and only 12 of them were traced.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2224955/untracked-visitors-from-southern-africa-asked-to-report-for-covid-tests

==========================================

Most face mask brands fail quality test standards

Only a fifth of 60 face mask brands available on the market passed Thai Industrial Standard quality tests, according to the Thailand Consumer Council (TCC).

The result prompted the TCC to demand the Thai Industrial Standards Institute require that disposable face masks follow safety standard regulations, instead of this being done on a voluntary basis.

The TCC in July randomly selected for testing 60 face mask brands including 14 kinds of disposable face masks, 27 brands of surgical face masks and 19 different N95 face masks. Testing involved assessing their quality based on filter efficiency of 0.1 micron and 0.3 micron, air permeability and pressure difference to find whether each mask complied with the standard.

Dr Paiboon Choungthong, a committee member on products and services for the TCC, said that only three of 14 brands of disposable face masks passed the standard. They are LOC, Medicare Plus and Iris Ohyama. But the Iris Ohyama brand over-claimed the filter quality for 0.1 micron as the result showed its filter was only 97.47% efficient, not 99% as claimed. The following 11 brands failed to pass: Zion, Lepono, Bestsafe, I-Tec, 3M, Asproni, Fidens, Life Mask, Microtex, Lanzhi and Yamada.

Regarding medical and surgical masks, only three of 27 brands passed. They are Nam Ah, Double A Care and TCH. The others that failed are: Next Health, Union Beef, Fidens (dark pink box), Live SEF, Welcare, Nice Mask, Topvalue Bestprice, Medimask, Betex, Fresh Plus (blue box), Kenkou, G lucky, Hyguard, Hi-Care, Fresh Plus (green box), Fresh Plus (blue box), KSG (dark green sachet), KF (sachet), Miss Med, Exta, KF (box), Watsons, Nice Mask (light green box) and Betex.

For N95 masks, seven brands passed the test: Minicare, Snake Brand, One Care, 3M, Welcare Black Edition, Ease Mask Zero, and Pharmatex. The following six brands were not in line with the standard: Cuwin Mask, Cuwin Mask (True Shopping), Mini Care, Pharmatex, Nobel Mask, and Kowa.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2224511/most-face-mask-brands-fail-quality-test-standards

[spoon]

12 hours ago, reader said:

Of the 330 still here, 252 entered Thailand through the Sandbox programme, and only 11 of them had been traced. the other 78 people had entered the normal quarantine process and only 12 of them were traced.

So, if any of these people were positive, sandbox shouldve detected them right as they need to be tested again after 7 days before they can head out. 

[PeterRS]

14 hours ago, reader said:

Of the 330 still here, 252 entered Thailand through the Sandbox programme, and only 11 of them had been traced. the other 78 people had entered the normal quarantine process and only 12 of them were traced.

How can these people not be traced? I thought part of the regulations for opening up were use of the tracking app on mobile phones.

[spoon]

7 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

How can these people not be traced? I thought part of the regulations for opening up were use of the tracking app on mobile phones.

My guess is they have not yet traced these people rather than cannot be traced. Unless there are active gps tracker on the phone, its not so easy to track a person unless u put in the resources.