Omicron may become dominant variant with its high transmissibility – Dr. Yong Poovorawan

[snoop1130]

Photo by Handout / National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / AFP

 

The new coronavirus variant, known as Omicron, is likely to replace the Delta variant as the dominant strain if it continues to spread quickly and easily, said Dr. Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University today (Wednesday).

 

In his Facebook post, Thailand’s leading virologist said there is evidence of high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, citing epidemiological evidence from South Africa’s Gauteng province, which shows a rapid spread of the variant over two weeks and its emergence in more than 20 other countries.

 

Omicron has developed more mutations in the spike protein than the Delta variant and is capable of spreading at least as fast, he said, adding that a greater viral load has been found in the throats of infected patients, although the symptoms are mild.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/omicron-may-become-dominant-variant-with-its-high-transmissibility-dr-yong-poovorawan/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-01

 

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[lavezzi]

wait, normal flu has new variants every year.

We are getting vaccinated with 2 doses and boosters too.

New variants will pop every 6/12 months.

 

Covid already has high transmissibility and now the new varaint has high transmissibility? 

What's new?

 

While we should warn and keep pressure on unvaccinated to get it we also should stop terrorizing the world.

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

6 minutes ago, lavezzi said:

wait, normal flu has new variants every year.

We are getting vaccinated with 2 doses and boosters too.

New variants will pop every 6/12 months.

 

Covid already has high transmissibility and now the new varaint has high transmissibility? 

What's new?

 

While we should warn and keep pressure on unvaccinated to get it we also should stop terrorizing the world.

 

Yes and there are new flu vaccines yearly too.

[dinsdale]

I said before this may be a good thing. Delta became dominant over Beta and Beta has disappeared. Omicron (which should have been named Xi) becomes dominant aver Delta and hopefully Delta dissapears. Again hopefully Xi Omicron is mild and this thing might fizzle out. Of course Omicron might mutate later into a more deadly strain albeit less transmissable. Let's hope for the former.

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The new coronavirus variant, known as Omicron, is likely to replace the Delta variant as the dominant strain if it continues to spread quickly and easily

This is good news because that Delta version sucked, onto the next one.....

 

I note that many countries around the world are attempting to preserve the status quo - not a good idea and I suspect they will all ultimately fail.

 

[vivananahuahin]

1 hour ago, lavezzi said:

wait, normal flu has new variants every year.

We are getting vaccinated with 2 doses and boosters too.

New variants will pop every 6/12 months.

 

Covid already has high transmissibility and now the new varaint has high transmissibility? 

What's new?

 

While we should warn and keep pressure on unvaccinated to get it we also should stop terrorizing the world.

 

 

If you sit maskless in a crowded place, you can get Covid. But if you drink or eat something in a crowded place, you are protected and don't need a mask. This is 2021 science™!

[Kadilo]

1 hour ago, lavezzi said:

wait, normal flu has new variants every year.

We are getting vaccinated with 2 doses and boosters too.

New variants will pop every 6/12 months.

 

Covid already has high transmissibility and now the new varaint has high transmissibility? 

What's new?

 

While we should warn and keep pressure on unvaccinated to get it we also should stop terrorizing the world.

 

 

Even before the trials are carried out and any real facts are determined you have the msm and sites like this are already full of wild predictions and potential horror stories hitting the headlines. 
 

Strangely when it’s done this way it doesnt appear to be regarded as fake news yet it seems the perpetrators cry wolf any time anyone else has a different opinion. 

[Sanookmike]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Yes and there are new flu vaccines yearly too.

But do we lockdown and impose restrictions yearly for the flu? 

 

Covid death rates are already at the same levels as flu thanks to vaccines, shouldnt we be living with it like flu now?

 

Statistically your at more risk jumping on a motorbike taxi ???? 

 

How long are we going to keep going in circles... Just like flu this will never disappear its here forever. 

Edited December 1, 2021 by Sanookmike

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, Sanookmike said:

But do we lockdown and impose restrictions yearly for the flu? 

 

Covid death rates are already at the same levels as flu thanks to vaccines, shouldnt we be living with it like flu now?

