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November 25 ,2021

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People wearing personal protective equipment pick up a suspected COVID-19 patient



Medics at an infectious-disease unit in South Africa, where a new strain of COVID is spreading quickly.Credit: Alet Pretorius/Gallo Images/Getty



Researchers are racing to determine whether a fast-spreading variant in South Africa poses a threat to COVID vaccines’ effectiveness.

Researchers in South Africa are racing to track the concerning rise of a new variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The variant harbours a large number of mutations found in other variants, including Delta, and it seems to be spreading quickly across South Africa.

A top priority is to track the variant more closely as it spreads: it was first identified in Botswana this month and has turned up in travellers to Hong Kong from South Africa. Scientists are also trying to understand the variant’s properties, such as whether it can evade immune responses triggered by vaccines and whether it causes more or less severe disease than other variants do.

“We’re flying at warp speed,” says Penny Moore, a virologist at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, whose lab is gauging the variant’s potential to dodge immunity from vaccines and previous infections. There are anecdotal reports of reinfections and cases in vaccinated individuals, but “at this stage it’s too early to tell anything,” Moore adds.

“There’s a lot we don’t understand about this variant,” Richard Lessells, an infectious disease physician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, said at a press briefing organized by South Africa’s health department on 25 November. “The mutation profile gives us concern, but now we need to do the work to understand the significance of this variant and what it means for the response to the pandemic.”

A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group will meet on 26 November, and will likely label the strain — currently known as B.1.1.529 — as a variant of concern or variant of interest, Tulio de Oliveira, a bioinformatician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said at the briefing. The variant would likely be named Nu — the next available letter in the Greek naming system for coronavirus variants — if it is flagged by the WHO group.

Researchers also want to measure the variant’s potential to spread globally, possibly sparking new waves of infection or exacerbating ongoing rises being driven by Delta.

Changes to spike

Researchers spotted B.1.1.529 in genome-sequencing data from Botswana. The variant stood out because it contains more than 30 changes to the spike protein — the SARS-CoV-2 protein that recognizes host cells and is the main target of the body’s immune responses. Many of the changes have been found in variants such as Delta and Alpha and are linked to heightened infectivity and the ability to evade infection-blocking antibodies.

But the variant’s apparent sharp rise in South Africa’s Gauteng province — home to Johannesburg — is also setting off alarm bells. Cases increased rapidly in the province in November, particularly in schools and among young people, according to Lessells. Genome sequencing and other genetic analysis from de Oliveria’s team found that the B.1.1.529 variant was responsible for all of 77 of the virus samples they analysed from Gauteng, collected between 12 and 20 November. Analysis of hundreds more samples are in the works.

The variant harbours a spike mutation that allows it to be detected by genotyping tests that deliver results much more rapidly than genome sequencing, Lessells said. Preliminary evidence from these tests suggest that B.1.1.529 is spreading much wider than Gauteng. “It gives us concern that this variant may already be circulating quite widely in the country,” Lessells said.

Vaccine effectiveness

To understand the threat B.1.1.529 poses, researchers will be closely tracking its spread in South Africa and beyond. Researchers in South Africa mobilized efforts to quickly study the Beta variant, identified there in late 2020, and a similar effort is starting to study B.1.1.529.

Moore’s team — which provided some of the first data on Beta’s ability to dodge immunity — has begun work on B.1.1.529. They plan to test the virus’s ability to evade infection-blocking antibodies, as well as other immune responses. The variant harbours a high number of mutations in regions of the spike protein that antibodies recognize, potentially dampening their potency. “Many mutations we know are problematic, but many more look like they are likely contributing to further evasion,” says Moore. There are even hints from computer modelling that B.1.1.529 could dodge immunity conferred by another component of the immune system called T cells, says Moore. Her team hopes to have its first results in two weeks.

“A burning question is does it reduce vaccine effectiveness, because it has so many changes,” says Aris Katzourakis, who studies virus evolution at the University of Oxford, UK.

Researchers in South Africa will also study whether B.1.1.529 causes disease that is more severe or milder than other variants produce, Lessells said. “The really key question comes around disease severity.”

So far, the threat B.1.1.529 poses beyond South Africa is far from clear, researchers say. It is unclear whether the variant is more transmissible than Delta, says Moore, because there are currently low numbers of COVID-19 cases in South Africa. “We’re in a lull,” she says. Katzourakis says that countries where Delta is highly prevalent should be watching for signs of B.1.1.529. “We need to see what this virus does in terms of competitive success and whether it will increase in prevalence.”

