[venkyhere]

To be honest with everyone here, there are 4 lessons this pandemic has taught me. I don't see any reason :

1. There is no way for the common man to filter covid news bombarding him from all directions - impossible to separate the wheat from the chaff - vested interests (political/financial profit), idiots, mental narcissism from half-scientists - are all pouring into the mix, alongwith actual meritorious information coming from reliable sources. There is no way to tell one from the other, in this cesspool of covid information explosion.

2. Decisions influencing your life, your freedom are going to be made by powers superior to you, based on misinformation, malinformation, prejudice, idiocy, vested interests. Like every adversity that has struck humankind, there are people & entire organizations who want to profiteer and influence govts and other powers to ensure that needless RT-PCR tests, compulsory vaccines, booster vaccines etc, for travel purposes, are forced down our throats (literally, in fact) because the aim is not the health of the people, the aim is to make money off the health of the people. The 'slowdown' suffered during the worldwide lockdowns has to be compensated somehow. The fundamental nature of human beings to exploit other human beings WILL NOT undergo any change, even if there is a lot of sloganeering and chest thumping going around about how "covid has brought the spirit of the people of the world together, our planet, our survival" - all bullshit. No one cares whether you live or die, except your near and dear ones. Rest of them are just acting to be concerned of your safety - just so that they can suck money out of you.

3. Wear a mask, maintain social distance, even if everyone around you is mocking/laughing at you for being paranoid. Probably have to do this for the rest of our lives - might shock us initially, but like generations of humans before us, we too will 'adapt' to permanently wear masks outdoors, just like humans started wearing bark/skin to cover their genitals, at some point in time.

4. If despite all your efforts in (3), if you fall prey to covid, that's what 'life' has chosen for you. Accept it, and move on. If you survive, you survive, if you die, you die. Nothing is going to happen to the world whether you live/die. Accept the reality. 'Worrying' is not going to alter your future, it only ruins the present.

[Ashtoncastelino]

I hope things get better. Our govt acted very quickly by making the surveillance at the borders strict and mandating negative RTPCR reports and bringing up more protocols to be followed with this new variant. I definitely don't want another lockdown happening or colleges/schools to shut again.

So I just came across this article on google newsletter. They claim that the new Omicron variant is a mild variant. Fingers crossed

https://www.cityam.com/covid-death-r...s-experts-say/

[ashishpotdar]

Just highlighting some facts

1. The South African doctor who raised an alarm about the omicron variant and it's significant number of mutations, has confirmed that the symptoms she has seen are very mild compared to other variants such as scratchy throat, dry cough and aches, tiredness. Typical symptoms such as loss off smell and taste and continuous cough was absent.

2. Most of her patients were younger. And half were unvaccinated

3. She is not clear about the impact it may have on the elderly as the age composition of South Africa is skewed towards younger people, and enough cases have not been presented

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-h...says-symptoms/

This is the only news pertaining to actual patients with Omicron. The rest of the news are all about the number or type of mutations on the virus and what that MAY mean.

WHO guidance on declaring Omicron as Variant of Concern also seems to be rushed, not based on any hard data of transmissibility or severity of symptoms. Also can't trust WHO much as their delay in declaring the pandemic in Jan, Feb 20 under Chinese pressure, is the reason the pandemic spread in the first place.

I think in the next few weeks, real results will come out from multiple countries on
1. Transmissibility of the virus
2. Severity of symptoms in different age groups
3. Exact nature of the virus impact
4. Whether current vaccines provide any protection
5. Possible treatment methodologies

Till then everything that is being said, transmitted and acted upon are conjectures.

Basic precautions to stay safe from any coronavirus (including the common cold) is to keep immunity up and prevent accidental inhalation of infected droplets (by using a mask).

So atleast till next few weeks, life doesnt change from what it is currently.

Let's watch out for any real news from doctors, medical bodies in next few weeks. Most of the other news is just embellished to sell.

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by Ashtoncastelino

They claim that the new Omicron variant is a mild variant. Fingers crossed

Indications are there that this might be true, however it is still early days.

“Most of these patients have been treated at home,” Pillay told an online press briefing Monday. “Vaccinated people tend to do much better. We have not seen a vast increase in hospitalizations, but this is still early days. Hospitalizations often come several days after a rise in confirmed cases.”

Most of the new cases in South Africa have been among people in their 20s and 30s, and doctors note that age group generally has milder symptoms of COVID-19 in any case. They warn that older people infected by the new variant could have more severe symptoms.

(Emphasis formatting done by me)

Source: https://apnews.com/article/coronavir...bc41a9efe86f99

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

To be honest with everyone here, there are 4 lessons this pandemic has taught me. I don't see any reason :.. .

Also noticed that real doctors are not posting here anymore. I have guessed the reason, but stating it here would get me banned!

[SR7]

The latest data shows that cases (due to Omicron) in South Africa are rising faster than even the Delta wave, hospitalizations will track only a week later, but hospitalizations appear to be at pace with the earlier waves. It is estimated that 80% of South Africans would have been exposed to Delta and would have some form of natural immunity but this sustained increasing trend looks like Omicron could have higher transmissibility and some immune escape also. We will have to wait and watch, but signs are worrying.

