In some virus variants, increased transmissability may also come with less severe mortality rates as the virus mutates to propagate rather than kill off it's hosts. Always possible, the variant may infect a lot more people, taking over the lion's share of infections and pushing Delta out of the way...in effect becoming a new "Covid" common cold. 

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

the fact that 99.92% of arrivals are clear of infection shows that incomers are not a great risk of spreading this variant. So it should not affect 'current' arrivals.

 

BUT, if the government chooses to ignore this

they will 

28 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Scariant?  Seriously?  Governments aren't over reacting.  They're taking the advice from scientists and doctors.  Control over people?  Wow.

 

I've not read any credible news report that says vaccines don't work with this new mutation.

Maybe you should widen your news sources rather than just regurgitating the ones that peddle the fear that you are seeking:

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/omicron-covid-symptoms-angelique-coetzee-b1965576.html

2 minutes ago, James105 said:

Maybe you should widen your news sources than just regurgitating the ones that peddle the fear that you are seeking:

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/omicron-covid-symptoms-angelique-coetzee-b1965576.html

Fear?  I'm not afraid.  All my news sources say it's too early to be worried.  They're just being cautious.  Makes sense.

 

Coetzee is mainly dealing with young, vaccinated people.  Not the type of population that's typical of other countries around the world.  Time will tell. 

 

P.S. And I'm guessing she's a bit biased, coming from SA and trying to protect their reputation and economy.  I'll wait for info from other sources.  Widening my news sources like you suggest.

Omicron , acronym = Moronic !!

 

BTW, as of today Indonesia has put the quarantine requirement back up to 7 nights form previously 3., my guess is most countries may do similar.

This poll is a bit premature. We don't know enough to make even half vast guesses. (See what I did there?)

C. But A also. 
Whatever happens, you can bet your bottom dollar that the entities (read: not people) that run Thailand will do their utmost to create more paperwork because of this viral adjustment. It is what they do best! 

They've already started with travel restrictions in an attempt to keep Omicron out and I'd guess it will only get worse from here on. Buckle up.

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Our descendants will rightly criticise the economic destruction and debt they will be forced to pay off instead of buying a house and having a better lifestyle

That, IMO, is the real danger to western society.

2 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

Omicron's behavior will adhere strictly to the result of this survey!

No comments or predictions from the TAT yet.

57 minutes ago, tonray said:

In some virus variants, increased transmissability may also come with less severe mortality rates as the virus mutates to propagate rather than kill off it's hosts. Always possible, the variant may infect a lot more people, taking over the lion's share of infections and pushing Delta out of the way...in effect becoming a new "Covid" common cold. 

The old saw that viruses trade high mortality to gain transmissibility to survive is not universal. SARS-2 Delta, one of the most transmissible respiratory viruses known, has little need to trade its already low lethality to gain more transmission. 

 

So far, each major step of the pandemic has shown both an increase in transmission and a mild increase in severity.

 

I suspect that omicron ... (were's my coin? )

It already has had a effect. It's generated yet another pointless survey!

40 minutes ago, rabas said:

The old saw that viruses trade high mortality to gain transmissibility to survive is not universal. SARS-2 Delta, one of the most transmissible respiratory viruses known, has little need to trade its already low lethality to gain more transmission. 

 

So far, each major step of the pandemic has shown both an increase in transmission and a mild increase in severity.

 

I suspect that omicron ... (were's my coin? )

Reminder - it is not an inevitability that viruses mutate towards becoming less pathogenic and virulent. That idea (that viruses inevitably become more infectious but less virulent) has been circulating this entire pandemic but it should really be put to rest.

 

Bruce Levin and Jim Bull wrote a very important paper about virulence evolution back in '94. To paraphrase and generalize, virulence is often not so much a matter of evolutionary fine-tuning as a matter of "sh$t happens."

3 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

Omicron's behavior will adhere strictly to the result of this survey!

yep this is thailand Omicron will behave how this government wants it to ...another survey perhaps

To be fair, the effect of this new Variant Omicron upon any Nation is not going to be known for several weeks yet.

