Thai Health Experts Alleviate Public Concerns About New Covid-19 Variant

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

 

 

 

You can play visual games with charts all you want. But the news report above clearly says that India reported 42 new COVID deaths just in the latest day...  And although India certainly is a large country, 42 deaths a day and 12,000+ new daily COVID cases would be enough to concern most right-thinking people.

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[dinsdale]

8 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

India has been at the forefront of the XBB.1.16 outbreak....

 

Covid Live News Updates: India records 12,193 new cases and 42 deaths

"Covid Live News Updates: India has recorded 12,193 fresh Covid-19 cases in a span of 24 hours, with the number of active cases of the infection going up to 67,556, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. The death toll due to the viral disease has climbed to 5,31,300 with 42 more fatalities, including 10 reconciled by Kerala."

 

Context:

India asks states to ramp up testing as COVID-19 cases climb

MUMBAI, April 7 (Reuters) - India's federal government asked states to identify emergency hotspots and ramp up-testing for COVID-19, after the country recorded its highest daily case count since September, a Reuters tally showed on Friday.

 

There were 6,050 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the federal health ministry said on Friday, continuing a sharp upward trend since a lull last year."

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-asks-states-ramp-up-testing-covid-19-cases-climb-2023-04-07/

 

India: Covid variant XBB1.16 leads to spike in cases.

Updated: Apr 07, 2023

 

"India is recording a steep increase in COVID-19 cases every day with 6,050 fresh cases reported on Friday, marking a 13 per cent increase from 5,335 cases that were recorded on Thursday.

 

The abrupt increase in India's Covid graph is due to the spread of Omicron variant XBB.1.16, according to the experts. Covid subvariant XBB.1.16 is being closely monitored by the World Health Organisation (WHO)."

...

Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) Director Dr SK Sarin, while speaking to NDTV, said that traces of the XBB.1.16 variant have been found in at least 98 per cent of the samples taken from COVID-19 patients in New Delhi.

 

https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-covid-variant-xbb116-leads-to-spike-in-cases-know-its-symptoms-and-precautions-580026

 

This is pure defection. How about answering my questions. My question were....How many dead from XBB.1.16? How many in ICU from XBB.1.16? How many being intubated from XBB.1.16? Is XBB.1.16 a variant of concern? I can give the 1st answer for you. As of now ZERO.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

This is pure defection. How about answering my questions. My question were....How many dead from XBB.1.16? How many in ICU from XBB.1.16? How many being intubated from XBB.1.16? Is XBB.1.16 a variant of concern? I can give the 1st answer for you. As of now ZERO.

India is reporting plenty of all of the above, and XBB1.16 is the primary variant there... So it's reasonable to assume it's a large part of their illness and deaths tallies.

 

"Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) Director Dr SK Sarin, while speaking to NDTV, said that traces of the XBB.1.16 variant have been found in at least 98 per cent of the samples taken from COVID-19 patients in New Delhi."

 

https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-covid-variant-xbb116-leads-to-spike-in-cases-know-its-symptoms-and-precautions-580026

 

FWIW, I don't really care whether it's XBB.1.16 or some other variant of COVID that's killing people and making them sick. It's still COVID, anyway you cut it. And THAT'S what should be of concern. not nitpicking which of dozens of variants is involved in any given case.

 

If people are dead from COVID, they're dead from COVID, period. No bonus point for this or that variant being involved.

 

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[markclover]

I love this covid thing.  I sometimes think I am better suited to a cyberpunk dystopian world.

[Photoguy21]

For the majority of people Covid never was a big deal. It was made big by many governments probably with benefits to themselves as there was none to the populations of the countries.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Photoguy21 said:

For the majority of people Covid never was a big deal. It was made big by many governments probably with benefits to themselves as there was none to the populations of the countries.

Tell that to the millions of bereaved.......................

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

For the majority of people Covid never was a big deal. It was made big by many governments probably with benefits to themselves as there was none to the populations of the countries.

7 million dead "officially" from COVID, and the projected actual numbers more in the 15-20 million range... And that's what you have to say???

 

[Photoguy21]

Just now, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

7 million dead "officially" from COVID, and the projected actual numbers more in the 15-20 million range... And that's what you have to say???

