Common COVID

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Everyone will likely be exposed to the Omicron variant in the coming weeks. If Omicron is far less deadly than Delta then that could be good news in this ongoing pandemic.The good news is that it will boost the immunity of anyone infected. The bad news is that we don’t know if long COVID symptoms will effect those vaccinated.

It can infect people who are vaccinated and even some who have been boosted. We are not sure yet how it affects the unvaccinated. Many hospitals in America are already full due to Delta.

A Cambridge, Massachusetts based data analytics firm nference conducted a study, yet to be peer-reviewed, that said the variant likely acquired at least one of its mutations by picking up a bit of genetic information from another virus, possibly one that causes the common cold. This does not mean the Omicron variant has “mutated into the common cold,” as some are claiming online. The Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant is significantly distinct from seasonal coronaviruses (HCoV) that cause the common cold.

Vaccinated people infected so far seem to have milder symptoms, based on reports from South Africa. Even of it is lets say 60% milder, and it is 300 % more infectious, it could still create more severe cases. Fully vaccinated people infected with the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus could end up with super immunity to the coronavirus, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University. The research — published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association — found that breakthrough infections create “a robust immune response against the delta variant.” Researchers said the findings indicate that “the immune response is likely to be highly effective against other variants as the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to mutate.”

It does seem that COVID is here to stay and the world will have to continue to face ongoing waves as lone as people refuse to get vaccinated.

Santa Shortage

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Have you been desperate to have your child photographed with Santa this year? Well CNN reported that Santa is fully booked through the Omicron season. The number of trained and available Santas has gone down, which is  another disruption in the supply chain caused by the pandemic.

There are 10% fewer Santas available this year while requests for Santas have more than doubled when compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The problem is that Santa schools are seeing less enrollment. Santa trainees don’t want to travel to the indoor school settings or sit in crowded Santa conferences. Just like health care workers around the country, experienced long time Santas are retiring their red coats. 18% are taking 2021 off.

Being over weight and over 60 years old, Santa is at a high risk category when it comes to getting COVID-19. More than 335 Santa’s have died this year from coronavirus and other ailments, according to Mitch Allen of Hire Santa. Santas these days must show proof of vaccination, and he must take coronavirus rapid test twice a week. Some Santas are fearful of the potentially infested children. With the Omicron variant more children are being infected and requiring hospitalization.

The obvious solution is to have Krampus sit in. He might bite, scratch and breath COVID on your scamp but think of the photo opportunity. Krampus doesn’t give a crap about his own health or anyone else’s health. If your child has not been good, Krampus had the solution.

COVID Stole Christmas

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COVID-19 stole Christmas. Cases are surging from both the Deta Variant and now Omicron which is 70% more transmissible. Omicron has now been confirmed in 46 states and is likely in all 50. 38% of Americans are still not fully vaccinated leaving plenty of fuel for the virus to burn through.

Royal Caribbean cruise line has just reported 48 cases of COVID-19 on a ship docked in Miami. The Rockettes in New York City have canceled their season spectacular show due to infections among the cast. Sports teams are being forced to cancel games. It is feeling like March of 2020 all over again. You might thing the earth had stood still.

In Florida cases are doubling every 36 hours. Despite this massive crush of infections many Americans are on the move returning to families where the virus can spread. Only 8 states have indoor mask mandates. Holiday travel will result in more cases and deaths. Patients in hospitals are still dying alone as they gasp for their last breaths.

The Netherlands on December 19, 2021 began an “unavoidable” lockdown that will last through Christmas to help tackle a COVID-19 surge caused by the emergence of the Omicron variant. It is closing most schools and daycare facilities. Spectators are banned from sporting events. Only 2 guests are allowed at any holiday gathering. Italy is planning to make masks mandatory outdoors. Germany has locked down its borders. Denmark, where cases are doubling every two days, is shutting down theaters and museums. Bars are closing early. That is how you know it has gotten bad.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering urging the public to limit household mixing at Christmas, the Telegraph reported on December 19, 2021. He is however wavering and will likely wait until after Christmas because he fears the reaction of his countrymen. In December 2020 he instated lockdowns so strict in parts of England that indoor meetings with people from other households were forbidden. Back then few dozen of the prime minister’s staffers reportedly hosted a festive gathering at 10 Downing Street. This has undermined anyone taking any lockdown he considers as two faced. Britain’s health secretary, Sajid Javid,  has refused to rule out imposing tougher COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas amid the rapid rise of infections and continuing uncertainty about the omicron variant.

