News Forum - “Omicron” – a new Covid variant triggers travel alarms as flights disrupted

[Thaiger]

A reminder today that there is still more steam left in the Covid-19 coronavirus. Just as the world started to peak from behind the curtain of uncertainty, another Covid “variant or concern”, named Omicron, has been discovered. The World Health Organisation says Omicron has a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggests an “increased reinfection risk”. Officially, it is designated B.1.1.529. They have already explained that the variant has “around double the amount of mutations as the Delta variant”. WHO scientists say it could take several weeks to complete their studies of B.1.1.529 “Omicron” to identify “any changes in […]

The story “Omicron” – a new Covid variant triggers travel alarms as flights disrupted as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Ttalk]

Thank the vaccinated in Botswana for this.

https://twitter.com/bwgovernment/status/1463874240130785280?s=21

 

[LoongFred]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

A reminder today that there is still more steam left in the Covid-19 coronavirus. Just as the world started to peak from behind the curtain of uncertainty, another Covid “variant or concern”, named Omicron, has been discovered. The World Health Organisation says Omicron has a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggests an “increased reinfection risk”. Officially, it is designated B.1.1.529. They have already explained that the variant has “around double the amount of mutations as the Delta variant”. WHO scientists say it could take several weeks to complete their studies of B.1.1.529 “Omicron” to identify “any changes in […]

The story “Omicron” – a new Covid variant triggers travel alarms as flights disrupted as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Thai public health needs to be on top of this, if they aren't already.  Best to go slow now until they know the risks. I think that removing restriction should wait. 

My heart go out to those affected.

[Bob20]

2 minutes ago, Ttalk said:

Thank the vaccinated in Botswana for this.

https://twitter.com/bwgovernment/status/1463874240130785280?s=21

There's always one who after all these months still doesn't understand.

This variant is found because of genomic testing done on travelers.

And of course it's found in vaccinated people, because the unvaccinated can't travel!

And as vaccinated can catch and transmit the virus just like the unvaccinated, this doesn't mean that it originates from them!

[Sirquest]

as well as 2 travellers currently quarantining in Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium

555.

2 travellers being quaranining in 3 countries.

DId they clone a traveler?

or chopped up?

 

[BangkokBen]

This is just more evidence that efforts to contain, control or eliminate the virus are doomed to fail.  Vaccinate and then forget about it.  Worrying and restricting won't help anyone except the lying politicians and media.

[Sirquest]

Without joking, this is serious one.

600 travelers from South Africa, all double vaccinated, all PCR tested.

And, due the risks Holland decided to PCR test at the airport all 600 passengers on arrival again.

13% tested positive , after a day (12 hour flight)

13% who received negative test results 24-72 hours ago, considered Safe to travel, are now dangerous.... 

I don't know how much more of the 600 will become positive I the next 48 hours.

This is how crazy infectious Omicron is.

I don't know how sick people are / get from Omicron.

Alpha was bad, Delta milder, but spreading faster.

Let all just pray/wish that it's mild like runny nose. Anything close to Alpha or the Delta's... We are in deep sh!t...

13% positive tests..

Thailand has 0.5% as normal number, travelers who are vaccinated and negative PCR tested that still seem to have infection. 0.5% ... The new Omicron 13% and rising...

Edited November 27, 2021 by Sirquest

[Artemis080]

9 minutes ago, BangkokBen said:

This is just more evidence that efforts to contain, control or eliminate the virus are doomed to fail.  Vaccinate and then forget about it.  Worrying and restricting won't help anyone except the lying politicians and media.

I agree, except if the variant evades vaccination protection and can spike serious illness or deaths, which could then potentially collapse health care systems.

The number of cases at this point is an irrelevant measure, but the number of accute hospitalisations with medical need is the real threat.

[Sirquest]

10 minutes ago, BangkokBen said:

This is just more evidence that efforts to contain, control or eliminate the virus are doomed to fail.  Vaccinate and then forget about it.  Worrying and restricting won't help anyone except the lying politicians and media.

They used to say this about embola, small pox, lepra (bacterie, not virus) and a lot more.

You are correct. Only smallpox and rinderpest are eradicated on the globe (probably) 

All our efforts in embola, hiv, malberg, hanta, rabies, SARS, Dengue, Mers....

They all didn't radicate the viruses.

We leaned to live with them, use prevention and can live relative normal lives with modern medicine (HIV).

Doomed to fail?

The millions of carriers around the globe that didn't die probably see it different.

With modern medicine Freddie Mercury would still be performing.

While it would not cure his sickness... It does not have to be a death sentence.

 

Thanks to the medical staff and lab staff.

Thank you.

[Cathat]

Looks very serious indeed for global travel.the british airways share price (iag) fell about 15 percent today and most other travel related stocks were not far behind.

[Stardust]

39 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

There's always one who after all these months still doesn't understand.

This variant is found because of genomic testing done on travelers.

