BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 03 Dec 21 - 06:38 AM

...Except that we have a "new" variant that seems to be running rampant, and Christmas is threatened, and there was a illegal party in Downing Street on the day before Johnson cancelled last Christmas, and Germany is going to enforce vaccination, and Greece is fining people €100 per month if they refuse the jab, and we'll be wearing masks until the day we die (and probably for a few days afterwards...)

So, Nigel, move along there...Nothing to see here...

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Dec 21 - 06:41 AM

No new news until enough time has passed to demonstrate an effect on death rates and not just mild symptoms among the vaccinated. That time is usually 2 to 6 weeks.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Dec 21 - 08:36 PM

As per ANP and the NL Times,
since those Friday (last friday, still in November 2021)
arrivals of a total of 624 passengers on two planes
in Amsterdam from South Africa
(one from Johannesburg, one from Cape Town),
repeated screening and testing this past week
have returned enough negative results that
some quarantined passengers have been released to continue going home.

The quarantine hotel (a Ramada Inn) near the Amsterdam airport
had 44 passengers, all of whom had been screened on arrival
and whose tests had showed positive,
isolated there over the weekend.

On Wednesday test results came back negative for roughly twenty
of the quarantine-hotel passengers, and they were released.
The reports released to the news media
maintain standards of privacy and confidentiality such that
no Omicron figures are given regarding those passengers
whose Wednesday test results were positive
and who remain in quarantine near the airport.

There were about twenty passengers
who were Amsterdam/Dutch locals and were permitted, upon arrival,
to go home in order to quarantine there,
instead of in the Ramada Inn.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Dec 21 - 01:46 PM

Meanwhile, in Oslo, Norway,
at the same time that Amsterdam was coping with two passenger plane arrivals from South Africa,
a corporate party took place.
All one hundred twenty employees had been fully vaccinated beforehand,
and had in addition tested negative on COVID screening tests just before the party.

Reuters reports that the corporate Christmas dinner,
held at an Oslo restaurant, resulted in
a super-spreader event.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 03:35 AM

Meantime,“ Conspiracy-Theorists have discovered that DELTA OMICRON is an anagram for MEDIA CONTROL. Just wait until they also discover that it’s an anagram for CILANTRO MODE, CLARINET DOOM, and DEMOCRAT LION.”
@Nora Loretto, Twitter.

…or even EROTIC ALMOND :-) :-)

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 08:31 AM

Like "The masque of the red death", surely the anagram is "DOOM IN CLARET". Wine drinkers beware ;)

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 08:36 AM

Cilantro mode. Ugh.

Bipolar puts me at 2.5xgreater risk of dying if I do get Covid. Schizophrenics, too. Controlling for other risk factors.

Lots of new data coming in.

It attacks fat cells, and the immune system fat manages. Explains why obesity is succh a risk factor.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 08:38 PM

The conspiratorial power of the anagram is nothing compared to Q anon parents binding the foreheads of their infants to 3 year olds so that the conehead adults will have the appearence of heads twice as big and
intelligent as well as immediately identifying the Q Anon 1st generation pure bloods. BTW The antivaxxers are diversifying their interests to include any preventive strategy regarding oil and gas and woke fake climate change.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 08:39 PM

Hostile to fat cells, eh?
Shhh ... somebody might try to profit from it ...

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Dec 21 - 02:18 PM

New cool research on olfaction thanks to the covid anosmia thing!

Blicky

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 03:10 AM

Here in the land of Oz "freedom" marchers were making a nuisance of themselves again

caption on all the photos - Anti-vaccine mandate rally in Sydney which moved from Hyde Park down to Alfred Park where it accumulated in talks and music.

accumulated??? - Some years back the paper got rid of it's proofreaders & other unnecessary staff.

dunno why the last couple of pics show anti-vaxxers carrying Trump banners. Maybe they were the same folk who carried posters about losing their 14th amendment rights recently.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 04:09 AM

It's important that we maintain the distinction between anti-vaxxers and people who oppose mandatory vaccination. In the latter camp, what's more, there are shades of opinion.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 05:00 AM

some of our protestors get a tad confused - Trump 2024 in an Australian march? Do people in your country include references to Trump or other topics not relevant to the UK?

