With vaccines widely available, why are people freaking out about the new South African Covid variant?

Well..... wrote:

Noyankee wrote:

“I'm not fearmongering, I am explaining why people are concerned.”

People are concerned because, once again, the first reported case in the US was a fully vaccinated person. Double shot and a booster and wah la, OMNICRON. You folks are boxed into lunacy. This new bio weapon mutation looks to be primarily forming within vaccinated folks. It’s not fearmongering. It is what it is. New rules here pseudo-scientists.

Actually, incorrect. They hadn't had a booster, and only had mild symptoms. Stop lying please.

An Israeli Doctor had 3 doses and became infected, but alas, he is one more of the true believers:

I am Sam wrote:

Harambe wrote:

Hospitalization rates in South Africa are rising despite high rates of infection-driven immunity down there (>80% infected by some metrics).

It could be no big deal/the same as Delta. It's good to keep an eye on.

Where do you get that 80% figure from? You are usually so rational.

Yes, SA's numbers are under reported because of lower testing rates, but if you even had 30%, their hospitals would be over run and they will be piling bodies up

I actually speak from real kbnowledge on SA, and of South Africans

Estimates of seroprevalence are quite high post-Delta wave:

This guy's excess death modelling predicts close to 100% attack rate:

Obviously implausible and likely explained by a higher IFR in South Africa relative to developed countries.

A pre-delta study national study found ~20%, without correcting for waning I think, so I would say at LEAST 50% attack rate is clear (Delta wave was by far the worst in SA for infections). 80% is maybe slightly high, fair enough, but it's closer to 80% than 30%.

I'll give you a guess why vaccinated people are getting Covid as well....many people are vaccinated, and they are mostly the ones travelling and mingling. The unvaxxed are in the basements under the bed.

To be serious, we had a lady returning via a Doha flight into Sydney on Thursday, who originated in Southern Africa (before the Omicron alert). The next day, Black Friday she went to the biggest shopping centre in Sydney (Parramatta Westfield) , at least 10 shops that she checked in, on the way home 100km up the coast, she visited two take aways, three supermarkets and a pharmacy. She obviously did not have jet lag.

She tested positive for Omicron over the weekend.

Despite all that, so far one other person in community has Omicron, and he shared the Doha flight.

Contrast that to back in June with our Delta outbreak. One limo driver in front seat, air crew on back seat. He visits a coffee shop and a department store. CCTV indicated that a person in coffee shop infected was not in close contact , and in the department store an infected person had only passed more than three metres from him.

Within days the numbers skyrocketed, one week later lockdown as we peaked at 2,000 before vaccinations reigned it in.

The difference between then and now?

92% vs 23% vaccinations.

You are out of your mind if you think the unvaxxed are sitting home alone. Not getting it. We started as the ones who got out of the house, took off the masks, went to restaurants and the rest of it. We are the leaders in this brigade to stop the nonsense.

Vaxxed are getting this new variant first and more often because their immune systems are compromised, it’s really that simple. No doctor on Earth could honestly tell you that your immune system is overall stronger now than before (3) vials of this toxin. You are living in a myth but it’s your body, your health. We can only lead you to water

I am Sam wrote:

The unvaxxed are in the basements under the bed.

Maybe that's true in Australia, but that's the opposite of the case here. The unvaxxed have been living as close to a normal life as possible throughout the pandemic. The only few still hiding under the basement are all triple vaxxed and triple masked.

rojo wrote:

But then it hit me, "If the vaccines work, why in the hell are we worried about some variant?"

Dude, do you know what "variant" means?

People are worried because this variant is DIFFERENT (that's what "variant" indicates...) and it's not clear how well vaccines will work. They work well against existing strains, but there's no guarantee against new ones. Thus, the concern.

Am I going to go back in my shell? No. I'm vaxxed and boosted and so is my family. That's enough for me unless Omicron truly is demonstrated, with data, to be dangerous (as in hospitalization, not just infection) to vaccinated people. If there's reliable data on its dangers, we'll hunker down and wait for a booster. But I won't default to cowering in fear.