 

What exactly does "Officially" mean? A good friend of mine died from Cancer yet the hospital tried to put it down as Covid. Why would they do that? Read up about it before answering. You may not want to reply when you do.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Here's what XBB.1.16 COVID has done for India since the start of 2023:

 

The latest daily new cases number was 12,000+. The chart below stops at April 18.

 

 

The latest daily deaths number for India is 42. The chart below stops at April 18.

 

https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/india

 

 

[onthedarkside]

An unsubstantiated misinformation post has been removed

 

A couple of posts with graphs but no links to source also removed

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

What exactly does "Officially" mean? A good friend of mine died from Cancer yet the hospital tried to put it down as Covid. Why would they do that? Read up about it before answering. You may not want to reply when you do.

 

Actual death figures are likely to be higher than confirmed deaths

 

"What we know is the number of confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 to date. Limited testing and challenges in the attribution of the cause of death means that the number of confirmed deaths may not be an accurate count of the actual number of deaths from COVID-19.

 

In an ongoing outbreak the final outcomes – death or recovery – for all cases is not yet known. The time from symptom onset to death ranges from 2 to 8 weeks for COVID-19.⁵This means that some people who are currently infected with COVID-19 will die at a later date. "

 

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths#deaths-from-covid-19-background

 

The official death numbers are acknowledged by pretty much all the experts involved as an UNDERCOUNT -- not an overcount.

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[dinsdale]

35 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

You can play visual games with charts all you want. But the news report above clearly says that India reported 42 new COVID deaths just in the latest day...  And although India certainly is a large country, 42 deaths a day and 12,000+ new daily COVID cases would be enough to concern most right-thinking people.

 

You're the one who keeps posting charts mate. What I've posted just shows the reality. As for 42 new Covid deaths and 12,000+ people being positive in India with a population of >1.4 billion, with absolutelty no reference to age and comorbidities, died with, died from, with a sub-variant said to be no more severe than recent Omicron variants namely BA.2 and XBB and it's sub-variants XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.5.1 which are globally the dominant strains. XBB.1.16 may or may not take over as the domininant strain. I think most rational people can make their own minds up. 

Went to the bank yesterday. There were people in there NOT wearing masks. 1st time in more than 3 yrs. Everyday I see more and more Thais not wearing maks. Slowly but surly people are waking up to the reality. Old people still wearing masks fair enough but they're wearing the disposible surgical ones so they might as well not bother.

[dinsdale]

59 minutes ago, transam said:

Deaths, is that too hard for you to understand.................?  ????

No I understand death and deaths. Who doesn't. Very few it seems in a populantion of >8,000,000,000 whith still no evidence that it's XBB.1.16 and are age and comordities at play. Dying with or dying from? I reckon my chances of dying or becoming severely ill from the non-severe viral infection XBB1.16 are very, very , very slim. My guess is around 1 in 8,000,000,000. As I say though if you are a person at risk then take precautions. If you are not IMO and the opinion of medical experts there is no need to. If someone can provide evidence that this sub-variant is a virus of concern or that it's very severe, possibly fatal then please provide said evidence WITHOUT any deflection. Just the facts. I do realise it's still early in the evolution of this sub-variant but as has been published it's thought not to be any more severe and I'll go with. Again this is the reality. I would bet no one in Thailand today died from XBB.1.16. Died with; possibly and again due to age and comorbitities. I would also bet that more people died today from road accidents or pollution related illness than XBB.1.16. Prove me wrong.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It's dying from COVID... regardless of the variant. But these days.... all the main COVID variants circulating are pretty much Omicron, so that in one form or another is what's killing people and still making them sick.

 

Per the WHO:

 

"At the country level, the highest numbers of new 28-day cases were reported from the United States of America (432 798 new cases; -45%), the Republic of Korea (286 182 new cases; +6%), the Russian Federation (259 138 new cases; -24%), France (219 428 new cases; +65%), and Brazil (212 578 new cases; +35%).

