Top NY Doctor: New COVID Wave Is Starting, With the 'Worst Version' of Omicron

[TheProle]

Source: NBC News

A new COVID wave appears to be starting in New York City, fueled by the strongest subvariant of the omicron strain of coronavirus to date, one of the city's top epidemiologists said Tuesday.

The BA.5 subvariant, first seen in South Africa and then Portugal, is considered by some experts to be the "worst version" of omicron seen yet, given its apparent capacity to escape prior immunity and transmit more readily.

Dr. Jay Varma, a Weill Cornell epidemiologist and formerly then-mayor Bill de Blasio's top public health advisor during the pandemic, said infections appear to have stabilized at a high level in the city, rather than dropping.

"The decline of reported #COVID19 cases in NYC has stopped. Reported cases are at a high plateau, which means actual transmission is very high when you account for the >20x under-counting. This is likely the beginning of a BA.5 wave," Varma tweeted.

Read more: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/top-ny-doctor-new-covid-wave-is-starting-with-the-worst-version-of-omicron/3752858/

[barbaraann]

1. Those free government at-home Covid tests have been invaluable for my family.

I hope everyone here has some on hand. Also, just a reminder--they expire pretty quickly.

[Traildogbob]

4. And free N95 masks

At drug stores. Just in case those people claiming Biden has done nothing. We were this close🤏 To only having Ivermectin and bleach to fight this plague. Thank you Joe.

[barbaraann]

8. Oh, yes!

We actually even bought some respirators this year because they are cheaper and available now. These are for use in case of forest fires as well as Covid.

[orleans]

16. the walgreens stores around me NEVER gave out free masks

instead, they have signs up saying they do not have the free masks but we can come into the store and buy masks.

makes me wonder if they just threw them in some plastic & decided to make some extra money.

[Traildogbob]

18. That's messed up

CVS here in WNC had 50 gallon barrels up near the cashier with packs of 20. No questions asked, grab what you need. And all the anti mask brain dead’s here, meant there were pretty much grab multiple packs and load up. That you Joe. I will never shop a Walgreens because of your post. That’s some greed sickness there.

[orleans]

21. is the cvs still giving out masks? i wonder if this has ended. if it has

maybe government should continue the program since no one wants another wave. (or at least no one in their right mind--i'm excluding magats)

[Traildogbob]

22. I have not

Had to go back. I got 4 packs of 20, nobody was taking any. I rarely go anywhere but in the forest with my dogs. So I’m pretty well stocked. The report from New York today was grim with the latest variant. Much more contagious and weakened boasters are keeping most from the hospital, but the symptoms are ferocious. Who knows how much long term lung damage there will be. I hope CVS and others are gonna keep them, but the publics lack of concern may have influenced them to stop. Maybe our reps need to hear we want that renewed if they have stopped. They are continuing free tests up through the Fall, and I think the masks are critical with continuing variants. We are far from over with this. Good luck.

[Beartracks]

13. Do they accurately detect Omicron?

My spouse used one of the tests, and it came up negative. But after continued days of non-stop GI issues, the doctor told it was Omicron (based on symptoms -- especially that one). We didn't get an official test, as he only told us over the phone and that she should quarantine and monitor. But his staff also indicated that the home tests weren't that good for Omicron detection. So I was wondering about that. Also, maybe the test *had* expired. I saved the box, so I can check.

============

[barbaraann]

14. It looks like the answer is somewhat complicated, but the tests are useful with qualifications.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/01/23/1074978193/rapid-covid-tests-omicron

There's a section in this article about how to use the tests we have now for the greatest accuracy.

[Orrex]

2. The most important thing is to pretend that the pandemic is over

Open the economy!
Return to the office!
Buy all the things!

[IronLionZion]

10. That ship has sailed long ago

[Skittles]

27. so many stupid, selfish people

it will never end

[leighbythesea2]

3. The now

Cavalier attitude that poeople should be back in offices, is so maddening.
Noone knows the ramifications of repeat infections. But its clear the population is going to experience them.
Masking is still the best practice. Don't fatigue on masking!

[Tomconroy]

5. Or not:

Link to tweet

Ba.5 in SA was the mildest wave by far.

[progree]

6. It's certainly taken off in Europe again,

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-cases.html
No paywall, no quota

In the "Cases By Region", the light blue is Europe
The "Last 90 days" button is very helpful

New reported cases per 100,000
June 1: 18
June 28: 44

Driving up the world's 7 day average 47% since June 1.

[BigmanPigman]

32. I've followed Worldometers and France and Germany are bad.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

[progree]

33. Yeah, I've been noticing both are over 100 daily new reported cases per 100K, and Italy 91

and all 3 are rising.

UK is fortunately not so bad (by current standards) at 29 per 100k but climbing.

Compare to U.S. at 33 per 100k

[C Moon]

7. Just great. Well, I got a booster yesterday, and I'm still masking up...most aren't now.

[ZonkerHarris]

12. Same here. Got my booster two weeks ago and still wear my mask everywhere

[bamagal62]

9. Well, all 3 of our family

Members have recently been into NYC, 2 without masks.
We all have covid now. I have it the worst. Thank goodness I’m fully vaccinated and boosted. But, I feel like crap.

[riversedge]

11. Take care of yourself now

[orleans]

17. sorry -- hope you feel better soon. were you wearing a mask in nyc?

i guess it doesn't matter if three people are living together & only one was masked; it makes sense that the third person would get it if the other two at home have it

[StevieM]

35. Please take care of yourself. (eom)

[bucolic_frolic]

15. Do you dilute the bleach, or no? /nt

[Rebl2]

24. I don't

understand what you are asking.

[bucolic_frolic]

25. Well, you know, before you inject it /nt

[Rebl2]

26. Okay sure

[bucolic_frolic]

28. !

[Rebl2]

29. Ok

[TheProle]

31. Beg pardon?

[sakabatou]

19. So, how many RW douchenozzles are going to complain about masks?

[C Moon]

20. My wife's boss went to an inside dinner meeting a week ago.

All seven are now COVID positive. She ended up with a bad cough (fully vaccinated). Nobody was hospitalized, but again they were all vaccinated. It is picking up again and right before July 4th.

[Rebl2]

23. The county

I am in, in MO, is back in the high category according to CDC. Few people wear masks now-my husband and I do. My Mom is in a nursing home, so I want to be careful. Also I have doctor appointments coming up I really need to go to. Don’t want to cancel because of Covid.
Our next door neighbor has Covid again. He helped out at a Boy Scout camp a couple weeks ago and there were several Covid cases. He is in his in his 70’s and he had it last summer too. He refuses to get vaccinated. I am fairly sure he thought him having Covid last year made him immune. Foolish.

[LisaL]

30. Just what we need for the full happiness.

[FrankChurchDem]

34. I came up Bingo last week after taking nearly all precautions

Fortunately, it has been mild thanks to Moderna 3X. It is a strange, weird virus. I went a day with gentle symptoms, then a day like nothing happened, then another day with with an increasing symptoms, then another day, nothing... been going like this for about a week.