On December 21, 2021 President Joe Biden will address the thread of Omicron in a public address. For now however, most Americans going about life as if the pandemic were a thing of the past.

Bronchial Battle

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Omicron is here. It has been found in 100 % of the waste water samples in Orlando Florida.The only reason it isn’t being reported officially is because it is not being sequenced in labs.

Omicron is in a battle against the already raging Delta Variant in America.  In South Africa Omicron completely overwhelmed and replaced Delta in a matter of weeks. In that case however Delta was already on the downswing. It is hard to know exactly how two variants battling against each other for human fuel will play out. The unvaccinated will all face this threat. Even the vaccinated could be re-innfected but cases should be more mild.

In New York City the Rockettes canceled its run because of infections among the cast. Hamilton, Mrs Doubtfire and other Broadway shows are shutting down. The NFL is canceling games because too many players are infected. In a struggle for normalcy players can get back on the field after just 1 negative test.  School children are much he same they do not need to isolate as long as they do not test positive. Asymptomatic spread is being ignored. More than 60 fully vaccinated people tested positive for Omicron after an office holiday party in Norway, and all had gotten negative rapid-test results just a day earlier.

A case study in Japan found that Omicron is much better at infecting Bronchial tissue. The brochus are the tubed that lead down to the lungs. They found that it infects bronchus tissues 70% more than Delta. That means there is plenty of viral partials expelled when any infected person breaths, or speaks. Another finding was that Omicron infects actual lung tissue 10% less than Delta. That means there might be less need for supplemental oxygen or intubation. With milder symptoms an infected person might feel free to go out and infect many more people.

The Omicron variant is incredible transmissible. Super spreading events are happening daily since everyone has let their guard down. To stay safe the rules remain the same, social distance, wear a quality N95 mask and wash your hands often. Vaccinate, get boosted and stay vigilant. This holiday season is going to be a viral battle ground.

Omicron Blizzard

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Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota,  told CNN on December 16, 2021 that the U.S. is facing an imminent COVID-19 “viral blizzard.” “In the next three to eight weeks, we’re going to see millions of Americans are going to be infected with this virus, and that will be overlaid on top of Delta,” said Osterholm.

New York City, America’s original pandemic epicenter, is displaying warning signs of yet another drastic surge of the virus, this time likely driven by the Omicron variant.

A new study showed that having had COVID-19 offers little protection against the Omicron variant, Bloomberg reported. Booster shoots could bring up protection to 90%. President Biden warned unvaccinated Americans that the Omicron variant will start to spread more rapidly in the U.S. if they do not receive their shots soon.

In a mater of a few weeks Omicron has already circumvented the world. It is everywhere. The surge is happening quickly in a matter of weeks rather than over months. At Cornell University here in the U.S. 900 cases were detected among the students. Many of those Omicron infections were among fully vaccinated students. Some even had booster doses. Vaccines can blunt the serious illness associated with infection. There have been no reports of severe infections requiring hospitalization. The school shut down its campus and lessons are being taught online.

A study not yet pier reviewed showed that Omicron replicates 70% faster that the original COVID-19 virus and the Delta variant in the bronchus or airways to the lungs. This can explain why people are so infectious. They also found that Omicron does replicated 10 times slower in the lungs which could be good news meaning there might be far less serious infection requiring oxygen and incubation. Only time will tell how this Blizzard of infection will effect America’s unvaccinated population. I am keeping my eyes on England which is several weeks ahead of us in this global wave of infection.

NFL Scrambles With COVID

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Over 100 NFL players are now on the reserve COVID list. This is a record number, in a three day period, since the pandemic began. Many of those players are fully vaccinated. According to the league, two-thirds of them are asymptomatic and the rest have very mild symptoms.

