More Covid 19 Variants? in Help Me Please

This is the newest variant that has hit Canada because some yahoo was travelling in an African country and came back and spread it.

Update on Omicron
28 November 2021 Statement Reading time: 3 min (899 words)
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On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Here is a summary of what is currently known.

Current knowledge about Omicron

Researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available.

Transmissibility: It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.

Severity of disease: It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks. All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key.

Effectiveness of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (ie, people who have previously had COVID-19 could become reinfected more easily with Omicron), as compared to other variants of concern, but information is limited. More information on this will become available in the coming days and weeks.

Effectiveness of vaccines: WHO is working with technical partners to understand the potential impact of this variant on our existing countermeasures, including vaccines. Vaccines remain critical to reducing severe disease and death, including against the dominant circulating variant, Delta. Current vaccines remain effective against severe disease and death.

Effectiveness of current tests: The widely used PCR tests continue to detect infection, including infection with Omicron, as we have seen with other variants as well. Studies are ongoing to determine whether there is any impact on other types of tests, including rapid antigen detection tests.

Effectiveness of current treatments: Corticosteroids and IL6 Receptor Blockers will still be effective for managing patients with severe COVID-19. Other treatments will be assessed to see if they are still as effective given the changes to parts of the virus in the Omicron variant.

Studies underway

At the present time, WHO is coordinating with a large number of researchers around the world to better understand Omicron. Studies currently underway or underway shortly include assessments of transmissibility, severity of infection (including symptoms), performance of vaccines and diagnostic tests, and effectiveness of treatments.

WHO encourages countries to contribute the collection and sharing of hospitalized patient data through the WHO COVID-19 Clinical Data Platform to rapidly describe clinical characteristics and patient outcomes.

More information will emerge in the coming days and weeks. WHO’s TAG-VE will continue to monitor and evaluate the data as it becomes available and assess how mutations in Omicron alter the behaviour of the virus.

Recommended actions for countries

As Omicron has been designated a Variant of Concern, there are several actions WHO recommends countries to undertake, including enhancing surveillance and sequencing of cases; sharing genome sequences on publicly available databases, such as GISAID; reporting initial cases or clusters to WHO; performing field investigations and laboratory assessments to better understand if Omicron has different transmission or disease characteristics, or impacts effectiveness of vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics or public health and social measures. More detail in the announcement from 26 November.

Countries should continue to implement the effective public health measures to reduce COVID-19 circulation overall, using a risk analysis and science-based approach. They should increase some public health and medical capacities to manage an increase in cases. WHO is providing countries with support and guidance for both readiness and response.

In addition, it is vitally important that inequities in access to COVID-19 vaccines are urgently addressed to ensure that vulnerable groups everywhere, including health workers and older persons, receive their first and second doses, alongside equitable access to treatment and diagnostics.

Recommended actions for people

The most effective steps individuals can take to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus is to keep a physical distance of at least 1 metre from others; wear a well-fitting mask; open windows to improve ventilation; avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces; keep hands clean; cough or sneeze into a bent elbow or tissue; and get vaccinated when it’s their turn.

WHO will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available, including following meetings of the TAG-VE. In addition, information will be available on WHO’s digital and social media platforms.

Reference material:

Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern
Further information on TAG-VE

I wish I knew how much longer these variants are going to wreak havoc on the world. I just wish people would get vaccinated so life can be normal again. And the most scary part of these variants and even Covid 19 is no one knows how long they will keep us sick and maybe die.
And now Canada has a no fly rule if you haven’t been vaccinated and even the children who are 12 can’t fly. And there is also no travelling on the trains or the boats so people need to get vaccinated. Just look at the other countries how they are enforcing the mandate of being vaccinated. the police are checking the Covid passports and other proof and if you can’t show proof then you are told to get off and walk or find some other way to get to where you are going. And the governments are also saying in order to be fully vaccinated you need that booster. I have a feeling that the booster will be just like the flu shot and maybe even combined with it.
I am going to be getting my booster when it’s my turn and it should be soon. I think 6 months after my second shot. So it will be in the next two months or so. And even when I do get it I am still going to follow the protocols that the top doctors has said to do.
The sad thing is that my parents still don’t want to go into restaurants or to movies or even travel because they just don’t feel safe or know if those around them have been vaccinated. And they do know as a fact that all of their friends have been vaccinated because the day they went a good number of them were there also. And even though they want to see me and hubby they still won’t sit inside a restaurant and the out side is not an option anymore and no one visits them either because they don’t want that. Well except my brothers dog when they look after her when he is travelling for work.

Onto something else....

Yesterday I went to do my on line order from Walmart and found out there is no delivery time so I phoned them and asked why and I figure there is no deliveries because of the floods so they told me to wait a few days. But I am thinking maybe I will just go and get what I want and need.
I even noticed that when I went shopping the other day there was hardly any butter, margarine and paper products so people are either having stomach issues and doing a lot of baking or there just isn’t any being delivered. I just hope it doesn’t get any worse.
There really is no need to hoard anything. The supply is there but they can only produce it so fast and the faster it gets sold the longer it takes to arrive.

Onto something else....
I think for dinner tonight we will be having frozen fish and roasted potatoes and carrots. And of course tarter sauce.
Other then the regular stuff I didn’t do yesterday they hopefully will get done today then that will keep me busy and I tell myself what needs to be done next.

Well I need to stop here....
Do have a great day…
Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe and Behave.

Last updated December 01, 2021