 

The highest numbers of new 28-day deaths were reported from the United States of America (5559 new deaths; -32%), Brazil (1177 new deaths; -26%), the Russian Federation (994 new deaths; -4%), Germany (813 new deaths; -58%), and the Islamic Republic of Iran (754 new deaths; +193%)."

 

https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19---20-april-2023

 

COVID and Omicron are still killing people every day around the globe, though the numbers in many places aren't as high as they were in the worst times of the past.

 

PS - the official case numbers above are pretty likely meaningless as vast undercounts, since most governments these days aren't actively tracking and counting mere cases, just as Thailand months ago stopped reporting them entirely.

 

Although we do have occasional blips like the following:

 

Temporary Covid-19 surge may result in 10,000 daily cases

"A new wave of Covid-19 infections is expected to bring daily cases to 5,000-10,000, but a swift decline in numbers is predicted thereafter, according to Dr Nitipatana Chierakul, Head of the Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis Division at the Faculty of Medicine in Siriraj Hospital.

 

In a statement on his Facebook page, Dr Nitipatana noted a rise in infections caused by the Omicron XBB.1.16 sub-variant but highlighted the majority of cases were mild. He explained that severe reactions were likely due to pre-existing health conditions."

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/temporary-surge-may-result-in-10000-daily-cases-for-a-brief-period

 

The majority of those projected cases may well end up being mild, as the doctor says..... But for every day there's 5K to 10K new cases here, some share of those are going to end up dead, and another share will end up requiring hospitalization.

 

And in my view, it's in everyone's best interest to see that those COVID case numbers remain as low as possible.

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

18,000 COVID "official" deaths per month in the world right now, according to the WHO.

 

 

 

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 4/21/2023 at 6:03 AM, anrcaccount said:

Regardless, PHSMs are being ended, even in places where they were the strictest,  and aren't coming back.

 

Got news for you on that score:

 

Mandatory face masks and rising cases: latest COVID-19 guidelines across India

17 April 2023

 

"A recent surge in COVID-19 cases across India has brought restrictions and guidelines back to some states.

...

Delhi

...Several hospitals and educational institutions have brought back mask mandates and social distancing protocols.

...

In Mumbai, the BMC has made face masks mandatory in civic-run hospitals and senior citizens have been advised to wear masks as a precautionary measure.

...

Kerala

... Testing has been increased and masks have been made mandatory for people who are pregnant or have lifestyle diseases as well as for the elderly.

 

https://www.cntraveller.in/story/mandatory-face-masks-and-rising-cases-latest-covid-19-guidelines-across-india/

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[transam]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

No I understand death and deaths. Who doesn't. Very few it seems in a populantion of >8,000,000,000 whith still no evidence that it's XBB.1.16 and are age and comordities at play. Dying with or dying from? I reckon my chances of dying or becoming severely ill from the non-severe viral infection XBB1.16 are very, very , very slim. My guess is around 1 in 8,000,000,000. As I say though if you are a person at risk then take precautions. If you are not IMO and the opinion of medical experts there is no need to. If someone can provide evidence that this sub-variant is a virus of concern or that it's very severe, possibly fatal then please provide said evidence WITHOUT any deflection. Just the facts. I do realise it's still early in the evolution of this sub-variant but as has been published it's thought not to be any more severe and I'll go with. Again this is the reality. I would bet no one in Thailand today died from XBB.1.16. Died with; possibly and again due to age and comorbitities. I would also bet that more people died today from road accidents or pollution related illness than XBB.1.16. Prove me wrong.

Go stand in the corner.................

[dinsdale]

Just now, transam said:

Go stand in the corner.................

As a retort I expect no more when the evidence is overwhelming and you can no longer argue against the facts that the pandemic is over and for the graet majority of people there is no longer any danger greater than getting the common cold but for some reason you're still hanging on to it. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

COVID Omicron variant infection deadlier than flu, studies suggest

"Two new studies suggest that COVID-19 Omicron variant infection is deadlier than influenza, with one finding that US veterans hospitalized with Omicron in fall and winter 2022-23 died at a 61% higher rate than hospitalized flu patients, and the other revealing that Israeli adults hospitalized with flu were 55% less likely to die within 30 days than those admitted for Omicron in the 2021-22 flu season."

