Covid, the "lockdowns" etc.

[Zelen]

Just read an interesting paper claiming that UK ONS Data is Systemically Erroneous

Whatever the explanations for the observed data, it is clear that it is both unreliable and misleading.  We considered the  socio-demographic and  behavioural differences  between vaccinated and  unvaccinated that have been proposed as possible explanations for the data anomalies, but found no evidence supports any of these explanations.  By Occam's razor we believe the most likely explanations are

• Systematic  miscategorisation  of  deaths  between  the  different  groups  of  unvaccinated  and vaccinated
• Delayed or non-reporting of vaccinations.
• Systematic underestimation of the proportion of unvaccinated.
• Incorrect population selection for Covid deaths.

With these considerations in mind we applied adjustments to the ONS data and showed that they lead to the conclusion that the vaccines do not reduce all-cause mortality, but rather produce genuine spikes in all-cause mortality shortly after vaccination

[jhkim]

I'm not saying typhus is not a problem, but you're singling out California, when Texas has a much higher rate. Here are the numbers from Texas compared to the numbers from California from your source linked above:

And you're ignoring everything I said.

I'm pointing out specific issues raised by specific public health authorities in specific areas. 300 cases spread over hundreds and hundreds of miles isn't an epidemic or a resurgence. It's a minor, recurrent, perhaps endemic problem that can mostly be dealt with as a series of isolated cases. That has absolutely nothing to do with concerns about an outbreak in a small handful of densely packed urban areas where public officials have caused a public health disaster, uncontrolled spread would be very dangerous, and where a number of cases were found.

I think for assessing any outbreak, it's important to have context of other outbreaks, so one can compare and contrast - hence my comparison of California and Texas. As I understand it, you're implying that the typhus cases in California are more concentrated and thus more dangerous than in other states. Can you suggest any links that show this? I don't see data to suggest that the cases are less concentrated in Texas. Like any infectious disease, the cases will tend to cluster. Here's a map of Texas outbreaks with numbers:



In Texas, the highest concentration is in Hidalgo County, while in California the highest concentration is in Los Angeles county. From the county data:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Flea-borneTyphusCaseCounts.pdf
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/IDCU/disease/typhus/Typhus-2008-2019.pdf

In 2018 (the peak in both states), there were 152 cases within Hidalgo County TX, and 149 cases in Los Angeles county. That's roughly equal total numbers - but Hidalgo County is one-third the geographical area of Los Angeles county (4,100km3 vs 12,310km3).

When I search, I see more news reports about Los Angeles typhus cases - but I think that's media bias rather than medical reality.

[GeekyBugle]

Prior infection may not offer good protection against Omicron infection.

From your link:

The findings, posted online Thursday, are preliminary and haven't yet undergone scientific review. Nor did the researchers say what portion of the reinfections were confirmed as omicron cases — or whether they caused serious illness.

I swear I'm terrified and just resisting demanding my government locks ups 14 days to slow the spread by the skin of my teeth. Really, I'm literally shaking 

[Pat]

Prior infection may not offer good protection against Omicron infection.

Vaccines also don't seem to provide much protection. Which isn't a huge surprise. It has far more mutations than earlier strains, so it's lot more likely to have found a way around natural or artificial immunity.

On the other hand, early reports suggest it may be less deadly. Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson of the WHO, said they have "not seen reports of Omicron-related deaths". Which is very good news, and perfectly in line with expectations. Zoonotic viruses are often unusually deadly immediately after they jump from animals to humans, but become progressively less deadly (though more transmissible) as new variants emerge and become the dominant strain.

We won't be sure for a couple weeks, though.

[Kiero]

Prior infection may not offer good protection against Omicron infection.

Complete and utter bollocks, all part of the fear-driven narrative to try to coerce people who haven't already been jabbed to do so.

Newsflash! The jabs (designed for the now obsolete Alpha variant) don't provide any protection against Delta or Omicron. Every case they've recorded of Omicron so far has been in the double- or triple-jabbed. Fortunately, Omicron is even less severe than the weedy Delta was, no one has even been hospitalised with it. So the jabs are even more irrelevant.

The "pandemic" if there ever was one, is comprehensively over.

[Kiero]

I find it incredible that anyone believes bullshit like this. This in the news today: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/covid-coronavirus-hospital-aled-davies-22305317

With the headline "Young man with clean bill of health left 'hours from death' in hospital after catching Covid".

Look at the state of him:



Did the 'rona give him that belly? He was also double-jabbed, so thought he was safe. Great protection offered there!

[Pat]

Even St. Fauci, the patron saint of alarmism, has said it's "comforting, but not definitive" that the rise in omicron cases in South Africa has not been followed by a surge of hospitalizations.

Now researchers from Nference have published a pre-print of a paper that shows that omicron has a snippet of genetic code from one of the coronaviruses that causes the common cold, probably due to lateral gene transfer in someone who was infected by both viruses. Soundararajan, one of the co-authors, said this helps explain how omicron "lives and transmits more efficiently with human beings", and that as it becomes more transmissible it loses traits that are more likely to cause severe symptoms.

