Omicron variant

urbanwalker72 said:Viruses of this nature tend to mutate slowly, gradually becoming less hazardous with each successive iteration. The primary complication here is that this specific virus evolves at a relatively sluggish pace. If it were mutating more rapidly, we might have already seen it become significantly milder—much like what we see hints of with Omicron—or perhaps even burn itself out, which is the theory being whispered regarding what may have occurred in Japan and parts of India.

In fact, certain antiviral strategies actually rely on accelerating these mutations to achieve a similar effect.

Even if we set immune responses aside, a virus can accumulate errors within its spike protein that could eventually render it incapable of latching onto a cell entirely.

In its ancestral state, the virus was animal-based, and it was specifically those initial mutations to that protein that allowed it to bridge the gap and infect human cells.

It is statistically more probable that the virus will eventually hit an evolutionary "sweet spot," where it achieves incredibly high transmissibility while presenting a very mild clinical profile. That is essentially the essence of evolutionary optimization.

Ultimately, time should be our ally in managing this pandemic; the virus will likely settle into a pattern similar to the seasonal flu.

Regarding that last point—every major pandemic we deal with today is essentially what we now classify as the flu. In reality, nobody truly knows which specific strain of influenza they actually contracted, and it is entirely possible that any of the three major Asian flu pandemics following 1945 (the Asian, Beijing, or Hong Kong flus), or even the H1N1 strain, could be what people are experiencing.

The fundamental difference between COVID-19 and everything that came before it is testing. As long as we continue to test at this scale, this chapter doesn't close. Therefore, it seems somewhat unrealistic to expect that 2022 will be the final year of impact, regardless of how severe the illness itself becomes.

Henry Williams81 said:Regarding that last point—every major pandemic we deal with today is essentially what we now classify as the flu. In reality, nobody truly knows which specific strain of influenza they actually contracted, and it is entirely possible that any of the three major Asian flu pandemics following 1945 (the Asian, Beijing, or Hong Kong flus), or even the H1N1 strain, could be what people are experiencing.

The fundamental difference between COVID-19 and everything that came before it is testing. As long as we continue to test at this scale, this chapter doesn't close. Therefore, it seems somewhat unrealistic to expect that 2022 will be the final year of impact, regardless of how severe the illness itself becomes.

Mass testing is going to grind to a halt the second they successfully nudge—either through direct mandates or just those subtle little indirect pressures—the public into getting vaccinated. Once that happens, you can bet all those daily stats regarding infections, hospitalizations, and deaths will just vanish from the headlines. Why? Because once everyone’s jabbed up, there won't be any more sensationalist numbers left to manufacture for the news cycles. It's all about the narrative, isn't it?

William Barrett7 said:Mass testing is going to grind to a halt the second they successfully nudge—either through direct mandates or just those subtle little indirect pressures—the public into getting vaccinated. Once that happens, you can bet all those daily stats regarding infections, hospitalizations, and deaths will just vanish from the headlines. Why? Because once everyone’s jabbed up, there won't be any more sensationalist numbers left to manufacture for the news cycles. It's all about the narrative, isn't it?

Oh, really?
So what you're saying is the actual pandemic doesn't even matter; it's all about hitting vaccination targets?
Interesting logic there.... 🤔

Gerald Chavez7 said:The CDC has a pretty clear site, if you can actually make sense of it.

https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-...datcov-report/

(Page 1 of 3, then just select California)

The Wall Street Journal is tracking hospitalization rates over in South Africa too.

https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/sta...59957546782725

Check out this shot from the FT:



Image:
https://www.ft.com/__origami/service...next&width=700

Link:
https://www.ft.com/content/c719bcaf-...4-5503c63865bd

If they’d just included the case curves broken down by age group, we could actually figure out if hospitalizations are truly lower than they were during the Mississippi Delta wave, or if it just looks that way on paper.
If anyone’s found data with those age breakdowns, please drop it here—I can't seem to track it down. I'm just seeing random comments claiming the virus is milder in New York because apparently more young people are catching it compared to before. But honestly, how much higher is that percentage really?

The latest mission from the global leaders of the anti-vax crowd and the skeptics: a working title like "How to manufacture doubt and then act shocked when people actually start doubting us."