However, with the knowledge gleaned already about this Variant, any Country that does not get on top of PCR testing, and quarantine procedures in rapid order is going to get severely infected.

The big issue is whether the Country is prepared to do the Genome Sequencing required to find the Variant, or, will they just bumble along in ignorance until it all become a major issue, by which time it will too late, and half the Country will be Infected.

Too early to say,

 

The signals coming out from tests carried out by South African virologists are saying they needed more time to monitor this situation but the prognosis is good as in so far as up to press , the effects have been minimal and mild.

 

They are wanting to see how it affects different age groups and people with underlying diseases.

 

Fact is this, governments have been quick to respond and react and will take the blame regardless, they are damned if they lockdown and damned if they don't.

 

I hope sincerely that it is a weaker strain and wish everybody can get to as near normal as quickly as possible.

In some way or another it might give them an excuse for dropping the Thai Pass altogether without losing face. They are probably looking for such now after the widespread critcism and generally low-intake of genuine tourists that has resulted.

 

Whether it be a concentration on just more testing or the adoption of a less messy/precarious way of presenting documentation or whether they revert back to stricter measures, who knows with this lot?

 

They exist detached from reality, instead they are more content to pursue their own little agenda based upon all things Thai, their own well-being and their own prejudices.

3 hours ago, tandor said:

The Greek Alphabet has 24 letters.

CoronaVirus2 is here to stay.

It will keep mutating.

Learn to live with it.

Some will have to be skipped as they sound Chinese!

Whatever, it will be great !

 

It will return happyness to thai people.

How long is a piece of string.?

Delta decimated India but was largely controlled in Australia.

All depends on what controls (of which vaccinations are obviously a part of) are put in place.!

One thing is for sure, it's coming, if it's not already here.!

The only way it will effect people is by power hungry people flexing their muscles and oppressive actions, the woman who discovered it said the symptoms were very mild ,headaches,lost of energy and scratchy throat not sore throat

1 hour ago, Foghorn said:

The only way it will effect people is by power hungry people flexing their muscles and oppressive actions, the woman who discovered it said the symptoms were very mild ,headaches,lost of energy and scratchy throat not sore throat

As diagnosed in a very small number of YOUNG people. Let's wait to see how it hits older folks. We won't know the answers for some time.

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Impossible to make an informed guess.

 

Wait for two or three weeks after the initial analysis is done.

but of course we need a huge media feeding frenzy in the meantime, until there are any facts to report........ which is why we are all talking about it already.....

26 minutes ago, bangon04 said:

but of course we need a huge media feeding frenzy in the meantime, until there are any facts to report........ which is why we are all talking about it already.....

Included, are the ever-informed???? AN experts [regarding most everything COVID] at the ready. ????

44 minutes ago, bangon04 said:

but of course we need a huge media feeding frenzy in the meantime, until there are any facts to report........ which is why we are all talking about it already.....

No media frenzy if you follow the credible news outlets,

11 hours ago, tandor said:

The Greek Alphabet has 24 letters.

CoronaVirus2 is here to stay.

It will keep mutating.

Learn to live with it.

Yep, Followed by the Thai alphabet, betcha.

Until all survivors are on the 'Green Passport' database,

the key to absolute global control.

Phase 2. the collapse of currency. Klaus Schwab has already told

you, 'You will own nothing and you will be happy about it', read

his book/plan. The Great Reset.

We just won't know for a couple of weeks. Not enough data. Would not be surprised if it is in Thailand and most countries by now. No one knows how bad it is, yet.

Conspiracy troll post removed.

 

17 hours ago, millymoopoo said:

How long is a piece of string.?

Delta decimated India but was largely controlled in Australia.

All depends on what controls (of which vaccinations are obviously a part of) are put in place.!

One thing is for sure, it's coming, if it's not already here.!

IMO India and Oz are hardly comparable. India is a crowded country with loads of very poor people, and Oz is the opposite.

Stick enough people crowded together and the results are pretty inevitable IMO.