And of course it's found in vaccinated people, because the unvaccinated can't travel!

And as vaccinated can catch and transmit the virus just like the unvaccinated, this doesn't mean that it originates from them!

I think more interesting is if this new variant has the same symptoms like the former variants or is it just more infectious? If the symptoms are just like the former variants there is no reason for all this panic and sure the vaccinated can catch it, too but if it is with mild or no symptoms then there is no change at all. This points I am missing. People still concentrating only about it is more infectious instead on the impacts/symptoms. Because the virus anyway will find his way. If the vaccines protect the people at risk from heavy symptoms then its ok. But as I said the virus will find its way anyway and as we seen also in this countries with their zero covid madness what is not possible and a fantasy.

[Stardust]

As covid is from the sars group it will mutate til it will be a normal flu or cold and for sure more infectious because it is the target of the virus. The only interesting point is what is the actual level of the symptoms of the virus because that every mutation will be more infectious is in his natuare and why the virus mutate but to be surprised or paniced its more than strange because that is known.

[Freeduhdumb]

Yawn! And here's Bob with the weather. 

[Bob20]

5 minutes ago, Stardust said:

As covid is from the sars group it will mutate til it will be a normal flu or cold and for sure more infectious because it is the target of the virus. The only interesting point is what is the actual level of the symptoms of the virus because that every mutation will be more infectious is in his natuare and why the virus mutate but to be surprised or paniced its more than strange because that is known.

 

25 minutes ago, Stardust said:

I think more interesting is if this new variant has the same symptoms like the former variants or is it just more infectious? If the symptoms are just like the former variants there is no reason for all this panic and sure the vaccinated can catch it, too but if it is with mild or no symptoms then there is no change at all. This points I am missing. People still concentrating only about it is more infectious instead on the impacts/symptoms. Because the virus anyway will find his way. If the vaccines protect the people at risk from heavy symptoms then its ok. But as I said the virus will find its way anyway and as we seen also in this countries with their zero covid madness what is not possible and a fantasy.

Early days. They are doing the research as we speak, but impossible to know anything yet.

I suggest speculation is unhelpful.

[Sirquest]

19 minutes ago, Stardust said:

I think more interesting is if this new variant has the same symptoms like the former variants or is it just more infectious? If the symptoms are just like the former variants there is no reason for all this panic and sure the vaccinated can catch it, too but if it is with mild or no symptoms then there is no change at all. This points I am missing. People still concentrating only about it is more infectious instead on the impacts/symptoms. Because the virus anyway will find his way. If the vaccines protect the people at risk from heavy symptoms then its ok. But as I said the virus will find its way anyway and as we seen also in this countries with their zero covid madness what is not possible and a fantasy.

I can help you with what you are missing.

Without vaccin, many more people would have died.

Apparently you have vaccin. Despite being registered as COPD patient, I'm yet to receive my vaccination in Thailand!! Udon Thani province isn't important enough for gouvernement. Especially the expats. Since a few weeks it probably is possible to get Pfizer now. 

I was lucky enough that I needed to travel to Holland where I received my vaccination.

Not all are this lucky.

Less then 25% of Africa has vaccin.

Global? I don't know.

For all those who aren't vaccinated, this is a serious problem. I don't even want to start the discussion about some ignorant people like to compare it with influenza. 5.200.000 people disagree (or better their relatives) 2.5 million per year, who otherwise still would be a life. Not to mention the billions who have health issues after recovering from COVID.

For those 70% (??) Of the global population... This is a serious problem. Perhaps for you (and me) no longer a life or death situation.

Many nations and locations it is.

Not it mention the additional People who die because the hospital is full. No chemo this month, we don't have the staff... 

So.. this is not about the people who are vaccinated, about the billions who are not. Millions in Thailand who really like to get the vaccine. Still aren't able to obtain, or need to travel +50 km. 

My +70 year old grandparents.. they can't. Yes, they are lucky, I can take them. Not all of them are this lucky to have relatives that want to drive them by car.

 

[AlexB]

54 minutes ago, Sirquest said:

13% positive tests..

That's really high.  However, current positivity rate in Vegas a few days ago was 7.1% and that was only based on old variants.

[Stardust]

16 minutes ago, Sirquest said:

I can help you with what you are missing.

Without vaccin, many more people would have died.

Apparently you have vaccin. Despite being registered as COPD patient, I'm yet to receive my vaccination in Thailand!! Udon Thani province isn't important enough for gouvernement. Especially the expats. Since a few weeks it probably is possible to get Pfizer now. 

I was lucky enough that I needed to travel to Holland where I received my vaccination.

Not all are this lucky.

Less then 25% of Africa has vaccin.

Global? I don't know.

For all those who aren't vaccinated, this is a serious problem. I don't even want to start the discussion about some ignorant people like to compare it with influenza. 5.200.000 people disagree (or better their relatives) 2.5 million per year, who otherwise still would be a life. Not to mention the billions who have health issues after recovering from COVID.

