The Mysterious Coronavirus Spreading Worldwide

[pnutts]

On news on Wednesday. California variant has joined with UK variant forming a hybrid variant. Unknown what this portends. I wonder if California variant is same as found in a couple other states.

Apparently there are thousands of mutations but few variants, a variant seems more infectious than mutations.

[Sofia]

5 hours ago, pnutts said:

On news on Wednesday. California variant has joined with UK variant forming a hybrid variant. Unknown what this portends. I wonder if California variant is same as found in a couple other states.

Apparently there are thousands of mutations but few variants, a variant seems more infectious than mutations.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2268014-exclusive-two-variants-have-merged-into-heavily-mutated-coronavirus/
 

it seems a recombination of two variants has occured

[Lee49]

More to come ? -     https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56140270      

 

Bird flu: Russia detects first case of H5N8 bird flu in humans

Published

 

 

 Officials said seven workers at a poultry plant in the south of the country had been infected following an outbreak there in December.

"All seven people... are now feeling well," said the head of Russia's consumer health watchdog, Anna Popova.

She said that adequate measures had been quickly taken to stop the spread of infection.

There was no sign of transmission between humans, Ms Popova said, adding that the case had been reported to the World Health Organization.

 

 

 

[Lee49]

https://www.rt.com/news/516234-india-new-infectious-covid-strains/

 

‘Aggressive measures needed’: India discovers 240 new, possibly more infectious Covid-19 strains

  A whopping 240 mutated coronavirus strains have been discovered across India, health officials have said, warning that some of them may potentially be more infectious, and may even be capable of evading immune response altogether.

Some of the new variants could be highly transmissible or potentially more dangerous, Randeep Guleria, the head of the All-India Institute of       Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and also a member of the Maharashtra task force, has warned. Some virus strains have an immunity “escape mechanism” that could cause re-infection in people who already developed anti-bodies to Covid-19 through battling the disease or getting a vaccine, he told the Indian broadcaster.

[Dustparticle]

1 hour ago, Lee49 said:

https://www.rt.com/news/516234-india-new-infectious-covid-strains/

 

‘Aggressive measures needed’: India discovers 240 new, possibly more infectious Covid-19 strains

  A whopping 240 mutated coronavirus strains have been discovered across India, health officials have said, warning that some of them may potentially be more infectious, and may even be capable of evading immune response altogether.

Some of the new variants could be highly transmissible or potentially more dangerous, Randeep Guleria, the head of the All-India Institute of       Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and also a member of the Maharashtra task force, has warned. Some virus strains have an immunity “escape mechanism” that could cause re-infection in people who already developed anti-bodies to Covid-19 through battling the disease or getting a vaccine, he told the Indian broadcaster.

I think this is it, we all going to die. Embalm my body with chocolate and bury me in Strawberry Fields. 

[Lee49]

1 hour ago, Dustparticle said:

bury me in Strawberry Fields. 

Forever ?

[Lee49]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/22/south-african-variant-found-in-new-york-state-resident

 

US: South African COVID strain found in New York state resident

 

The first case of a fast-spreading coronavirus variant from South Africa has been discovered in a resident of the US state of New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

Cuomo said on Sunday the case, a person from Nassau County, was detected at the Opentrons Labworks Inc’s Pandemic Response Lab. The mutated strain of the coronavirus, which was first detected in South Africa, was first discovered in the US last month. 

 

 The new variant, known as B.1.351 or 501Y.V2, was first detected in December in South Africa, where it now accounts for 90 percent of cases.

It is believed to be more contagious and more adept at resisting vaccines than other strains.

[Lee49]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/22/resurgence-of-covid-19-in-india-forces-fresh-containment-measures

 

Indian state imposes curbs after resurgence of COVID-19 cases

 

Maharashtra – home to 110 million people – reported nearly 7,000 new cases on Sunday, a steep rise from 2,000 cases earlier this month, with fears heightened by the appearance of new strains of the virus in parts of the country.

 All religious, social and political gatherings have been banned in Mumbai – Maharashtra’s capital and India’s financial hub –  and the surrounding areas in the western part of the state.

[Lee49]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/22/tanzanias-president-admits-country-has-covid-19-problem

 

Tanzania’s president admits country has COVID-19 problem

 The president of Tanzania has urged its citizens to take preventive measures against the coronavirus after downplaying the disease for months and claiming it had been defeated by prayers.