The delta strain was dominant in South Africa in October, but by November 74% of the cases where the virus' genome were sequenced were omicron.

Why are we supposed to panic every time a new variant emerges, again?

[Pat]

When I search, I see more news reports about Los Angeles typhus cases - but I think that's media bias rather than medical reality.

Could be, but it's still irrelevant. You're still talking endemism and Texas, which have nothing to do with what I've said.

[Kiero]

Even St. Fauci, the patron saint of alarmism, has said it's "comforting, but not definitive" that the rise in omicron cases in South Africa has not been followed by a surge of hospitalizations.

Now researchers from Nference have published a pre-print of a paper that shows that omicron has a snippet of genetic code from one of the coronaviruses that causes the common cold, probably due to lateral gene transfer in someone who was infected by both viruses. Soundararajan, one of the co-authors, said this helps explain how omicron "lives and transmits more efficiently with human beings", and that as it becomes more transmissible it loses traits that are more likely to cause severe symptoms.

The delta strain was dominant in South Africa in October, but by November 74% of the cases where the virus' genome were sequenced were omicron.

Why are we supposed to panic every time a new variant emerges, again?

It's not even "new", they've known about it for a year.

[Pat]

Even St. Fauci, the patron saint of alarmism, has said it's "comforting, but not definitive" that the rise in omicron cases in South Africa has not been followed by a surge of hospitalizations.

Now researchers from Nference have published a pre-print of a paper that shows that omicron has a snippet of genetic code from one of the coronaviruses that causes the common cold, probably due to lateral gene transfer in someone who was infected by both viruses. Soundararajan, one of the co-authors, said this helps explain how omicron "lives and transmits more efficiently with human beings", and that as it becomes more transmissible it loses traits that are more likely to cause severe symptoms.

The delta strain was dominant in South Africa in October, but by November 74% of the cases where the virus' genome were sequenced were omicron.

Why are we supposed to panic every time a new variant emerges, again?

It's not even "new", they've known about it for a year.

O RLY

[dkabq]

Prior infection may not offer good protection against Omicron infection.

Assuming that is correct, it is of no surprise. Similar to having the flu or a cold one year do not protect you against having the flu or a cold the next year.

It will be interesting to see how the vaccines do again Omicron, et al.

[3catcircus]

Even St. Fauci, the patron saint of alarmism, has said it's "comforting, but not definitive" that the rise in omicron cases in South Africa has not been followed by a surge of hospitalizations.

Now researchers from Nference have published a pre-print of a paper that shows that omicron has a snippet of genetic code from one of the coronaviruses that causes the common cold, probably due to lateral gene transfer in someone who was infected by both viruses. Soundararajan, one of the co-authors, said this helps explain how omicron "lives and transmits more efficiently with human beings", and that as it becomes more transmissible it loses traits that are more likely to cause severe symptoms.

The delta strain was dominant in South Africa in October, but by November 74% of the cases where the virus' genome were sequenced were omicron.

Why are we supposed to panic every time a new variant emerges, again?

It's not even "new", they've known about it for a year.

O RLY

When you look at the rate of mutation from original SARS-COV2 and Omicron, the math results in the original strain having to have originated in 2016 - * minimum* rather than 2019.

[Pat]

Even St. Fauci, the patron saint of alarmism, has said it's "comforting, but not definitive" that the rise in omicron cases in South Africa has not been followed by a surge of hospitalizations.

Now researchers from Nference have published a pre-print of a paper that shows that omicron has a snippet of genetic code from one of the coronaviruses that causes the common cold, probably due to lateral gene transfer in someone who was infected by both viruses. Soundararajan, one of the co-authors, said this helps explain how omicron "lives and transmits more efficiently with human beings", and that as it becomes more transmissible it loses traits that are more likely to cause severe symptoms.

The delta strain was dominant in South Africa in October, but by November 74% of the cases where the virus' genome were sequenced were omicron.

Why are we supposed to panic every time a new variant emerges, again?

It's not even "new", they've known about it for a year.

O RLY

When you look at the rate of mutation from original SARS-COV2 and Omicron, the math results in the original strain having to have originated in 2016 - * minimum* rather than 2019.

Citation? Because the best explanation so far is that covid-19 originated in a Mojiang mine in 2012, samples were brought to Wuhan, and it escaped before the Military World Games in 2019. While that places the origins before 2016, it doesn't match up because mutation rates are based not just on years but on how much virus is out there, which didn't really start to escalate until 2019.

[DocJones]

Did the 'rona give him that belly? He was also double-jabbed, so thought he was safe. Great protection offered there!

That picture was AFTER he lost "3 and a-bit stone" or in US between 42 and 56 pounds.
I read the site where the picture was at as "Whales online".

[dkabq]

You're going to love wearing a mask forever...
https://www.foxnews.com/us/oregon-health-authority-moves-to-implement-permanent-indoor-mask-mandate

"Permanent means indefinite. It doesn't necessarily mean permanent," Cieslak said.

Permanent means permanent. Indefinite means indefinite. Why should I trust any medical information coming out of the mouth of someone that is that stupid or disingenuous.