SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

We are clearing more rain forest, pushing further into the wilds, and permafrost thawing right now. I doubt we'll get a 100 year respite.

 

We had multiple opportunities over the past hundred years, with only one really "getting away".

 

it's all colonel sanders fault

 

looks like great news for the immuno compromised and other certain individuals:
coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-new-long-acting-monoclonal-antibodies-pre-exposure

 

From a quick glance this looks like it's mostly for people that have become deathly sick from the usual / prior Covid-19 vaccinations.
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but it's not. it is for people with blood cancers, or those undergoing treatments that reduce the immune response to the vaccine.

 

... and for those allergic to vaccine ingredients.

 

Damaged telomeres in the elderly may increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2

 

interesting. does that mean people on ace inhibitors are more or less susceptible to covid?

 

1503

 

in ma, we're running about 80% of last years hospitalizations, icu and intubations on this date.

not great considering 70% vaxxed, any boosted and a large number recovered from covid.

but considering that everything is open now, not as bad as it looks.

 

Striking Antibody Evasion Manifested by the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2 | bioRxiv

 

it is an amazing variant, everyone's baffled. masks aren't working, contact time with infected is almost nil.
kids are spreading it like crazy resulting in hospitalizations. deaths are up, highly vaccinated states don't seem to be doing much better than vaccinated.

everyone's hoping it spikes quickly and receds quickly like s.a.

 

But it is also mostly staying in the upper respiratory tract, not reaching the lower tract where other variants cause much of their damage and plenty of scarring.

"Many cells in the lung carry a protein called TMPRSS2 on their surface that can inadvertently help passing viruses gain entry to the cell. But Gupta’s team found that this protein does not grab on to omicron very well. As a result, omicron does a worse job of infecting cells in this manner than delta does. A team at the University of Glasgow independently came to the same conclusion.

Through an alternative route, coronaviruses can also slip into cells that do not make TMPRSS2. Higher in the airway, cells tend not to carry the protein, which might explain the evidence that omicron is found there more often than the lungs."

Studies suggest why omicron is less severe: It spares the lungs | The Seattle Times

 

good news if correct! still, hospitalizations continue to rise

 

Remember that fatalities are a lagging indicator, about 6 weeks. Omicron is entering 4 weeks since hitting the USA and it appears to avoid some of the original COVID and Delta, infected treatments. I'll wait to February before busting out the beverages.

Bob Wilson

 

we've had a sharp increase in fatalaties the last few weeks, i'm not sure why. people with weakened immune systems getting careless, or those around them?

 

Omicron has a high infection rate and some of the treatments for infected people are not as effective as they were with the original and Delta. Early reports suggests Omicron is an upper respiratory disease versus the deep lung of the first two, This bug and its family are a slippery SOB.

Bob Wilson