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/covid-omicron-variant-infection-deadlier-flu-studies-suggest

 

Also, COVID has been one of the U.S.'s leading causes of death, even in 2022 -- far more than the flu or colds, which I believe would be listed down below under the "other respiratory" category.  So to liken the impact or risk from colds to that of COVID is pure ignorance or willful avoidance of the facts.

 

 

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid-19-leading-cause-of-death-ranking/#Total deaths in the United States from COVID-19 and other leading causes, 2020-2022

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[transam]

Just now, dinsdale said:

As a retort I expect no more when the evidence is overwhelming and you can no longer argue against the facts that the pandemic is over and for the graet majority of people there is no longer any danger greater than getting the common cold but for some reason you're still hanging on to it. 

Covid is NOT over, stop waffling on about a pandemic, try concentrating on folk are still dying via Covid..............

 

 

 

[dinsdale]

57 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

18,000 COVID "official" deaths per month in the world right now, according to the WHO.

 

 

 

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports

 

17th of April 362 deaths world wide. Do we know age and comorbidities? No.

Again a reality check on how much things have changed.

https://covid19.who.int/

 

 

WHO seems different to worldometre but both show deaths are very low globally.

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by dinsdale

[anrcaccount]

38 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Got news for you on that score:

 

Mandatory face masks and rising cases: latest COVID-19 guidelines across India

17 April 2023

 

"A recent surge in COVID-19 cases across India has brought restrictions and guidelines back to some states.

...

Delhi

...Several hospitals and educational institutions have brought back mask mandates and social distancing protocols.

...

In Mumbai, the BMC has made face masks mandatory in civic-run hospitals and senior citizens have been advised to wear masks as a precautionary measure.

...

Kerala

... Testing has been increased and masks have been made mandatory for people who are pregnant or have lifestyle diseases as well as for the elderly.

 

https://www.cntraveller.in/story/mandatory-face-masks-and-rising-cases-latest-covid-19-guidelines-across-india/

 

Does this please you? 1 overreaction in a few settings in one country, while the rest of the world is practically mask less and where it's not, rapidly moving in that direction. 

 

I guess you don't support personal choice, and want everyone else to be as hyper anxious over covid as you are?

 

When the WHO rescinds the public health emergency next month,  will you accept the pandemic is receding then?

 

 

 

 

[transam]

1 minute ago, anrcaccount said:

Does this please you? 1 overreaction in a few settings in one country, while the rest of the world is practically mask less and where it's not, rapidly moving in that direction. 

 

I guess you don't support personal choice, and want everyone else to be as hyper anxious over covid as you are?

 

When the WHO rescinds the public health emergency next month,  will you accept the pandemic is receding then?

 

 

 

 

Will folk be still be dying via Covid next month "if" WHO makes a statement......?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Medical research on COVID has shown that it can be a very nefarious illness that potentially can impact and harm many systems in the body, unlike the simple flu or colds, even when the COVID infection initially might be mild or without apparent symptoms.

 

"New research finds that with each repeat COVID infection – even asymptomatic infection – your risk for complications increases. This includes an increased risk for:

• stroke
• heart attack
• diabetes
• digestive and kidney disorders
• long-term cognitive impairment, including dementia

Each reinfection also carries with it the risk of long COVID or ongoing COVID symptoms that can last for weeks or months after infection."

 

https://health.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-information/omicron-variant

 

And to flesh out the above issues a bit:

Another post-COVID-19 risk: new-onset diabetes

April 20, 2023

 

A study of more than 600,000 people in British Columbia, Canada, links COVID-19 and a higher risk of diabetes more than 30 days after diagnosis, concluding that infection may have led to 3% to 5% excess diabetes cases.

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/another-post-covid-19-risk-new-onset-diabetes

 

 

Researchers report ‘striking similarities’ in brains of aging adults, people with COVID-19

 

Changes in gene expression patterns in the brain associated with natural aging also were observed in the brains of those with severe COVID-19, prompting researchers to emphasize the need for neurological follow-up in recovered individuals.

...

“Ours is the first study to show that COVID-19 is associated with the molecular signatures of brain aging,” Mavrikaki said in the release. “We found striking similarities between the brains of patients with COVID-19 and aged individuals.”