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 06:37 AM

I can't recall seeing any of that. I would propose, however, that Trump is relevant to the whole planet. Or will be (again) if those sleepy yanks let him back in...

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 08:35 AM

Olifaction is indeed a critical and relatively undiscovered field. I have met olfactory specialists who know very little.
I suffer from a highly acute sense of smell. Its well into the canine sensory spectrum. A forest or body of water can be overwhelming. The reaction can range from ambrosia to gagging. A well developed sense of smell includes 3D location and 5 part per billion awareness.
I have often said I have dog's sense of the world as well as having 8 canine teeth instead of which 4 were removed. Also my nasal air passage is the size of quarters as a result of deviated septum surgury which chiseled out the bone while I was awake to control blood loss. The feeling of acute smell sensitivity is that certain aromas feel like colors as well as smell.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 09:22 AM

I am anosmic to a lot of bad smells. Can't tell if milk is off, or mold invades, etc.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 09:26 AM

I'm normal. Having said that, I find some tangerines that Mrs Steve finds delicious to be too sharp to eat.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 09:42 AM

anosmic - that's a problem, I imagine? How does food taste?

With practice your sense of smell can be very precise. Years ago I worked for the Forest Service as a fire fighter, and got pretty good at distinguishing what was burning (wood, leaves, grass, duff, etc.) and that extends to household items over the years. I find myself identifying grassfires and such in the area when the wind is blowing just right.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 06:05 PM

Steve, the Trump pics are the last 2 in the link I posted 12 Dec 21 - 03:10 AM

Online COVID-19 misinformation made fighting the outbreak in Binjari even harder ... The Binjari Community Aboriginal Corporation said much of the abuse they received was from so-called "concerned citizens" from the USA ...

Binjari is a remote indigenous community in Australia's Top End, pop. 195 (2016), 18km from the nearest big town & 300km from the state capital, Darwin

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 06:22 PM

Yes, I saw that, Sandra. The last thing I want to do is to drag Trump into this thread, but all I was saying is that here in Blighty we definitely don't see Trump as irrelevant. To my mind, he's a massive threat to the planet, especially if he gets in again.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 07:35 AM

Even a US Supream Court judge is falling for the misinformation from pro lifers claiming the vaccines contain fetal tissue. an example of pro life LIES

The judge believes that a religious exception is therefore needed.

The truth is every drug you have ever taken has been TESTED on HEV 293 cells from 50 years ago to determine safety but they contain no HEK cells. Human Embryo Kidney cells.

Here is an example of drugs that were subject to HEK cell safety tests
https://www.winonadailynews.com/community/houstonconews/lifestyles/frank-bures-fetal-cell-lines-essential-to-modern-medicine/art

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 08:41 AM

30 common medications that used fetal cell lines during research and development. The list includes acetaminophen, albuterol, aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Tums, Lipitor, Senokot, Motrin, Maalox, Ex-Lax, Benadryl, Sudafed, Preparation H, Claritin, Prilosec, and Zoloft.

However there are thousands...

Perhaps big pharma is not pleased with the pro life lies.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Charmion
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 09:26 AM

I have a really sharp olfactory sense for a human, and I lose it whenever I catch a bad cold. In fact, that's the worst part of a bad cold for me, even worse than the inevitable slide to bronchitis that follows it. Pure misery. One of the many reasons I dread catching COVID-19, as if the threat of death weren't enough.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 12:04 PM

Donuel: 30 common medications that used fetal cell lines during research and development. The list includes acetaminophen, albuterol, aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Tums, Lipitor, Senokot, Motrin, Maalox, Ex-Lax, Benadryl, Sudafed, Preparation H, Claritin, Prilosec, and Zoloft.

Seriously?
Aspirin was first named, by Bayer, in 1899. Were they seriously using foetal cells for R&D prior to that date?

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 01:20 PM

I trust a chef with the best sense of smell. Those without it are probably giving themselves and others heartburn. I suspect your cooking is friendlier than the recipees of he who shall not be named. He said to Jeri that he takes antacids often. -or maybe its all the wine.-

Nigel, perhaps it has been tested since 1899. HEK celle are used in development and safety testing. I think the ancient Greeks used willow bark.