For those 70% (??) Of the global population... This is a serious problem. Perhaps for you (and me) no longer a life or death situation.

Many nations and locations it is.

Not it mention the additional People who die because the hospital is full. No chemo this month, we don't have the staff... 

So.. this is not about the people who are vaccinated, about the billions who are not. Millions in Thailand who really like to get the vaccine. Still aren't able to obtain, or need to travel +50 km. 

My +70 year old grandparents.. they can't. Yes, they are lucky, I can take them. Not all of them are this lucky to have relatives that want to drive them by car.

I think you not got my point. As I wrote before if the vaccine protects for heavy symptoms then it is ok. I not expect vaccination stops covid or you cannot catch it. We have vaccines for flu but it never stopped the flu but protected for serious symptoms. Covid and flu are from the sars family, sorry but thats an fact! But this doesn't mean it cannot have serious impacts as in european countries hundred of thousands die from a flu and sure for the people at risk the vaccine saved lifes and same at covid. But why do you think the virus is called sars covid 19?! It is a Sars virus! Thats why the interesting point always after every mutation is more the symptoms level because a sars virus will mutate sooner or later into a cold/flu but more infectious that is known from sars viruses! It is not just a discussion it is a fact that covid is a sars virus.

[Bob20]

1 hour ago, Stardust said:

I think more interesting is if this new variant has the same symptoms like the former variants or is it just more infectious? If the symptoms are just like the former variants there is no reason for all this panic and sure the vaccinated can catch it, too but if it is with mild or no symptoms then there is no change at all. This points I am missing. People still concentrating only about it is more infectious instead on the impacts/symptoms. Because the virus anyway will find his way. If the vaccines protect the people at risk from heavy symptoms then its ok. But as I said the virus will find its way anyway and as we seen also in this countries with their zero covid madness what is not possible and a fantasy.

Yes Stardust, it's interesting. But you're not going to find out here on the forum while researchers have just started their work.

Much better to wait for facts than read speculation (and already factual inaccuracies).

If anything, the discussion needs to be "is the government going to keep this variant out or are they going to talk about bar-opening while the new variant comes in?".

[Stardust]

4 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

Yes Stardust, it's interesting. But you're not going to find out here on the forum while researchers have just started their work.

Much better to wait for facts than read speculation (and already factual inaccuracies).

If anything, the discussion needs to be "is the government going to keep this variant out or are they going to talk about bar-opening while the new variant comes in?".

Dp you not think new variants will always find their ways. Sorry I not expect that any country is able for that and I not expect vaccination will stop covid but for sure vaccines will save lifes. As we could see at the spanish flu it not stopped til it went through and mutated. But nowadays we have vaccines to protect the people from heavy symptoms, thats the difference.

[Lowseasonlover]

 

Boris Johnson is considering implementing travel bans on many countries to avoid a winter lockdown at home

 

[Bob20]

10 minutes ago, Stardust said:

Dp you not think new variants will always find their ways. Sorry I not expect that any country is able for that and I not expect vaccination will stop covid but for sure vaccines will save lifes. As we could see at the spanish flu it not stopped til it went through and mutated. But nowadays we have vaccines to protect the people from heavy symptoms, thats the difference.

All we "know" is that countries are still run by incompetent people.

The moment this was known, they should have shut down travel from at risk countries and close borders to incoming traffic from anywhere it spread to. Every hour delay costs weeks or months to undo and countless victims.

Quick decisive action avoids the necessity of a prolonged tedious painful recovery.

[Poolie]

7 minutes ago, Lowseasonlover said:

Boris Johnson is considering implementing travel bans on many countries to avoid a winter lockdown at home

Good old Boris!! However it'll probably wait until Monday as they won't work on Saturdays and Sundays. Oh and no doubt it will come into force on January 15th.

[Stardust]

23 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

Yes Stardust, it's interesting. But you're not going to find out here on the forum while researchers have just started their work.

Much better to wait for facts than read speculation (and already factual inaccuracies).

If anything, the discussion needs to be "is the government going to keep this variant out or are they going to talk about bar-opening while the new variant comes in?".

Or let me put it in that way what I expect in the long way:

If the bars stay closed the virus will go to the factories, offices, schools, peoples home etc. The virus is not programmed that he only goes into bars, etc. I expect the same behaviour like with flu including vaccination. The vaccines have to adopt with the mutations like the vaccines with the flu. But when the vaccines protect from heavy symptoms then also the hospitals will not overcrowded with covid patients. But this idea zero covid is possible is just a fairy tale and absurd and is the opposite of the collected infos. Now the only thing what is possible to adopt the vaccines with the mutations if it is necessary. 

[mickkotlarski]

Omicron...sounds like the name of a new Hollywood villain robot. Send action man to give it a kick in the pants.

[HolyCowCm]

Thank you China. You kindness is too much!