[am1m]

Just wondering if the various travel bans now will really help- do we really think the latest variant is not already in/hasn't already been circulating in most if not all countries by now, especially ours? Do we think the 1-2 cases being detected and making news everyday are all that there are? I personally know a couple of travellers who returned a couple of weeks ago from one of the countries that are now in the 'high/at-risk' list and have been all over the place. There must be thousands all over the world in each country.

So are we really just shutting the door after the horse has bolted? Does this, from a qualified medical person who has been giving measured, practical advice based on his front-line covid experience right from the start make more sense instead:

"Implement these 3 steps and never impose a COVID travel ban again…

1. PCR 48 h prior (detects Omicron variant)

2. Proof of vaccination needed (reduces risk of infection)

3. Require KN95 masks on flight (minimizes risk of transmission)

Don’t react like it’s 2020"

https://twitter.com/FaheemYounus/sta...53485278486531

(I think that last line should be printed and pasted at every local authority office- especially RWA offices! "Don't react like it's 2020")

[Electromotive]

Originally Posted by am1m

Don’t react like it’s 2020"

+1
The impact on the economy is too severe to impose full lock-downs. Another round of full fledged lock-downs will make the inflation worse. Can't have that. High fuel taxes still have not recouped the revenue loss from 2020 lock-downs and have only contributed to the inflation.

Sensible voices must prevail, or just dump the rupee already.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by Gordon

My colleague is facing a strange scenario. He isn't fully vaccinated and will need to visit the vaccination center soon for his 2nd dose. He does not have a private car. How does he travel?

Simple. Take Uber or Ola or get a ride from someone. If the windows are kept ajar then there is no risk at all. Why the panic?

My hunch is that people who live their normal lives with appropriate precautions fare better than those who completely lock themselves into a cocoon. Wear masks inside buildings, try and keep away from crowded places except for brief periods as needed, stand a little apart when talking to strangers etc. I don't see any need to wear a mask in open air or to worry too much about contaminated surfaces as the chances of surface transmission are miniscule. Similarly, I no longer worry about sitting in a restaurant full of people but obviously try and pick an area that is empty when possible. Obviously wash your hands frequently and use sanitiser but don't become paranoid. I no longer worry about sanitising each item and have gone back to normal times where if someone offers me a bottle of water or if I purchase something, I can open it and eat it without any needless fear. I feel that by going out judiciously and avoiding excessive sanitisation, we get a hint of the virus as well as other bacteria that are essential for good health and immunity. As we breathe a tint bit of the viral particles by limiting our exposure, our bodies get to analyze them and deal with them without getting overwhelmed as the exposure is limited. I mean the scenario where you pass by another person in a mall or spend a few minutes with them in a building wearing a mask. I feel this is better than locking yourself up completely and then when you do get exposed, your body has never experienced it and the reaction can be severe. Throughout the epidemic, we have tried to maintain normal lives by going for walks even during the lockdown and then going out to the city, malls, restaurants etc as soon as it was allowed. Obviously this is a theory without scientific basis but hey, practically no one knows anything about the subject with any degree of certainty.

[COMMUTER]

I haven't been able to get a clear answer from the medical world regarding the following.

Do vaccines work?

If yes, I am free to do whatever I want.

If no I am free to do whatever I want.

I am troubled by the lack of clarity here.

[driver52001]

It's very unlikely the government would call a full lockdown as was seen in the earlier days of the pandemic. Omicron is still being analysed, and even if it turns out highly transmissible, it may not be highly severe (hope so), that's what most nations are saying. Now, India can't afford another full lockdown - localised restrictions may happen - because 1) Lakhs of businesses haven't recovered yet from the losses in 2020. EMI defaults etc are still having a lingering effect. A lockdown at this point would be a big blow and this time economic recovery in an individual level would be very, very difficult. And 2) assembly elections are coming up. Politicians might want to hold rallies, Omicron or no Omicron.

[m8002?]

Originally Posted by COMMUTER

Do vaccines work?
.

Its depends.
It doesnt work if you expect a 100% guarantee against getting the infection.
It works if you consider that it reduces your chances of infection and hospitalization.

Treat it as the 5* safety rating of your car. That rating doesnt mean you can drive recklessly and crash into an oncoming truck and expect the car and the driver to come out unscathed.

[COMMUTER]

Originally Posted by m8002?

Its depends.
It doesnt work if you expect a 100% guarantee against getting the infection.
It works if you consider that it reduces your chances of infection and hospitalization.

Treat it as the 5* safety rating of your car. That rating doesnt mean you can drive recklessly and crash into an oncoming truck and expect the car and the driver to come out unscathed.

I'm sorry but I don't see the correlation. A virus doesnt try to infect with different intensity under different circumstances.

[saikarthik]

Originally Posted by COMMUTER

I'm sorry but I don't see the correlation. A virus doesnt try to infect with different intensity under different circumstances.

The correlation is in how your body can react to the virus (and the load/variant) when vaccinated.

[Nitish.arnold]

on a lighter note,

I feel it will impact the property prices of our residential sector in Delhi NCR.
(Omicron, Greater Noida)

Stay safe everyone