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marmar

(76,976 posts)
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 10:56 AM Nov 2021

Omicron may cause milder symptoms. But experts aren't breathing easy yet.


(NBC News) Amid the global concern over a new coronavirus strain has been one piece of hopeful news: Those infected with the omicron variant appear to have “very mild” symptoms, according to the South African doctor who first spotted the variant.

Dr. Angelique Coetzee told the BBC that neither she nor her colleagues had admitted anyone who had the strain to the hospital so far. Her patients had experienced extreme fatigue but no loss of taste or smell, which are often telltale symptoms of Covid-19, she said.

The early reports are encouraging, epidemiologists and other experts said.

But they cautioned that there is too little data to draw any conclusions yet. Their bigger concern, they said, is how quickly the omicron variant, with its high number of mutations, might spread and how it will match up against vaccines.

“I don’t think we know anything about the virulence. What we’re worried more about is the transmissibility and the immune-evasion capabilities,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease doctor who is a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. ...................(more)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/omicron-may-cause-milder-symptoms-experts-arent-breathing-sigh-relief-rcna6920




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Omicron may cause milder symptoms. But experts aren't breathing easy yet. (Original Post) marmar Nov 2021 OP
I'm just wondering snowybirdie Nov 2021 #1
It may have to do with the way the first tests are conducted which Dr. Gottlieb said Tomconroy Nov 2021 #2
I think he talked to some of the scientists at Moderna Klaralven Nov 2021 #3
I don't know how much data they could have gotten by now. LisaL Nov 2021 #6
They've had the full sequence of Omicron for a few days Klaralven Nov 2021 #7
I worry because more people living in the United States are obese helpisontheway Nov 2021 #4
Exactly. LisaL Nov 2021 #5
Interesting that speculation is so rampant. Sneederbunk Nov 2021 #8
DU seems to be splitting into 2 factions GusBob Nov 2021 #14
I think there is a third faction. Sneederbunk Nov 2021 #15
The market seemed to be taking the news in stride until Tomconroy Nov 2021 #9
Not really, futures were down huge already, Powell did make it worse NewHendoLib Nov 2021 #10
Look at the morning chart. Tomconroy Nov 2021 #11
And we have no idea if it has long haul capabilities. JanMichael Nov 2021 #12
Oh boy greenjar_01 Nov 2021 #13

snowybirdie

(5,190 posts)
1. I'm just wondering
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 11:00 AM
Nov 2021

Why Moderna CEO, threw a wrench into things by saying his vaccine likely won't work against the new varient? So confusing.

 

Tomconroy

(7,611 posts)
2. It may have to do with the way the first tests are conducted which Dr. Gottlieb said
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 11:07 AM
Nov 2021

Would show the vaccine wouldn't be as effective but whose results wouldn't be definitive. But the Moderns guy didn't explain his thinking. I was curious too.

 

Klaralven

(7,510 posts)
3. I think he talked to some of the scientists at Moderna
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 11:10 AM
Nov 2021

He was relatively optimistic in his interview on CNBC in the morning. Later in the day he gave an interview with Financial Times.

In between, he apparently got new results from the scientists working on Omicron.

LisaL

(44,962 posts)
6. I don't know how much data they could have gotten by now.
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 11:36 AM
Nov 2021

But it has so many mutations that they might have made a reasonable assumption that vaccine unlikely to work well against it.

 

Klaralven

(7,510 posts)
7. They've had the full sequence of Omicron for a few days
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 11:57 AM
Nov 2021

Whether they have received virus cultures is unclear, but they have probably just become available.

Probably they have early results from computer modeling of how the mutations change the shape and other aspects of the spike protein.

The change must be significant because one of the things that first alerted the presence of Omicron was that the PCR-RT tests were not detecting the S protein.

helpisontheway

(5,004 posts)
4. I worry because more people living in the United States are obese
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 11:18 AM
Nov 2021

and have many health issues. I think that could make our cases of severe covid and deaths higher. Also, if a larger part of our population is older than other places it could make a difference.

LisaL

(44,962 posts)
5. Exactly.
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 11:30 AM
Nov 2021

We have a lot of obese people in the US. If vaccines work very poorly against Omicron it's likely not going to be good.

GusBob

(7,286 posts)
14. DU seems to be splitting into 2 factions
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 12:51 PM
Nov 2021

One side thinks Omicron is a concern and attention should be given

The other side thinks its a nothing burger and getting too much attention ( near as I can tell )

Its an interesting dynamic to say the least. I am wondering the cause...is it pandemic fatigue or pandemic overkill?

 

Tomconroy

(7,611 posts)
9. The market seemed to be taking the news in stride until
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 12:28 PM
Nov 2021

About 10:30 when Powell said something about tapering bond purchases.

JanMichael

(24,846 posts)
12. And we have no idea if it has long haul capabilities.
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 12:48 PM
Nov 2021

None not any idea so anybody that thinks they do know doesn't know.

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