 Tanzania’s official number of coronavirus infections remains at just 509, but residents report many people have become ill with breathing difficulties and hospitals have seen a rise in patients diagnosed with “pneumonia”.

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

NYT:

LONDON — A month ago, the pandemic looked bleak. More than 750,000 coronavirus cases were tallied worldwide in a single day. Infections surged across the entire United States. New variants identified in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa threatened the rest of the world.
But the last month has brought a surprisingly fast, if partial, turnaround. New cases have declined to half their peak globally, driven largely by steady improvements in some of the same places that weathered devastating outbreaks this winter.
Cases are an imperfect measure, and uneven records and testing mask the scope of outbreaks, especially in parts of Africa, Latin America and South Asia. But fewer patients are showing up at hospitals in many countries with the highest rates of infection, giving experts confidence that the decline is real....

https://nyti.ms/3qJSryu

At last the graph looks like it is heading in the right direction. 
Old (Downunder) Tone
 

Edited February 22, 2021 by ➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone

[pnutts]

[On the huh]

UK will be easing lockdown measures, but slowly.  Starting on March 8th with schools reopening, restrictions will lifted in 4 stages.  Target date of June 21 to fully take the country out of lockdown.

However it was said at the press conference, that the virus will always be with us, much like the flu, and will have to managed the same way.  Even with the vaccine, they expect us to continue to wear masks etc till the end of the year.

[JennyM]

2 minutes ago, On the huh said:

UK will be easing lockdown measures, but slowly.  Starting on March 8th with schools reopening, restrictions will lifted in 4 stages.  Target date of June 21 to fully take the country out of lockdown.

However it was said at the press conference, that the virus will always be with us, much like the flu, and will have to managed the same way.  Even with the vaccine, they expect us to continue to wear masks etc till the end of the year.

Ok . then the economy will slowly go back to normal. 

[On the huh]

2 hours ago, JennyM said:

Ok . then the economy will slowly go back to normal. 

I think slow is the keyword here.  Although the pandemic has probably left some permanent scars on the economy, it will a long time before it gets back to normal.  I'm grateful for the government schemes which meant I still get pay even though I'm not working so I can return to my job when the time is right.  But the debt it has left governments and countries is enormous.

[Bob]

2 hours ago, On the huh said:

No. This is what some politicians are saying in the US. It’s anti-scientific.

 

The entire point of the vaccine was to get rid of these measures. No point in taking a risk in getting the shot if nothing changes. The vaccine works. 
 

The fastest way to remove any incentive to getting the vaccine is to keep pushing masking and social distancing even after the vaccine. 
 

Just, no. I’ve been fully vaccinated. I dine in, I only wear my mask when the establishment requires it or when people I’m around feel uncomfortable. I respect people who prefer I mask around them. 
 

Other than that, my personal life has gone back to normal. 
 

Just being honest here. 

Edited February 23, 2021 by Bob

[Bob]

20 hours ago, Lee49 said:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/22/tanzanias-president-admits-country-has-covid-19-problem

 

Tanzania’s president admits country has COVID-19 problem

 The president of Tanzania has urged its citizens to take preventive measures against the coronavirus after downplaying the disease for months and claiming it had been defeated by prayers.

 Tanzania’s official number of coronavirus infections remains at just 509, but residents report many people have become ill with breathing difficulties and hospitals have seen a rise in patients diagnosed with “pneumonia”.

That's just plain sad. I really hate hearing stuff like that when people still believe they can pray an affliction away. 

 

If it were remotely true, illness and death would be completely eradicated from human society.

Edited February 23, 2021 by Bob

[Lee49]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/23/health/pandemic-stress-paranoia-wellness/index.html

 

Yes, pandemic paranoia is real, experts say

 

 "I noticed that so many people in my life -- friends, family, even myself since I'm being honest -- had taken a pill from the paranoid jar. Everyone seemed jumpier, more nervous, frightened, even when it came to topics that had little to do with the deadly contagion knocking on doors all around us. I talked to an immunocompromised ICU nurse, a schoolteacher, a transit worker's spouse. All agreed they were more paranoid since Covid-19 overtook daily life."