“Am I going to go back in my shell? No. I'm vaxxed and boosted and so is my family. That's enough for me unless Omicron truly is demonstrated, with data, to be dangerous (as in hospitalization, not just infection) to vaccinated people. If there's reliable data on its dangers, we'll hunker down and wait for a booster. But I won't default to cowering in fear.”

WOW! Sounds like someone from the vax crowd is finally getting it, hopefully not too late. If OMICRON attacking vaccinated people is not enough to make the vaxxed realize you are playing with fire, then nothing will. Keep compromising yourselves and the kicker will soon be here. Then what are you gonna do? Fauci gonna be out of answers.

Noyankee wrote:

“Am I going to go back in my shell? No. I'm vaxxed and boosted and so is my family. That's enough for me unless Omicron truly is demonstrated, with data, to be dangerous (as in hospitalization, not just infection) to vaccinated people. If there's reliable data on its dangers, we'll hunker down and wait for a booster. But I won't default to cowering in fear.”

WOW! Sounds like someone from the vax crowd is finally getting it, hopefully not too late. If OMICRON attacking vaccinated people is not enough to make the vaxxed realize you are playing with fire, then nothing will. Keep compromising yourselves and the kicker will soon be here. Then what are you gonna do? Fauci gonna be out of answers.

Ironically, Sinovac, which is the closest thing to an actual, traditional attenuated viral vaccine, is showing better efficacy against Omicron in early studies. Imagine something approaching innate immunity being better than a mRNA jab that evokes a response to a mere 12% of the viral genome, while entering the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells, inhibiting DNA repair, all the while also causing inflammation in many organ systems throughout the body, with a decaying half life far longer than Covid 19, 20, 21, 22 itself.

You are right. Some of us just treated with good common sense measures and have not stopped living life.

Covidiocy wrote:

Ironically, Sinovac, which is the closest thing to an actual, traditional attenuated viral vaccine, is showing better efficacy against Omicron in early studies. Imagine something approaching innate immunity being better than a mRNA jab that evokes a response to a mere 12% of the viral genome, while entering the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells, inhibiting DNA repair, all the while also causing inflammation in many organ systems throughout the body, with a decaying half life far longer than Covid 19, 20, 21, 22 itself.

1) Is there any actual data on Sinovac neutralization against Omicron yet? When I google it and look fo rit, I get a bunch of cranks saying that Sinovac "should" do better against Omicron but... these same guys said the EXACT thing about Sinovac originally, for the exact same reasons, and they were completely wrong, of course. The mRNA vaccines far outperformed Sinovac and other inactive virus vaccines.

2) The fearmongering is getting out of hand here. The half life of mRNA is a day or two. The half life of the encoded spike protein is days to a week or two. Using raw % of the viral genome as a proxy for immunological importance of a gene product is hilariously misguided. The virus presents the same, if not more, of the risks that you are screaming about. For someone who repeatedly brags about their advanced degrees I would expect a little more rigor and resistance to bog-standard antivax pseudoscientific talking points.

Unjabbed are the people going about their normal lives without wearing masks. Jabbed are those cowering at home behind the sofa.

All my friends who got jabbed so they can travel none of them haven been abroad in the past 22 months. I've been on holiday 6 times.

Well..... wrote:

Noyankee wrote:

“I'm not fearmongering, I am explaining why people are concerned.”

People are concerned because, once again, the first reported case in the US was a fully vaccinated person. Double shot and a booster and wah la, OMNICRON. You folks are boxed into lunacy. This new bio weapon mutation looks to be primarily forming within vaccinated folks. It’s not fearmongering. It is what it is. New rules here pseudo-scientists.

Actually, incorrect. They hadn't had a booster, and only had mild symptoms. Stop lying please.