 

Statistically your at more risk jumping on a motorbike taxi ???? 

 

How long are we going to keep going in circles... Just like flu this will never disappear its here forever. 

No not at all, I'm not promoting further lock downs at all. I'm hoping this new wave if there is one here in Thailand with the new variant will be one in which the existing vaccines will still be able to at least prevent deaths and severe effects. But like I said in a previous post, I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that as we just don't know yet how severe Omicron is due to lack of data.

 

The point I was making with the flu vaccine is that this is updated yearly and it may be likely that covid vaccines will need to be the same to fend of variants. Hopefully therapeutics will also play a big roll.

[RichardColeman]

So as far as we know, nobody has died of this variant as yet - seems even the 61 on the plane to europe were so mild they did not know they had it - but we are shutting borders, stopping flights, closing businesses structures, imposing masks, adding more travel tests. etc.

 

It's nuts.

 

Way it's going someone will sneeze soon and the stock markets will fall 5%

[Kadilo]

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

So as far as we know, nobody has died of this variant as yet - seems even the 61 on the plane to europe were so mild they did not know they had it - but we are shutting borders, stopping flights, closing businesses structures, imposing masks, adding more travel tests. etc.

 

It's nuts.

 

Way it's going someone will sneeze soon and the stock markets will fall 5%

The knee jerking and hysterics are unreal considering there is yet no data to support the effectiveness or otherwise of the current vaccines. 
 

The UK are not helping. One minute they are panicking, bringing back compulsory mask wearing and PCR testing for arrivals saying they are not sure the current vaccines are good enough, then the next announcing everyone has to get the same booster and rolling it out to all adults by end Jan.  

 

 

[yogi yogi]

world health organization just recommended that people over 60 not travel at the moment i wonder if thailand might ban 60 plus age people from entering

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, vivananahuahin said:

If you sit maskless in a crowded place, you can get Covid. But if you drink or eat something in a crowded place, you are protected and don't need a mask. This is 2021 science™!

The science says you shouldn't be doing anything in a crowded place.

[Virt]

27 minutes ago, yogi yogi said:

world health organization just recommended that people over 60 not travel at the moment i wonder if thailand might ban 60 plus age people from entering

The unvaccinated ones.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/01/older-unvaccinated-people-should-delay-travel-says-who-as-omicron-curbs-spread

[yogi yogi]

3 minutes ago, Virt said:

The unvaccinated ones.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/01/older-unvaccinated-people-should-delay-travel-says-who-as-omicron-curbs-spread

the story i read on yahoo. didnt mention vacced or not vacced it just said over sixty

[Virt]

Just now, yogi yogi said:

the story i read on yahoo. didnt mention vacced or not vacced it just said over sixty

I think they rephrased it from yesterdays press release.

[yogi yogi]

21 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

 

are u an unvacced super spreader?  i got vacced twice.  im not a lemming . im looking at my options.  govts are not gonna allow unvacced to travel very easily . so i hope u like sitting at home

[yogi yogi]

Just now, yogi yogi said:

are u an unvacced super spreader?  i got vacced twice.  im not a lemming . im looking at my options.  govts are not gonna allow unvacced to travel very easily . so i hope u like sitting at home

the worse the virus gets the worse its gonna get for the unvacced.  i still believe that govts will require vaccination for international travel and domestic travel.  im just waiting for the first govt to pull the trigger.

[Bkk Brian]

5 minutes ago, Virt said:

I think they rephrased it from yesterdays press release.

WHO advises vulnerable, over-60s against travel over Omicron

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that while blanket travel bans would not stop the spread of the Omicron variant, Covid-vulnerable people, including the over-60s, should postpone plans to travel abroad.

[BangkokReady]

Do the figures actually support Delta being more deadly than previous variants?

[yogi yogi]

1 minute ago, Bkk Brian said:

WHO advises vulnerable, over-60s against travel over Omicron

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that while blanket travel bans would not stop the spread of the Omicron variant, Covid-vulnerable people, including the over-60s, should postpone plans to travel abroad.

as i read it it said people over 60 should postpone travel.  does not mention vaccinated or not. those are pretty strong words................we are screwed,  unless the pharma companies have something up thier sleeve

[Virt]

8 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

WHO advises vulnerable, over-60s against travel over Omicron

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that while blanket travel bans would not stop the spread of the Omicron variant, Covid-vulnerable people, including the over-60s, should postpone plans to travel abroad.