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B warfare tarass! This virus has been on the scene for a lil while I thought it forgot its mission. Anyone travelling from those countries should be thoroughly tested.

As you people know, I am not into getting the so called shot ..not yet anyway, but I would never put myself in harm's way by going into a country where I dam well know, is a viral hotbed.

.

cain

Scary experience. Returned from Mexico 2 weeks ago, arrived at Pearson. A plane load of Chinese joined the que going through customs. It was like a movie, every chinaman was suited in white overalls, googles and foot wear covered with some kind of protection. Even the hands were covered.

It appeared as if they travelled from an highly infected area. Before leaving for Mexico, I was told of a new super virus in India and China.

I wondered why the Chinese were among the travellers going through the Customs que.

Now, everything has to have a code. And on the Cell Phone. I din have it, suh I was in CUstoms longer than I wanted. Scared me seeing the Chinese in their attire.

S

This virus is a cross between the South African varient and the Indian varient. It should be called the Dougla covid.

I waiting for see when you mention dem Black an Indian peeps dem bad, creating all kinda trouble.

Two cases in Canada.

cain
Last edited by cain

One more jab coming up..errr..make that two...ahhhhmmm...and a booster...every two months.

Time for Iman call up and have a talk about getting me some pharma stocks.

cain
Last edited by cain
@cain posted:

One more jab coming up..errr..make that two...ahhhhmmm...and a booster...every two months.

Time for Iman call up and have a talk about getting me some pharma stocks.

it's people like you who have not taken the vaccines that is causing all these Covid mutations. as long as a large segment of mankind remains unvaccinated, the Virus will mutate to infinity. woe to mankind, the Chinese have wreaked havoc unto the world

FM
Last edited by Former Member
@Former Member posted:

it's people like you who have not taken the vaccines that is causing all these Covid mutations. as long as a large segment of mankind remains unvaccinated, the Virus will mutate to infinity. woe to mankind, the Chinese have wreaked havoc unto the world

Utter nonsense!

Think of the chemicals used to kill mosquitos and other insects, it's been said for years these bugs/insects become immune to the chemicals and the stronger the chemicals used the stronger the bugs become.

Now, think of what you said and you will see how wrong you are.

As I said before, I have never seen a product's inability to do what it was meant to do being blamed on those not using it. Never have we seen members from the medical community going against a so called cure, as seen the last couple years.

I say no more on this.

cain
Last edited by cain
@Former Member posted:

it's people like you who have not taken the vaccines that is causing all these Covid mutations. as long as a large segment of mankind remains unvaccinated, the Virus will mutate to infinity. woe to mankind, the Chinese have wreaked havoc unto the world

Explain this to me seeing I have to be lil stupidy because I don't see things the way most do.

Air travel is only being offered to those who are vaccinated, so here is the question.

How did the new variant spread? Did it move from South Africa to NA on a cloud?

The way I see it, vaccinated people are the ones spreading the shit ( some, not all)  even though they are told the virus could still be spread ( seeing the shit doan work as it should) they still do not take full precautions. I see that everyday in our small town.

cain

No. Air travel is not restricted to those that are only fully vaccinated. A negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 3 days before travel is a requirement for the unvaccinated.  "Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19 but might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants" (paraphrasing from the CDC guidelines). I take it that you don't believe that the vaccines do work even though there's overwhelming evidence that proves otherwise?

S
Last edited by Sparky
@cain posted:

Explain this to me seeing I have to be lil stupidy because I don't see things the way most do.

Air travel is only being offered to those who are vaccinated, so here is the question.

How did the new variant spread? Did it move from South Africa to NA on a cloud?

The way I see it, vaccinated people are the ones spreading the shit ( some, not all)  even though they are told the virus could still be spread ( seeing the shit doan work as it should) they still do not take full precautions. I see that everyday in our small town.

i was yanking your chain lil bit.  this place too quiet

i will watch this at 1:30 today and see what Biden says:

https://www.weku.org/the-commo...covid-19-this-winter

FM

I do not have confidence in the vaccine along with the boaster shot. Just like all vaccinations, some are needed for travels. I treat the current vaccine as necessay for limited travels. Precautions are very much needed.