I don’t recall saying anything about symptoms, it’s your lie that is confusing. As if you know their medical History. Fully vaxxed is what it is. Soccer players dropping like flies . You are the one leading a lie

Noyankee wrote:

You are out of your mind if you think the unvaxxed are sitting home alone. Not getting it. We started as the ones who got out of the house, took off the masks, went to restaurants and the rest of it. We are the leaders in this brigade

Ignorant and proud of it. You want a prize for being the one who has prolonged this pandemic? Keep playing these dumb games and you will get your dumb prize soon enough.

FerriTim2 wrote:

All my friends who got jabbed so they can travel none of them haven been abroad in the past 22 months. I've been on holiday 6 times.

Wonder why this thing keeps on, keeping on.

GOP "leaders" love you right-wing voters. So so dumb.

Steve's an Addict wrote:

FerriTim2 wrote:

All my friends who got jabbed so they can travel none of them haven been abroad in the past 22 months. I've been on holiday 6 times.

Wonder why this thing keeps on, keeping on.

GOP "leaders" love you right-wing voters. So so dumb.

Funny, the clown show has arrived. Pretty sure I will have a much better chance of fighting this bio weapon off if I just continue running. Look up those stats sometime. Einstein has nothing on you I see. Soccer players struggling though once they get the vaccine. Interesting. Put that thought in your spaghetti brains

And now our second case of the mighty OMICRON. Again, fully vaxxed. Who needs to quarantine who?

Noyankee wrote:

WOW! Sounds like someone from the vax crowd is finally getting it, hopefully not too late. If OMICRON attacking vaccinated people is not enough to make the vaxxed realize you are playing with fire, then nothing will. Keep compromising yourselves and the kicker will soon be here. Then what are you gonna do? Fauci gonna be out of answers.

The only people playing with fire are the unvaccinated. Those of us who have gotten a safe shot(s), which has easily demonstrated benefits and far less risk than the virus itself, have always been the rational ones. Nothing I or my family has done has "compromised" us or created risk for others.

curiousoldster wrote:

Noyankee wrote:

WOW! Sounds like someone from the vax crowd is finally getting it, hopefully not too late. If OMICRON attacking vaccinated people is not enough to make the vaxxed realize you are playing with fire, then nothing will. Keep compromising yourselves and the kicker will soon be here. Then what are you gonna do? Fauci gonna be out of answers.

The only people playing with fire are the unvaccinated. Those of us who have gotten a safe shot(s), which has easily demonstrated benefits and far less risk than the virus itself, have always been the rational ones. Nothing I or my family has done has "compromised" us or created risk for others.

Lol, classic.

Botswana-first OMICRON cases with vaccinated

USA first OMICRON cases with vaccinated

So, either;

A: OMICRON originated with vaccinated people. Which concludes you are the problem.

OR

B: OMICRON affects the vaccinated more severely. Which means the vaccinated are in trouble with this new mutation of the great Dr’s potion.

There are no other options. Consider my approach to you as tough love.

Noyankee wrote:

Lol, classic.

Botswana-first OMICRON cases with vaccinated

USA first OMICRON cases with vaccinated

So, either;

A: OMICRON originated with vaccinated people. Which concludes you are the problem.

OR

B: OMICRON affects the vaccinated more severely. Which means the vaccinated are in trouble with this new mutation of the great Dr’s potion.

There are no other options. Consider my approach to you as tough love.

And South Africa's hundreds if not thousands of cases is not only unvaccinated, but because of them

...back to your basement please

curiousoldster wrote:

[quote]Noyankee wrote:

WOW! Sounds like someone from the vax crowd is finally getting it, hopefully not too late. If OMICRON attacking vaccinated people is not enough to make the vaxxed realize you are playing with fire, then nothing will. Keep compromising yourselves and the kicker will soon be here. Then what are you gonna do? Fauci gonna be out of answers.

The only people playing with fire are the unvaccinated. Those of us who have gotten a safe shot(s), which has easily demonstrated benefits and far less risk than the virus itself,

What? Self serving assertions from Big Pharma and their puppets in government and the media are not demonstrations