Now there are 2 Supream Court Justices who believe drugs and vaccines contain human fetal tissue.

Extreme opinion alert:
Seeing is believing, or so it is said. To gain social respondsibilty I suggest televising a six year old's last Covid breaths despite being aided with oxygen mask and ventillator. Show hundreds of people from kids to strong young men gasping from not being vaccinated.
Hippa privacy be damned. Make it real to people spouting fallacy.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 02:04 PM

I think you should indeed name names. That way, you can't be accused of being shifty and dishonest, as well as of frequently losing your nerve, risks you always seem to be taking. I'm no fan of the Good Book, but I understand that the good Lord advised that our speech should be yea yea, nay nay. Read it and learn.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 15 Dec 21 - 07:38 PM

Stevie, happy holidays.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Dec 21 - 07:54 PM

Sod off. Nobody calls me Stevie. Comprenez, dummydonny? And our December holidays are called Christmas. Holidays my fat arse.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 06:26 AM

Best wishes mr. x
The UK (70% vaccinated) hit its all time high for covid cases.
That means the US is next. My wish is that all mr. x's learn that mitigating factors matter.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 10:11 AM

Donuel:
The UK (70% vaccinated) hit its all time high for covid cases.
Any reference for that statement?

In the last few days UK has reached a new high for the number of new cases identified. - correct
"All time high for covid cases" - pure assumption based on a lack of knowledge!
As UK is regularly increasing the number of tests administered (especially because of Omicron) it would be surprising if the number of positive tests was not increasing.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 11:04 AM

My next door neighbor was complaining about a cold last week when we spoke over the back fence. Last night she texted to say she got three tests (Flu, something else, and COVID) and the COVID came back positive. So I'm being cautious and getting a test this morning. I've been around people since I spoke to her with the cold, so need to do my own little contact tracing routine.

This kind of thing should stop people in their tracks. Cancel appointments, don't go shopping, or anything indoors or around people, until the test results are back. I asked for the more sensitive PCR test that takes a day or two for results.

The neighbor is a non-vaccinated Trump supporter. We NEVER talk politics in order to keep the goodwill of the neighborhood up and running (I'm surrounded by Trump supporters - though the folks across the street, they were Biden voters.) After I get what I expect to be negative results I'll drop off stuff on her front porch until she can come out again.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Mrrzy
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 12:34 PM

Stevie, who is this We of whom you speak that have no other possible winter holidays?

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 01:03 PM

No religious "Christmas" at my house, but my family celebrates the season and we exchange gifts because we enjoy getting together and exchanging gifts. Sometimes we do it on the 25th, but lately we've been landing the date in January.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 02:07 PM

Nigel I heard it on MSNBC but I've known them to be fallible.
"Cases are doubling every 2 days in the UK, breaking records".
Or so they say.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 04:40 PM

In vitro an omicron virus infects respiratory tissue 70% faster than Delta. After 48 hours it has reproduced significantly more virus.
What it does inside of a real person is not settled science.
It is also trending among younger populations. Its a smart and cheeky little bugger.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 05:07 PM

You are speaking of Christmas, yet calling it something else for pusillanimous reasons of your own, Donald Duckie (and of millions of you yanks). It's Christmas, fer chrissake.

(See what I did there?)

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Mrrzy
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 05:14 PM

Who is You in that post of 05:07?

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 05:21 PM

Donal Duckie, Mrrzy. Don't worry mate. This isn't, for you, an "Is it I, Lord? " moment...

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 17 Dec 21 - 07:41 AM

These posts are evidence of a pandemic fatigue that comes from being told to go back in our cave. Everyone feels it but the stress expresses itself differently in various personalities be it distraction or lashing out. Its a myopic disorder that can and will heal when more degrees of freedom someday return. As you expect some personalities were already damaged before the pandemic and will not change.
All pandemics are different, when you see one pandemic you've seen one pandemic.
I do not know if this fifth wave will be the worst of all or not but accepting change as a good thing does provide new or different opportunities.
we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 17 Dec 21 - 07:57 AM

Up to now the government here has been giving out lateral flow test kits like sweeties. Something has changed: we are suddenly being urged to test ourselves several times a week and every time we go out to do a bit of social mixing. The upshot of this advice is we can't get our hands on test kits now, temporarily I hope, for love nor money. I'm concluding from that that millions of people have grabbed the kits and are now testing themselves, unlike before when people just like me got themselves a couple of boxes of kits and hardly ever used them (the evidence for that is that up to two or three months ago the government were getting the "mandatory" reporting-back of tests from just one kit in ten that had been given out).