 

https://www.healio.com/news/neurology/20221206/researchers-report-striking-similarities-in-brains-of-aging-adults-people-with-covid19

 

 

[dinsdale]

19 minutes ago, transam said:

Covid is NOT over, stop waffling on about a pandemic, try concentrating on folk are still dying via Covid..............

 

 

 

Yep. Covid is not over but the pandemic is. I'm not waffling about a pandemic because it's finished. We are in a period of endemicity.  I'm not worried about Omicron XBB.1.16 or any other Omicron variant because it's a mild viral infection for the majority of people. Yes people are still dying now and more than likely that they have comorbidities. That's it. Take your mask off if your not at risk, leave it on if you scared of dying from a mild viral infection. Simple. Let's see by the end of the month how many people have definitively died from, not with, XBB.1.16.

[transam]

Just now, dinsdale said:

Yep. Covid is not over but the pandemic is. I'm not waffling about a pandemic because it's finished. We are in a period of endemicity.  I'm not worried about Omicron XBB.1.16 or any other Omicron variant because it's a mild viral infection for the majority of people. Yes people are still dying now and more than likely that they have comorbidities. That's it. Take your mask off if your not at risk, leave it on if you scared of dying from a mild viral infection. Simple. Let's see by the end of the month how many people have definitively died from, not with, XBB.1.16.

So Covid is not over, people are still dying from it, at last you have seen the light, which took a loooooooooooooong time.

Now go out for a beer to celebrate.......

 

PS. DO NOT tell me or others NOT to protect themselves, it is NONE of your business..........FULL STOP...............

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 minutes ago, anrcaccount said:

Does this please you? 1 overreaction in a few settings in one country, while the rest of the world is practically mask less and where it's not, rapidly moving in that direction. 

Not just one country or one place:

 

"More than a dozen hospital workers at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center, along with “some patients,” have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting new masking rules at the facility, hospital officials said.

 

“In response, effective immediately, physicians and staff are required to mask in the Santa Rosa hospital and emergency department while providing direct patient care,” Kaiser officials said in a written statement late Wednesday."

 

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/covid-19-outbreak-reported-at-kaiser-santa-rosa-hospital-local-health-offi/

 

"BACOLOD City Secretary to the Mayor Karol Joseph Chiu urged the public, especially the senior citizens and persons with comorbidities, to wear face masks in crowded places as the city’s coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases continue to increase."

 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1959264/bacolod/local-news/bacolod-urges-public-to-wear-face-masks-in-crowded-places

 

Sensibly, public health officials will urge and/or enforce precautions in places where there are COVID outbreaks or upswings in cases, as they should.

 

India isn't alone in that regard.

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

From India's health minister:

 

'Pandemic still not over': Centre writes to 8 states
 

 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pandemic-still-not-over-centre-writes-to-8-states-amid-consistent-rise-in-covid-cases/articleshow/99670684.cms

 

 

 

[dinsdale]

4 minutes ago, transam said:

So Covid is not over, people are still dying from it, at last you have seen the light, which took a loooooooooooooong time.

Now go out for a beer to celebrate.......

 

PS. DO NOT tell me or others NOT to protect themselves, it is NONE of your business..........FULL STOP...............

My appologies. I didn't know you didn't know the difference between pandemic and endemic. People still die from a disease when it's endemic but not on the same scale when it's a pandemic.  This is pretty much where we have been globally since Omicron became dominant. Thought you would have known this. You've had >3 years. Not long you'll be in the minority wearing a mask. 

[transam]

Just now, dinsdale said:

My appologies. I didn't know you didn't know the difference between pandemic and endemic. People still die from a disease when it's endemic but not on the same scale when it's a pandemic.  This is pretty much where we have been globally since Omicron became dominant. Thought you would have known this. You've had >3 years. Not long you'll be in the minority wearing a mask. 

Move the goal posts, won't you.........????

 

Chummy, you are on an agenda run, which doesn't fool me....????

 

I suppose you don't wear a car seat belt either, cos the risk is so incredibly low that nothing will ever happen to you....????