Players also lied about their vaccination status, putting team mates at risk. Some idiot quarterback takes his medical advice from  Joe Rogan, a podcaster rather than doctors or scientists. The NFL temporarily suspended Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown and two other players for lying about their Covid-19 vaccination status. They will miss three games, which is a slap on the wrist that will be more of a short vacation for these highly paid players. Brown males $6.25 million dollars a season.

Adjustments are being considered for the COVID player protocols. The first three months of the season had few COVID-19 cases. The league  profited from full stadiums, and fewer masks. Fans and athletes seemed to forget there ever was a pandemic.

There remain just four games in the regular season before the playoffs begin. At this rate there will be no players on the field to play them. Commissioner Roger Goodell said there had been no discussion about postponing any games. Sills said that for the first time this season, the virus has begun spreading within team facilities. Immunity among vaccinated players and coaches is waning.

League officials felt some urgency to take action quickly as the reserve COVID-19 list ballooned. The league is encouraging booster shots. Since some players are afraid of needles that is a weak option for weak willed players. The league is mandating boosters for coaches and staff. To keep bodies on the field, they want fully vaccinated players who have tested positive to return to team activities with just one negative test. Currently, a vaccinated player needs two negative tests 24 hours apart in order to return before the end of the normal 10-day quarantine period.

Masking, social distancing and virtual meetings are returning to team facilities. I’m amazed these basic protocols were ever dropped. Some members and officials from the players union are advocating for a return to daily testing for all players, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated. Right now, only unvaccinated players (the ones they know about) are tested every day. Vaccinated players are tested once a week. More testing for everyone would almost certainly reveal more asymptomatic cases. League officials are resistant to the idea of daily testing. Because, hell that is a cost. The NFL is, for the second year in a row, in a race with the virus to the end of the season.

Omicron Blitz

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Omicron is “the most significant threat” to public health in the U.K., authorities warned on December 15, 2021, as the WHO cautioned that the highly contagious Covid-19 variant was spreading at an unprecedented rate.

The number of Covid-19 infections over the coming days will be “quite staggering” compared to previous variants, said Jenny Harries, the head of the U.K. Health Security Agency.

England has entered a wartime stance against the advancing Omicron variant.  The country reported a record number (78,610) of new daily Covid-19 cases on December 15, 2021. This surpassed the previous high of 68,053 cases reported on January 8, 2021.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that Britain faces a “tidal wave” of omicron infections, and has announced that England would be speeding up its booster program to offer all adults a third dose of a vaccine by the end of the year.

Long lines have been seen outside vaccination centers in many U.K. cities and towns with the government putting its booster program on overdrive to try to get a third vaccine shot to as many people as possible.

Johnson confirmed on December 13, 2021 that at least one patient infected with the new omicron variant had died in the country. It was the first publicly confirmed death globally from the new heavily mutated strain. Some restrictions, including mask mandates in shops and instructions to work from home where possible, have been reintroduced in England throughout December 2021. France imposed a travel ban on U.K. travelers. The United States will be following the U.K. in two to three weeks. Omicron is already prevalent in Orange County waste water meaning it is spreading Central Florida.

Professor Shabir Madhi, a leading vaccinologist, said that Omicron is NOT less virulent than Delta but deaths have been 10 times less in South Africa. This may be because so many people (73%) had prior infections resulting in some immunity. Discovery Health of South Africa reported on a study of 3.7 million people from the first thee weeks of the Omicron outbreak. Omicron now accounts for 90% of the cases having displaced Delta. Omicron has peaked faster than any other variant of COVID-19.

Two doses of Pfizer Bio-NTech now only offer 33% protection against infection. Cases however are mild when infection occurs. The two doses of Pfizer offer 70% protection against hospitalization. Booster doses should bring immunity levels back up  to 90%. For someone with a prior infection of COVID there is a 40% risk of re-infection.If you are unvaccinated, then you are screwed. The virus will find you.

In South Africa the chance of hospitalization with Omicron is 29% lower than Delta. There is less of chance of intensive care admission. Children under the age of 18 have a 20% higher risk of admission. There is also an increase of admissions for children under the age of 5. Most children presented with mild symptoms such as sore throat, nasal congestion, headache, and a fever that resolved in two or three days.