I had the two shots and will in January take the boaster.

Past panademics takes about 50 million lives throughout the globe. From the behaviour of the virus, it is determined to mutate beyond the capacity of humans. So, it may have its 50 million lives.

Caution will assist me in steering clear of its orbital spin.

S
@Sparky posted:

No. Air travel is not restricted to those that are only fully vaccinated. A negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 3 days before travel is a requirement for the unvaccinated.  "Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19 but might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants" (paraphrasing from the CDC guidelines). I take it that you don't believe that the vaccines do work even though there's overwhelming evidence that proves otherwise?

Hi Sparky, long time no see.

Have you ever seen anything close to what is going on now with doctors, nurses and other professionals in the health sectors going against anything to do regarding our health as we now see?

VAERS reported so far 9,810 deaths after receiving the vaccines. Do we ever read or hear of this in the news? They claim it's only 0.00002 percent die. Well if one of those happen to be a family member, it means a lot.

During my studies (natural health) we had an instance where during an ear candling session a client  received a burn, immediately ear candling was put on hold. I guess there isn't much $$ to be made so why bother, that and the fact natural health was and some instances still shunned by the medical community.

Lastly, I do not believe in anything not properly tested going into MY body.

cain
@Former Member posted:

it's called the Omicron Variant

Dem boys say, when you move  "Omicron" letters around you get the word "Moronic" ...... but in actual fact it has to do with the Greek alphabet.

cain
Last edited by cain

When I get the chance I will post a video with questions asked in the Senate as to how many in the CDC took the vaccine. Fauci said he's not sure but somewhere around 60 percent. So for two years we're being told everyone should be vaccinated yet their own people have not done so. This will never be shown on CNN, will it?

cain
@cain posted:

Hi Sparky, long time no see.

Have you ever seen anything close to what is going on now with doctors, nurses and other professionals in the health sectors going against anything to do regarding our health as we now see?

VAERS reported so far 9,810 deaths after receiving the vaccines. Do we ever read or hear of this in the news? They claim it's only 0.00002 percent die. Well if one of those happen to be a family member, it means a lot.

During my studies (natural health) we had an instance where during an ear candling session a client  received a burn, immediately ear candling was put on hold. I guess there isn't much $$ to be made so why bother, that and the fact natural health was and some instances still shunned by the medical community.

Lastly, I do not believe in anything not properly tested going into MY body.



VAERS is a system set up to monitor the safety of vaccines. If anyone has taken the COVID vaccine and they die within a certain time period after taking the vaccine, the CDC investigates their deaths, including the autopsies, death certificates and medical records. So even if you are a stage four cancer patient and you die from cancer within a few days after taking the vaccine, a report has to go to VAERS for investigation. They want to be sure that the vaccine is not responsible for killing anyone. As of November 29th, 459 million doses of the COVID vaccine were administered in the U.S. There were 10,128 deaths reported to VAERS of people who died after receiving the COVID vaccine. The cause of death of those 10,128 people is not the COVID vaccine but this is one of the big lies that the anti-vaxxer community is spreading. The CDC has investigated those deaths and they have concluded that so far only 6 deaths have been caused by the vaccine. In some rare cases, those 6 people died from blots clots brought on by the J&J vaccine.

Read the report on VAERS from the CDC.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronaviru.../adverse-events.html

  • Reports of death after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. More than 459 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the United States from December 14, 2020, through November 29, 2021. During this time, VAERS received 10,128 reports of death (0.0022%) among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine. FDA requires healthcare providers to report any death after COVID-19 vaccination to VAERS, even if it’s unclear whether the vaccine was the cause. Reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem. CDC clinicians review reports of death to VAERS including death certificates, autopsy, and medical records. A review of reports indicates a causal relationship between the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and TTS, a rare and serious adverse event—that causes blood clots with low platelets—which has caused or directly contributed to six confirmed deathsexternal icon.



This USA Today article explains it in greater detail.

https://www.usatoday.com/story...verified/7587577002/

Fact check: Vaccine Adverse Reporting System isn't proof of COVID-19 vaccine deaths

Mars
Last edited by Mars

So Mars, if this vaccine is so wonderful why then are those individuals in CDC not all vaccinated?

