First case found in California. Person is isolating, just travelled to San Fran from South Africa.
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Not sure what to make of the new variant. We expect new ones all the time just like we do with the flu. The media hype just sends everyone a little crazy though, I struggle to get the facts.
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The media is not great at giving context or history on almost anything they report.
As far as I can understand the issue with Omicron is not how infectious it is or the severity of its symptoms - we won’t know these with accuracy for some weeks. The issue is that it displays an unusually large number of mutations from older strains, and some of these could potentially have serious public health ramifications. Amongst them is the concern of reduced response to covid vaccines.
So you can say truthfully that, today, this morning, the omicron variant does not cause a dangerous disease. But next week we might have found out that it does. Therefore lots of infection control measures coming into place so that the variant can be contained. All being well, we might see all these measures lifted by Christmas.
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There’s so much COVID news, I try not to pay attention. At least that way it’ll reduce how it affects my mood.
However, Omicron is actually a cool name.
“I am Omicron.”
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True that! Even I am trying to do the same. 
Indeed! 
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Asian counties known for their experience dealing with viruses are reacting like this:
Japan
Singapore
South Korea
How is the UK doing?
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The UK has about 2 dozen cases, there is no news that any of them are serious.
We again are compelled to wear masks in shops and on public transport. But our vaccination programme is really advanced and is being accelerated.
The publicity to increase vaccination is causing many people to be turned away from vaccination centres as they arrive too early for their boosters or second jabs because of poor communications from the health services, or because the centres are simply full and cannot accommodate any more patients. I have spoken with several people who have visited a vaccination centre 3 or 4 times before they got their jab.
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This is exactly it. Until more research has been done regarding how effective the vaccines are against it it is hard to say how dangerous it is. The issue is that if this can get around vaccines then it possibly means more people suffer with serious covid disease and thus put more pressure on healthcare systems globally. Equally, if we see greater infection rate with it as more currently vaccinated people can contract it we can expect to see faster mutation of the current strain. I have no doubt that an updated vaccine will be sorted soon for it though. Unfortunately, much like flu it will be a case of keeping up with the mutations and adapting as we go.
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I am resigned to having to have both flu and covid vaccinations every year from here on.
Who saying this morning that they will know within days on transmissibility - SA know now - weekly case avg 2 wks back was 300 per day now 3,500 per day. Tues to yesterday cases doubled.
That’s the bad news - the good news is that the jury is still out on case severity and vaccine efficacy on this variant. The Dr in SA who first spotted the different (more mild) symptoms in her patients and alerted health authorities to check for the presence of a new variant reports that her patients retained taste/smell , had itchy dry throat with associated cough and headache - but tellingly no breathing difficulties.
Is it possible like the Spanish flu back 100 years this virus will eventually mutate to a milder form.
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For the UK, masks in shops and public transports are mandatory, but the rules don’t apply to other indoor venues such as gyms, theatres, cinemas, restaurants, pubs + all night clubs are fully open. I was in a fully packed venue yesterday, with no masks in sight, but a friend was turned away from entering the Sainsbury’s without the mask.
What is interesting to me is how the US market reacts to news like this, and how ‘scared’ the investors get. News about the new variant has been out around the world since last week, so it was expected that the US market will eventually drop. I expected the drop when the first case shows up, but this just looks like heavy manipulation - US30 dropped for 1000points because of it - buy is going to be beautiful 
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Yea I think this will be the new normal.
News out of South Africa regarding increased infections in young kids. So more transmissible.
However, hopeful news on a tiny sample of patients infected with Omnicron that show it’s less severe.
The report included an analysis of 42 Covid patients in the hospital on Dec. 2 which showed that most were actually hospitalized for other medical reasons; their infections were only detected because hospitals are testing all incoming patients for Covid. Many did not have respiratory symptoms. And the average length of hospital stay was 2.8 days, far shorter than the average of 8.5 days recorded in the region over the past 18 months, the report said.
It will make its way everywhere eventually, it is inevitable, unfortunately.
From an economic pov when it reaches China there will be problems.
China developed a zero tolerance policy - yesterday being reported one case - entire block residents dispatched to to a quarantine facility - all close buildings sealed off etc.
Problem is that Chinese people have little natural immunity plus reports from HK suggest that sinovac not effective - end result more lockdowns and more supply issues - unless they change policy like NZ did.
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Not great news for China, not great news for the “supply chain”. Hopefully it passes quickly.
Real world data is that it is about 4 times more contagious - what we have to wait and see is how potent it is - early comments from Africa suggest less potent than delta.
Also early data shows booster has increased immunity - so all to play for.
Huge push in Europe right now on boosters.
I’m in the UK and omicron is the main concern right now.
If it is confirmed to cause as mild a disease as the doctors hope, I’m not going to be happy if I have to be put under any further restrictions. I’m happy to do what I’ve been doing all along - I am double-masked in shops and premises - but I won’t be told to stay home just to avoid spreading omicron.
If I pass it on, it will be like a mild flu. Likewise if I catch it. Of course there might be a tiny percentage of infected people who get a sever reaction, but its the same for flu or any other endemic disease. And there will be people who are immuno-compromised and it could be serious for them - but I’m not going close to anyone in that category and if they’re coming close to me that’s their decision.
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I mean that’s reasonable. I’m glad I still see people around me marking, indoors and outdoors. But isolation is starting to wear thin. I’m with you on not locking myself inside away from people. Be smart about it.
I wonder what the next version will be called?
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