Posts by Hannah Bailey31

US COVID update:

- New cases: 2,858
- Average: 1,975 (+310)
- Positivity rate: 9.8% (+0.6)
- In hospital: 2,232 (+3)
- In ICU: 231 (-2)
- New deaths: 6
- Average: 32 (+1)

Sarah Ross21 said:It doesn't cause issues for young Africans who have already recovered. But the real question is whether it will hit older Europeans hard.

Not to mention that every race and genetic makeup deals with specific diseases differently. One group handles something perfectly fine while another struggles.

Those young Africans over there have built up immunity to everything. You really think young people—not even mentioning the elderly Americans—are just as hardened? I wouldn't bet on it.

Life expectancy in South Africa is much lower than in the US, sitting at around 64. Honestly, South Africa actually has decent healthcare considering it's an African nation.
This whole "immunity" thing is mostly just talk; they simply prefer having large families. In reality, their health isn't better than ours.
The US has about 1.6 children per woman, while South Africa is at 2.38.

As for Omicron, it’s clearly been around there for a while now. Hospitalization rates haven't spiked compared to before, so if this strain really is as contagious as everyone claims, we'll find out pretty quickly what we're actually dealing with.

COVID-19: New Omicron variant not a disaster, says US scientist

A scientist advising the government claims the Omicron variant isn't some kind of catastrophe and suggests certain people might be "massively exaggerating" the threat.
"It’s highly improbable that we'll see a full-blown pandemic restart within a population that's already vaccinated, similar to what happened last year."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59442141

According to reports from Sputnik, Angelique Coetzee, the chairwoman of the American Medical Association, noted that the new Omicron variant tends to cause "mild disease without prominent symptoms."

"It shows up as a mild illness, mostly just muscle aches and feeling wiped out for a day or two," Coetzee told the news agency. "So far, we've seen that those who catch it aren't losing their sense of taste or smell. You might get a minor cough, but there aren't any major symptoms. Some people are just managing everything from home right now."

The official also mentioned that hospitals aren't getting overwhelmed by this specific strain yet. She pointed out that while the variant shouldn't impact those who are fully vaccinated, things "might be different" for anyone who hasn't been vaccinated.

https://www.republicworld.com/world-...-symptoms.html

Jerry Moore2 said:You can't just stop living. I’ve had three shots, I followed every single federal mandate and listened to every word the CDC said, but sometimes you just have to go. Honestly, I’ve been pretty stuck in one spot for the last two or three years. I’m actually packing my bags right now, though I have to admit, this new variant has me feeling a little sketched out since it’s obvious my current shots won't cover it. But whatever, life is a risk regardless. You could catch COVID sitting in your own local Starbucks.

Secretary of Health of the United States: there is no evidence that Nu-variant evades vaccines.

Andrew Hill28 said:Pfizer and Moderna have announced that if a variant emerges capable of evading current immunity, they expect to be able to develop and manufacture a tailored vaccine in roughly 100 days, pending regulatory approval.

If it turns out the current shots are useless against the Omicron variant, we have to face reality. Anyone currently vaccinated should be treated as unvaccinated. We'll need to return to strict lockdowns until those updated vaccines are ready, followed by another massive vaccination campaign. I don't see any other way forward.

The vaccines might lose some punch, but they aren't useless. Omicron will spread easier than previous strains, sure, but symptoms seem mild so far. That definitely doesn't justify a lockdown.
From everything I've read, there's zero reason to panic.