You're good at seeking information and I am unable at the moment so see if you can find the link where Dr Fauci along with two others were questioned in the Senate, Fauci THINKS 50-60 percent are vaccinated, Dr Walensky refused to answer instead she tried speaking in circles. Their own people have no faith and not vaccinated but all others should, quite charming.



When someone has underlying causes .."apparently" catches  Covid and dies, it's said to be from Covid.

When one with underlying causes die after receiving a shot, it's the underlying causes.

cain
Last edited by cain
@cain posted:

So Mars, if this vaccine is so wonderful why then are those individuals in CDC not all vaccinated?

You're good at seeking information and I am unable at the moment so see if you can find the link where Dr Fauci along with two others were questioned in the Senate, Fauci THINKS 50-60 percent are vaccinated, Dr Walensky refused to answer instead she tried speaking in circles. Their own people have no faith and not vaccinated but all others should, quite charming.



When someone has underlying causes .."apparently" catches  Covid and dies, it's said to be from Covid.

When one with underlying causes die after receiving a shot, it's the underlying causes.

Even before the COVID pandemic started, there was a lot of disinformation coming out of the anti-vaxxer community. Knuckleheads like Alex Jones and other conspiracy theory nutjobs have made a comfortable living from selling nonsense to gullible folks and they have ramped up their campaign even more since COVID has been around. If you want people to take you seriously, I'd suggest to you that you verify the information that you're disseminating because there are many dubious sources that are just spreading crap all over social media.

If you get a COVID vaccine and die in a car accident a few days later, is the cause of death the vaccine or the injuries you received in the car accident? The same thing goes for cancer or any other medical condition. Many people already on their deathbed are getting vaccinated so that if you get the vaccine and you die from tetanus or cancer a few days later, it's the tetanus or cancer that is cause of death. There is no medical evidence to suggest that the cause of death in the VAERS reported cases is the COVID vaccine.

Dr. Walensky told the belligerent Republican senator grilling her that she did not have the percentage of employees at the CDC vaccinated at the top of her head. At the time she was being questioned, it was optional for CDC employees to submit their vaccination status so there was no reliable way to know how many were vaccinated. What was she supposed to do? Make up a number?

The CDC vaccination rate is another of many contentious issues where the anti-vaxxer community has twisted the facts for their own means. This started after an erroneous tweet was posted in May. Read this article that clarifies the issues for you. Bear in mind that this was May and a lot might have changed since then.

https://www.usatoday.com/story...-vaccine/7474372002/

Mars

Mars, thanks for trying but that is again reading what a segment of the media prints. I am looking for the actual link where questions are asked and as politicians do, they do not answer outright instead as in Dr Walensky's case, she said they suggest to their CDC staff to get the jab. That is not what was asked.

I should be able to post the link a bit later today.

cain
Last edited by cain

This is one with Dr Walensky only, the other one with Fauci and another dr could probably be found somewhere in the list on the right.

I have been all for the Democrats winning the election and bringing the US back to some semblance of decency which was lost during trump's time., but the way the government is going about with this pandemic, splitting people into categories, some losing their jobs, blaming those refusing to be vaccinated, could be their downfall.

It's all good but the question in particular comes on around 4:00.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QabAtYBnqro

cain
Last edited by cain
@cain posted:

This is one with Dr Walensky only, the other one with Fauci and another dr could probably be found somewhere in the list on the right.

I have been all for the Democrats winning the election and bringing the US back to some semblance of decency which was lost during trump's time., but the way the government is going about with this pandemic, splitting people into categories, some losing their jobs, blaming those refusing to be vaccinated, could be their downfall.

It's all good but the question in particular comes on around 4:00.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QabAtYBnqro

This is the same video I was referring to in the previous post and I'll repeat what I posted before.

Dr. Walensky told the belligerent Republican senator grilling her that she did not have the percentage of employees at the CDC vaccinated at the top of her head. At the time she was being questioned, it was optional for CDC employees to submit their vaccination status so there was no reliable way to know how many were vaccinated. What was she supposed to do? Make up a number?

Mars
@Mars posted:

This is the same video I was referring to in the previous post and I'll repeat what I posted before.

Dr. Walensky told the belligerent Republican senator grilling her that she did not have the percentage of employees at the CDC vaccinated at the top of her head. At the time she was being questioned, it was optional for CDC employees to submit their vaccination status so there was no reliable way to know how many were vaccinated. What was she supposed to do? Make up a number?