Monday, November 29th

https://www.reuters.com/business/hea...ho-2021-11-29/

The highly mutated Omicron coronavirus variant is poised to go global, carrying a massive risk of infection spikes that could lead to "severe consequences" in certain regions, according to the World Health Organization on Monday.

"Omicron features an unprecedented number of spike mutations, some of which are worrying due to their potential influence on where the pandemic goes next," the World Health Organization stated.

"The total global risk... is evaluated as very high."

A quick summary: we're looking at a disaster.

Then comes Tuesday, the day after, and they pivot back to their usual nonsense:


The head of the World Health Organization claims he's worried about certain countries overreacting to Omicron.

After spending several days sowing pure panic by feeding news agencies exactly the kind of headlines they crave, they're suddenly begging nations to stick to "rational and proportionate" measures.

Ever wonder why the latest COVID variant was slapped with the name Omicron instead of just following the usual alphabetical sequence we've seen with previous versions?

It’s pretty simple—after Delta comes Xi, and since that’s a common Chinese name, they couldn't exactly let that slide if they wanted to stay politically correct.

Linda Harris59 said:That sounds exactly like the logic being used by scientists over in Japan.

They didn't claim that high vaccination coverage or herd immunity was the driver; they argued the virus essentially neutralized itself through mutation.

Here's a thought: how should we interpret that doctor's statement?

We’ve been conditioned to believe that every single physician is just a mercenary for Pfizer, tasked with pushing vaccines down our throats. Yet, when doctors in Japan suggest the virus simply mutated itself out of existence, it completely shatters the anti-vax narrative. It doesn't fit their worldview at all.

What does any of that have to do with doctors?

It's just basic Chemistry.🙏

Structural analyses of available receptor-binding domains show that the infectivity of certain coronavirus strains can be linked to mutations within these domains.
A review of mutation changes in the amino acid sequences and secondary structures of the receptor-binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV shows they are critical in interacting with the host cell membrane receptor.

In SARS-CoV, the receptor-binding domain consists of two α-helices and five β-sheets whereas in SARS-CoV-2 it consists of
four α-helices and ten β-sheets..

--------------------------

Wow, what kind of conspiracy theory is that?😵

The increased number of α-helices and β-sheets allows for more hydrogen bonds between the receptor-binding domain and the ACE2 receptor, which is linked to the increased infectivity of SARS-CoV-2.

Oh, I bet the college-educated moderators will call this a conspiracy theory now.😁

Crystal structures of the ACE2 and receptor-binding domain complexes for SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV were analyzed. The analysis established that in SARS-CoV, the binding domain and the ACE2 receptor are connected by seven hydrogen bonds, one covalent bond, and one electrostatic interaction..

Meanwhile, in SARS-CoV-2, the binding domain and ACE2 are connected by eleven hydrogen bonds and one electrostatic interaction..

Lucky me, I actually paid attention in religion class.😁

Additionally, on the contact surface between ACE2 and the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, key amino acids were identified as being responsible for maintaining their connection.

---------------------------------------------

This includes the amino acid residues Glu35, Tyr83, Asp38, Lys31, Glu37, and His34
of the ACE2 receptor, along with the amino acid residues Gln493, Gln498, Asn487, Tyr505, and Lys417 of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain. Precisely because of the higher number of formed hydrogen bonds, the ACE2:receptor-binding domain complex of SARS-CoV-2 is more tightly and stably bound. This is further supported by the strength of the hydrogen bonds formed. Based on the distance between donor and acceptor, hydrogen bonds are categorized by strength as strong (2.2–2.5 Å), medium (2.5-3.2 Å), and
weak (3.2-4.0Å), with the hydrogen bonds formed between ACE2 and the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain falling into the medium-strength category, while those between ACE2 and the SARS-CoV receptor-binding domain fall into the weak category.

Once you read this, you'll have to go put on some leggings.😁

The SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) actually shows a much stronger affinity for ACE2 compared to the SARS-CoV RBD. We also learned something interesting about this interaction through cryo-electron microscopy. It turns out that while the SARS-CoV RBD stays mostly upright, the SARS-CoV-2 RBD tends to sit in a more reclined position, which makes it less available to bind with the ACE2 receptor. The downside
to this reduced availability is that it helps hide the domain from the immune response. While SARS-CoV relies on TMPRSS2 for proteolytic processing to enter cells, SARS-CoV-2 can also be proteolytically activated by furin alongside TMPRSS2. This furin activation allows SARS-CoV-2 to break into certain cells that don't have much TMPRSS2 on their membranes.