That was yesterday.

Here is todays advice.

I think they messed up a bit by not pointing out they meant the unvaccinated ones 60+ yesterday?

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/officials-offer-vaccine-reassurance-who-advises-against-travel-bans-2021-11-30/

 

"The WHO issued a statement advising a postponement of travel for those who are unwell or at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, including those 60 years or older who are not vaccinated."

[Scott]

9 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Do the figures actually support Delta being more deadly than previous variants?

We have a few members who are much better at analyzing data that might be able to answer that.  If it is more deadly, it was not a big leap in mortality. 

It's hard to analyze this because by the time Delta came along, we were learning more about it's spread, we were also learning more about treatments.  On the other side, hospitals were overwhelmed and in many places access to health facilities was limited.  

 

When an infection overwhelms the health system it will be more deadly just because of insufficient or delayed care.  Along with that comes higher death rates.

[Bkk Brian]

3 minutes ago, Virt said:

That was yesterday.

Here is todays advice.

I think they messed up a bit by not pointing out they meant the unvaccinated ones 60+ yesterday?

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/officials-offer-vaccine-reassurance-who-advises-against-travel-bans-2021-11-30/

 

"The WHO issued a statement advising a postponement of travel for those who are unwell or at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, including those 60 years or older who are not vaccinated."

Yes thanks, wise advice until more is known. I do not see any hysterics here, just prudent measures.

[Bkk Brian]

18 minutes ago, Scott said:

We have a few members who are much better at analyzing data that might be able to answer that.  If it is more deadly, it was not a big leap in mortality. 

It's hard to analyze this because by the time Delta came along, we were learning more about it's spread, we were also learning more about treatments.  On the other side, hospitals were overwhelmed and in many places access to health facilities was limited.  

 

When an infection overwhelms the health system it will be more deadly just because of insufficient or delayed care.  Along with that comes higher death rates.

I think one of the other reasons Delta was sometimes referred to as more dangerous was because of its immune evasion capabilities which rendered the vaccines a little less effective

[RichardColeman]

20 hours ago, yogi yogi said:

are u an unvacced super spreader?  i got vacced twice.  im not a lemming . im looking at my options.  govts are not gonna allow unvacced to travel very easily . so i hope u like sitting at home

Not at all, I have had 3 vaccinations, masked when asked to, washed my hands in gel, quarantined when asked and have not travelled. 

 

My point is quite clearly that society cannot continue with promises of a better future and live in fear until we end up in the authoritarian state. You have to take risks now. The fear and the consequences of the illness are worse than the reality.

 

100,000,000 people have been added to the planet during covid - and more than that lost in jobs. Millions now starving and dying from other illnesses. We cannot carry on like that. 

 

This link reportedly shows how many are dying so far this year from hunger - and it puts covid in its place - how many would not have died if there food was not delayed or cancelled due to covid ? 

 

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/hunger-and-obesity/how-many-people-die-from-hunger-each-year/story

 

So, take your vaccines, wear your masks, wash your hands, quarantine if needed, but sheesh get on with life. 

Edited December 2, 2021 by onthedarkside
response to hidden post removed

[overherebc]

12 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Yes and there are new flu vaccines yearly too.

All based on the previous years viruses.

[tonysilly]

This doctor is silly!! Thailand does not have 1 case and he already has us on lock down #3. Where do these nutty professors come from!!!

[Bundooman]

They all love to have their 5 minutes of fame and glory, don't they?

They'll say anything to appear relevant, clever or important.

Elsewhere in the world, knowledgeable doctors and scientists are carefully monitoring this 'variant'.

Nobody really knows right now whether it is weaker or stronger than the last variant.

But, hey! Let's speculate, scaremonger and look important! 

[Benmart]

More media generated hysteria with predictions of doom and gloom from any mourh willing to move.