Tower of Babel

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On the evening of December 10, 2021, a huge series tornados ravaged central and southern states. The death toll has risen over 80. A stretch of more than 250 miles from Arkansas to Kentucky might have been hit by one violent, long-track twister, CNN meteorologists said.

In Kentucky alone more than 70 have been reported dead. The tornado hit the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory which had 110 people working inside when the roof caved in. Workers were working through the night to meet Christmas demand. Workers who heard warning sirens wanted to get home to shelter in place, but they were told they would likely be fired if they left. Some left despite the threat of loosing their jobs. Dozens are feared dead.

In Edwardsville Illinois, an Amazon warehouse was blown open killing 6. Walls on both sides of the warehouse collapsed inward, while the roof collapsed downward. Workers in the warehouse were banned from having cell phones which could be a life saving device if a worker were conscious and trapped under rubble. In such an emergency it wold be good to be able to get in touch with loved ones to see if they are safe. “After these deaths, there is no way in hell I am relying on Amazon to keep me safe,” an Amazon worker from a nearby facility in Illinois told Bloomberg. “If they institute the no cell phone policy, I am resigning.”

On December 10, 2021 the same day as the tornado, 2,064 people died from COVID-19 in America. That is like having 25 of these tornados killing people across the country every day.

Mother Nature’s Solution

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Humanity has botched it’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic from the start. It seems humanity has little to no ability to think in terms of self preservation. A large section of society is actively avoiding a life saving vaccine.

Mother Nature may be stepping in to save the unvaccinated from themselves. Professor Eleanore Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Edinburgh University said that the Omicron variant could act as a natural vaccine for the unvaccinated.

Since Omicron is 4 times more transmissible than the Delta variant, we will all be exposed in the next couple of weeks. The hope is that many will be asymptomatic, with mild symptoms, but it is too early to be certain.

The first case of Omicron was reported in England on November 27, 2021. 16 days later it now accounts for over 50% of all cases in the country. December 13, 2021 England reported the first death from Omicron.

Those who were previously infected will be re-infected, those with just 2 jabs of vaccine may be infected since the variant can evade the vaccine immune response, and of course the virus will find and burn through the unvaccinated. The United States will soon follow in this amazing tsunami of infections.

The good news is that being infected with Omicron will result in an immune response for a period of time. Having milder symptoms means that people will circulate and therefor further spread the virus. Each person infects 4 others and those people infect 4 others, that is what results in such an exponential spread of disease. It is still advisable to wear masks, social distance and wash hands often as this waves swamps the country. The virus will continue to evolve.

 

Against the Wind

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Is a slower outdoor wind speed is associated with an increased risk of transmission when individuals socialize outside? A study done between March 16th and December 31st, 2020 took a look at wind speed and maximal daily temperature to see if they might affect the infection rates of COVID-19.

Cases were very high in the initial wave but diminished once lockdown procedures were enacted. Analyses revealed that days with temperatures ranging between 60° and 82°F where wind speed was < 5.4 miles per hour (MPH) had an increased COVID-19 chance of infection.

The risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the summer was higher on days with low wind speed. Outdoor use of increased physical distance between individuals, improved air circulation, and use of masks may be helpful in outdoor environments where airflow is limited.

Most known respiratory viruses spread during the cold season in the temperate Northern hemisphere. As temperatures drop the chance of infection from COVID-19 may increase outdoors but good airflow will reduce the chance of infection.

COVID-19 transmits via aerosolized viral particles that begin shedding before symptoms are evident. As a result, approximately half of those diagnosed with COVID-19 report not knowing where they may have become infected. This lack of knowledge may be because COVID-19 transmits in outdoor spaces that are believed to be safe. COVID-19 can transmit through the air over relatively long distances. The new Omicon variant has been found to linger in the air longer making it far more transmissible that the previous variants.

The bottom line is to keep wearing masks where air can stagnate, particularly indoors,  social distance and wash hands often. If you are near others outside and there is no wind it would also be advisable to wear a mask. Omicron is a game changer being so highly transmissible. It is advisable that you consider anyone you meet in the next few weeks to be potentially infected.  We will all be exposed to Omicron in the next month or so.