-------------------------------

Now they're going to try and explain how a satellite antenna works on a lunar rover to us. 🙏

Benjamin Brooks2 said:What does any of that have to do with doctors?

It's just basic Chemistry.🙏

Structural analyses of available receptor-binding domains show that the infectivity of certain coronavirus strains can be linked to mutations within these domains.
A review of mutation changes in the amino acid sequences and secondary structures of the receptor-binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV shows they are critical in interacting with the host cell membrane receptor.

In SARS-CoV, the receptor-binding domain consists of two α-helices and five β-sheets whereas in SARS-CoV-2 it consists of
four α-helices and ten β-sheets..

--------------------------

Wow, what kind of conspiracy theory is that?😵

The increased number of α-helices and β-sheets allows for more hydrogen bonds between the receptor-binding domain and the ACE2 receptor, which is linked to the increased infectivity of SARS-CoV-2.

Oh, I bet the college-educated moderators will call this a conspiracy theory now.😁

Crystal structures of the ACE2 and receptor-binding domain complexes for SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV were analyzed. The analysis established that in SARS-CoV, the binding domain and the ACE2 receptor are connected by seven hydrogen bonds, one covalent bond, and one electrostatic interaction..

Meanwhile, in SARS-CoV-2, the binding domain and ACE2 are connected by eleven hydrogen bonds and one electrostatic interaction..

Lucky me, I actually paid attention in religion class.😁

Additionally, on the contact surface between ACE2 and the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, key amino acids were identified as being responsible for maintaining their connection.

---------------------------------------------

This includes the amino acid residues Glu35, Tyr83, Asp38, Lys31, Glu37, and His34
of the ACE2 receptor, along with the amino acid residues Gln493, Gln498, Asn487, Tyr505, and Lys417 of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain. Precisely because of the higher number of formed hydrogen bonds, the ACE2:receptor-binding domain complex of SARS-CoV-2 is more tightly and stably bound. This is further supported by the strength of the hydrogen bonds formed. Based on the distance between donor and acceptor, hydrogen bonds are categorized by strength as strong (2.2–2.5 Å), medium (2.5-3.2 Å), and
weak (3.2-4.0Å), with the hydrogen bonds formed between ACE2 and the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain falling into the medium-strength category, while those between ACE2 and the SARS-CoV receptor-binding domain fall into the weak category.

Once you read this, you'll have to go put on some leggings.😁

The SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) actually shows a much stronger affinity for ACE2 compared to the SARS-CoV RBD. We also learned something interesting about this interaction through cryo-electron microscopy. It turns out that while the SARS-CoV RBD stays mostly upright, the SARS-CoV-2 RBD tends to sit in a more reclined position, which makes it less available to bind with the ACE2 receptor. The downside
to this reduced availability is that it helps hide the domain from the immune response. While SARS-CoV relies on TMPRSS2 for proteolytic processing to enter cells, SARS-CoV-2 can also be proteolytically activated by furin alongside TMPRSS2. This furin activation allows SARS-CoV-2 to break into certain cells that don't have much TMPRSS2 on their membranes.

-------------------------------

Now they're going to try and explain how a satellite antenna works on a lunar rover to us. 🙏

We’ve spent years listening to anti-vaxxers claim that every single scientist is just a paid shill for Pfizer, working overtime to push their vaccines.

Look at what happened in Japan. The virus died out there, yet instead of the scientific community giving credit to vaccine-induced herd immunity—which would have lined Pfizer's pockets with billions more—they actually stated that the virus simply burned itself out!

How can you reconcile that? Anti-vaxxers constantly preach that scientists are forced to act as walking advertisements for the jab. Yet here we see them doing the exact opposite by claiming the virus vanished on its own.

Consider this another anti-vaxxer myth thoroughly debunked.

Linda Harris59 said:We’ve spent years listening to anti-vaxxers claim that every single scientist is just a paid shill for Pfizer, working overtime to push their vaccines.