 "We scrutinize every little thing we do now. Add to that the anxiety I have that our kids won't get over the trauma of the experience," Paranoia, it seemed, was just as widespread as the coronavirus, perhaps more. ( more at website )

 

[Lee49]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/02/22/covid-19-why-get-vaccine-and-still-wear-mask-coronavirus/4547437001/

 

Why get COVID-19 vaccination if you still have to wear a mask? It beats getting sick, health experts say.

 Get a COVID-19 vaccine and you'll be counseled to keep wearing a mask and keep staying away from other people. So, what's the point?

 "People are interested in taking the vaccine," he said at a Monday news conference, because "they don't want to be sick and they don't want to die."

 "There are things, even if you're vaccinated, that you're not going to be able to do in society, for example, indoor dining, theaters, (going) places where people congregate," Fauci said.

 It's also possible, though research increasingly suggests it's unlikely, that vaccinated people could still transmit the virus, even if they don't fall ill themselves. "For that reason, we want to make sure that people continue to wear masks despite the fact that they're vaccinated," Fauci said.

 

What about Bob?  😷

[Bob]

7 minutes ago, Lee49 said:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/02/22/covid-19-why-get-vaccine-and-still-wear-mask-coronavirus/4547437001/

 

Why get COVID-19 vaccination if you still have to wear a mask? It beats getting sick, health experts say.

 Get a COVID-19 vaccine and you'll be counseled to keep wearing a mask and keep staying away from other people. So, what's the point?

 "People are interested in taking the vaccine," he said at a Monday news conference, because "they don't want to be sick and they don't want to die."

 "There are things, even if you're vaccinated, that you're not going to be able to do in society, for example, indoor dining, theaters, (going) places where people congregate," Fauci said.

 It's also possible, though research increasingly suggests it's unlikely, that vaccinated people could still transmit the virus, even if they don't fall ill themselves. "For that reason, we want to make sure that people continue to wear masks despite the fact that they're vaccinated," Fauci said.

 

What about Bob?  😷

Then they’re saying the vaccine doesn’t work, and are double talking. 
 

Simple as that. That’s like telling people to wear seatbelts, but not to drive because the belt isn’t going to protect you in case of an accident. 
 

It’s frankly ridiculous.

Edited February 23, 2021 by Bob

[hatcheckgirl]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-23/israels-coronavirus-vaccine-drive-is-fast-but-controversial/13160576

Early results from Israel's vaccination efforts are encouraging.

A group of Israeli researchers has found one jab of the Pfizer vaccine may reduce viral loads in a person, making it harder to transmit coronavirus if someone becomes infected after the first dose.

This followed a previous study by Israel's largest health provider, Clalit, on February 14 that reported a 94 per cent reduction in COVID-19 infections among 600,000 people who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

 

"We need to remember that vaccines cannot be a magic bullet solution," Professor Davidovitch said.

"So what [Israel is] doing now is taking some measures that are very proportionate … mass testing, preventing mass gatherings and, of course, continuing wearing masks until we have herd immunity."

 

Not yet time to take off the mask and relax social distancing.  Not by a long shot..... Especially in US and UK/Europe where the viral loads are much higher than Israel.

[hatcheckgirl]

1 hour ago, Bob said:

The fastest way to remove any incentive to getting the vaccine is to keep pushing masking and social distancing even after the vaccine. 

Do you have a link to this? Or is it just your opinion?

[Lee49]

 Fauci is saying the vaccine does work and does protect up to 95%, but maybe those little critters are still clinging to those even after having received it and therefore may be able to keep transmitting it to those that haven't yet ! That sounds logical to me, no? I will continue to wear, besides I don't want someone to punch me in the face because they don't know that I've had the jab!

[Dages]

In France, government is talking about going back into lockdown again.

[Bob]

5 minutes ago, hatcheckgirl said:

Do you have a link to this? Or is it just your opinion?

It’s common sense, as I see it. You want people to wear seatbelts, you promote the benefits of seatbelts. You tell them how seatbelts reduce dramatically car accident deaths. 
 

You don’t tell them to refrain from driving with seatbelts because people will question the effectiveness of seatbelts and won’t use them or won’t drive. 

 

I see use the same logic with this vaccine. 

[Lee49]

6 minutes ago, Dages said:

In France, government is talking about going back into lockdown again.

here in the US they are starting to relax and allowing more and more to go to theaters, sporting events, restaurants!