So more kits, more testing, quite likely more reporting-back...and an apparent surge in positives. Anyone see why I inserted "apparent" in that sentence? I think we should hold back on the panic stations until we see over the next few weeks whether there's a concomitant rise in hospitalisations and deaths...

Obviously, all that's from a UK perspective.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 17 Dec 21 - 08:44 AM

Yes, Steve.
That was roughly what I was trying to explain to Donuel.

But I don't think it's the 'home tests' (LFTs) that are driving the current figures. Being home tests they don't feed into the stats for the expansion of Omicron (or 'Omni-cron' per some pundits) because they only give positive/negative. It is only the laboratory tested samples that can be separated into showing which variant is the problem.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 17 Dec 21 - 09:11 AM

I know that, but I'd be interested to hear whether there's a surge in reporting-back from the home lateral flow kits, over and above that ten percent-ish that I mentioned. The headline infection number we're regaled with every day doesn't distinguish between variants.

Whilst I'm no conspiracy theorist, I can't help thinking that the government (with the best of intentions) would rather like us to see the blacker side of things, as that would make us more careful (which would be the best thing, after getting vaccinated).

As an aside (and as I'm a Liverpool fan), three Liverpool players tested positive yesterday so weren't playing last night. It turns out that all three had been double-vaccinated and boostered, and were showing no symptoms. A tiny example only, but a good yarn to put about.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 17 Dec 21 - 09:34 AM

Going into the future our strategy is to give everyone multiple advanced home testing kits and if positive get a prescription from the doctor within days for the antiviral (now red) pill which is very effective. Getting there will be tough but it should work in Theory.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Mrrzy
Date: 17 Dec 21 - 10:25 AM

Who is rethinking their holiday plans now? Meee...

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 17 Dec 21 - 11:15 AM

Mrrzy:
Don't mention holiday plans. This week I should have been in Washington DC for the world Science Fiction convention - meh!

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Mrrzy
Date: 18 Dec 21 - 08:58 AM

Nigel that would have been marvy!

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Dec 21 - 11:38 AM

I'm waiting to simply go to the grocery store (I need baking powder) until my COVID test results come back (should be in by today). Since next door has it, I got the test. And will be very careful about face-to-face with anyone. I don't know what variety of the virus she has, but she's had a "cold" for a couple of weeks, and just got tested this week. Community Spread is knocking on the door.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Charmion
Date: 18 Dec 21 - 12:13 PM

I called the drug store and asked for a fast-reaction test kit and was turned down flat. I could make an appointment to be tested, and the pharmacist would do it there, but I could not have a kit to do it myself. With a sore throat, stinging ears and groggy head, I did not want to leave the house, I said. "Call the COVID Centre at the hospital if you have symptoms," said the telephone voice.

So I called the COVID Centre at the hospital and got voicemail. "This office is closed until Monday." Don't leave a message, f*** off and go away.

I laid low for three days, drank a great deal of water, and prayed. The grogginess went away, the ears stopped stinging, and the throat ceased to be sore. Dodged that bullet.

But what the hell? Surely the whole point of test kits is to find out if you have the bug before you get near any innocent by-standers?

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 20 Dec 21 - 06:30 AM

I've been doing regular home LFTs, and thankfully negative every time. In typical fashion, I only read the instructions on how to do the tests and see the result, and because they were negative failed to read the next page that said I should report the result anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: New news on the pandemic COVID-19
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Dec 21 - 06:57 AM

Nigel its a mild hot zone at the convention. If it wasn't for diabetes the risk is small for infection.

Home test kits are available at our grocery stores.
We're going to see our eldest for Christmas and take our chances.
My wife is getting boosted today.