Look at what happened in Japan. The virus died out there, yet instead of the scientific community giving credit to vaccine-induced herd immunity—which would have lined Pfizer's pockets with billions more—they actually stated that the virus simply burned itself out!

How can you reconcile that? Anti-vaxxers constantly preach that scientists are forced to act as walking advertisements for the jab. Yet here we see them doing the exact opposite by claiming the virus vanished on its own.

Consider this another anti-vaxxer myth thoroughly debunked.

Japan operates in an entirely different league where it seems institutions actually do their jobs, vetting vaccines independently to decide if they're safe for their people. I recall news a few months back about a specific batch of modernin being pulled because of anomalies. Compare that to how the FDA and EMA just check if Pfizer numbered their paperwork correctly and filed their approval request properly, and that's basically it. It feels absurd when you consider how they pull samples from almost any other product, like food, just to ensure safety and labeling compliance—leading to those occasional recalls you see in stores—yet when it comes to a vaccine injected directly into the body, that level of scrutiny is missing, leaving everything resting on the word of the very companies trying to sell the product.

Amanda Allen4 said:Ever wonder why the latest COVID variant was slapped with the name Omicron instead of just following the usual alphabetical sequence we've seen with previous versions?

It’s pretty simple—after Delta comes Xi, and since that’s a common Chinese name, they couldn't exactly let that slide if they wanted to stay politically correct.

Plus, Omicron is an actual letter in the Greek alphabet.

True, they skipped Xi because it looks identical to the Romanized name of the Chinese President in English. Though technically, Xi is pronounced "shee" while the Greek letter xi is pronounced "zi"—so it's a bit of a linguistic mess.

Besides, Omicron isn't even why the skip happened—they had already labeled things like the Lambda variant way before that.

Two physicians working at a Mayo Clinic facility near Los Angeles have both tested positive for the omicron strain, despite having already received three doses of their cov vaccine.

A representative from the Mayo Clinic location outside of Los Angeles mentioned that the first doctor had just gotten back from a medical summit in London last week.

They noted that this individual was in close contact with a colleague—a doctor in his 70s—who has also since tested positive for cov.

In a statement released on Monday, the hospital clarified that "the doctor is fully vaccinated with three doses; his symptoms are mild and he is recovering well," noting that no clinical intervention is required.

It seems like the booster doesn't necessarily stop the infection itself, but if you ask me, the silver lining here is that even an older doctor in his 70s is experiencing what feels like nothing more than a common cold. That’s actually quite optimistic!

Amanda Allen4 said:Ever wonder why the latest COVID variant was slapped with the name Omicron instead of just following the usual alphabetical sequence we've seen with previous versions?

It’s pretty simple—after Delta comes Xi, and since that’s a common Chinese name, they couldn't exactly let that slide if they wanted to stay politically correct.

I’m not really buying this theory...
If we're actually sticking to the Greek alphabet:

Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega

How on earth did they skip over epsilon, zeta... all the way through xi... just to land on omicron?

By the way, if you rearrange the letters in "two soy delta, omicron," you get "MEDIA CONTROL."
Interesting, isn't it?

John Allen5 said:I’m not really buying this theory...
If we're actually sticking to the Greek alphabet:

Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega

How on earth did they skip over epsilon, zeta... all the way through xi... just to land on omicron?

By the way, if you rearrange the letters in "two soy delta, omicron," you get "MEDIA CONTROL."
Interesting, isn't it?

They only skipped nu and xi, and honestly, there's a whole different subforum for conspiracy theories.

John Allen5 said:I’m not really buying this theory...
If we're actually sticking to the Greek alphabet:

Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega

How on earth did they skip over epsilon, zeta... all the way through xi... just to land on omicron?

By the way, if you rearrange the letters in "two soy delta, omicron," you get "MEDIA CONTROL."
Interesting, isn't it?

I suspect all those different variants are out there, but they don't seem to pose much of a threat right now. I might be wrong, though, so feel free to set me straight if I'm missing something.

I suppose I should probably say something about this situation, though I’m not entirely sure there's much to add. It feels like we've been circling the same drain for a while now. Maybe I'm just being cynical, but it seems like every time we think we've reached some kind of consensus, another complication pops up out of nowhere. I guess that's just how these things tend to go, isn't it? It’s all very predictable, really. Not that anyone actually expected anything else, I suppose. kaže:
I don't really get this version... I guess.
If we’re looking at the Greek alphabet... I guess you could say it's basically like the Latin alphabet, just... different. Maybe a bit more complex? It's hard to say for sure. I suppose if you were trying to map one onto the other, it might work, but it wouldn't be a perfect fit. Just a thought.

Alpha, beta, gamma, delta.epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, jota, kapa, lambda, mi, ni, ksi... I guess we're back to talking about Omicron again. It feels like we've been through this loop more times than I can count, but here we are. Maybe things will settle down this time, or maybe they won't—it's hard to say for sure given how much everything seems to shift every other week. Just one thing after another, I suppose.pi, ro, sigma, tau, ipsilon, fi, hi, psi, omega

I guess I’m just sitting here wondering how they managed to skip right over epsilon, zeta... xi... and just landed straight on omicron. It feels like they missed a few steps in the sequence, maybe? Not sure.

I guess it’s just because they’ve already labeled certain mutations with those specific names, but honestly, those viruses aren't really cause for alarm. They usually fall into different categories, like a "variant of interest" or maybe a "variant under monitoring." Some of them didn't even manage to spread at all, really.

Here's the link with the explanation. The CDC just put out an update regarding those COVID variants we've been hearing about, and I guess it’s worth a look if you care about the technical side of things. It basically outlines which strains are currently under the microscope and why the health officials are keeping such a close eye on them. It's mostly just a breakdown of how these mutations work and what they mean for public health monitoring here in the States. They're tracking how certain versions might be more contagious or able to dodge some of the immunity we've built up through previous infections or vaccinations. I suppose it's all very standard procedure for the CDC, really—just constant surveillance to stay ahead of whatever comes next. Nothing too revolutionary in the report, just the usual data points and cautionary notes. Maybe it matters more to some people than others, but it’s there if you want to dive into the specifics of how the virus is evolving.

Nicholas Davis4 said:

A doctor from South Africa who sounded the alarm regarding the Omicron variant notes that while symptoms seem "unusual," they remain relatively mild.

( For now. )

In short:

even shorter version
[/I]

Even if we set aside the obvious—that with all the recent travel restrictions hitting their region, it would be incredibly convenient for them if Omicron turned out to be much milder than previous variants—there's also the climate factor that I feel like most people are overlooking here.

See, over here in the States, we're dealing with December and late autumn, basically heading into winter. But in the USA right now, it's the exact opposite; they're in late spring, moving toward summer. It's essentially the equivalent of our June weather.

And what were the symptoms like for us back in June, both this year and last? Weren't they pretty mild?

So, even if it's true that the current Omicron symptoms in the USA are mild, that tells us absolutely nothing about its actual overall nature.

In my opinion, the odds that the severity of the symptoms is significantly different from previous mutations—whether milder or harsher—is actually quite low.

Linda Harris59 said:We’ve spent years listening to anti-vaxxers claim that every single scientist is just a paid shill for Pfizer, working overtime to push their vaccines.

Look at what happened in Japan. The virus died out there, yet instead of the scientific community giving credit to vaccine-induced herd immunity—which would have lined Pfizer's pockets with billions more—they actually stated that the virus simply burned itself out!

How can you reconcile that? Anti-vaxxers constantly preach that scientists are forced to act as walking advertisements for the jab. Yet here we see them doing the exact opposite by claiming the virus vanished on its own.

Consider this another anti-vaxxer myth thoroughly debunked.

I suppose in their specific culture of self-destruction (you know, kamikaze, seppuku, harakiri...), they just can't wrap their heads around any other explanation. 😬

Charles Ramos7 said:They only skipped nu and xi, and honestly, there's a whole different subforum for conspiracy theories.

Thanks for the info...
But if that's the case, why was nu left out?

John Allen5 said:Thanks for the info...
But if that's the case, why was nu left out?

Usually just because it feels too "new."

Based on the latest numbers, there’s been a massive spike in new infections in South Carolina compared to last week, with 81% of those cases coming out of California.
It looks like the vaccine is actually doing its job, though; 87% of the people hitting the hospital aren't vaccinated,