She is the head of CDC, is she not?

Here's the bumbling dr at it again.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/21...s/walensky-comments-

Mars, I said before, I am not against vaccines and if anyone wants to get them they are free to do as they please, that is their choice. From a Natural practitioner's view I personally stay away from them as much as possible as I do with any medication. Banna, I had a double hernia operation about twelve years ago, I was offered all sorts of pain meds at various times of the day/evening but refused, I stayed one day in hospital, that's how I roll.

cain
@cain posted:

She is the head of CDC, is she not?

Here's the bumbling dr at it again.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/21...s/walensky-comments-

Mars, I said before, I am not against vaccines and if anyone wants to get them they are free to do as they please, that is their choice. From a Natural practitioner's view I personally stay away from them as much as possible as I do with any medication. Banna, I had a double hernia operation about twelve years ago, I was offered all sorts of pain meds at various times of the day/evening but refused, I stayed one day in hospital, that's how I roll.

Whether Dr. Walensky is the CDC head or just a mid level employee, she didn't have the numbers available at the time she was being questioned. What should she tell him if she doesn't have the numbers available? 

I don't mess around with medication either. I don't take any kind of drugs, either from the pharmacy or the pusherman and I don't drink any alcohol. I had surgery to repair a torn meniscus about three years ago. I was also offered pain medication and the night of the surgery I had some pain. It wasn't extreme but I did not take any of the pain meds. Vaccines are a different story for me. I saw my father in law die from COVID because the vaccines were not yet available. I'll take my chances with the vaccine rather than risk getting Polio or COVID.

Mars

Sorry to hear about you father in law. I read about mumps cases on the rise now in the US. That is one that I had sometime around the age of ten. More needles on the go but at least that has been properly tested a long time ago.

cain
Last edited by cain

Another one I missed back in August.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky has made a mockery of the CDC

by Washington Examiner, |

| August 02, 2021 12:00 AM

It cannot be easy to lead the agency that handles infectious diseases in the midst of an international pandemic. Still, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should at least be able to prove she is up to the task. Dr. Rochelle Walensky has repeatedly proved herself unfit and unreliable. She needs to go.

This week, under her direction, the CDC changed its guidance to encourage fully vaccinated adults to put their masks back on in certain situations. This flip-flop is not based in science but in hysteria. Vaccinated adults are not at any more risk of falling seriously ill from the coronavirus and its variants now than they were two months ago when Walensky declared that there was no longer any reason for vaccinated adults to wear masks.

When pressed about the guidance change, Walensky blamed the unvaccinated, who now make up the majority of coronavirus cases and deaths. But this does not justify the CDC’s recent decision. Why should the vaccinated be punished for the bad decisions of the unvaccinated? The former people are safe from the virus and no longer need to worry. Walensky admitted as much herself.

Walensky, then, has eliminated one of the biggest incentives for getting vaccinated — freedom from such restrictions. This will make vaccine-hesitant people less likely to go out of their way to get the shot.

To make matters worse, Walensky also endorsed a vaccine passport system that would require people to prove they are fully vaccinated, or that they recently tested negative for the coronavirus, to gain access to public venues such as restaurants and bars.

These are both serious errors in judgment, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from Walensky. Back in March, she declared vaccinated people “do not carry the virus” at all. The next day, the CDC had to clarify that the data on this was not clear. And now we know that vaccinated persons can, in fact, transmit the virus, even though it is extremely unlikely that they will fall ill from it.

Perhaps her worst failure, however, was her wishy-washy approach to school reopenings. Walensky switched her position on whether social distancing in the classroom was necessary, not once, not twice, but three times. First, she said that three feet of social distancing would be sufficient. Then, it was six feet, and then back to three feet. She offered no scientific reasoning for any of these authoritative statements. That's because she wasn't following the science, but the teachers unions, which successfully bludgeoned Walensky into changing the CDC's draft guidance on school reopenings.

Under Walensky’s guidance, the CDC has become untrustworthy, illogical, and prone to reversing itself based on political nonsense. Its guidance has changed so many times, often in spite of scientific data, that the public can hardly know what to believe. The CDC needs better leadership if it is to maintain even a shred of credibility, and Walensky has proven that she is incapable of using the power entrusted to her.

cain
@Mars posted:

Whether Dr. Walensky is the CDC head or just a mid level employee, she didn't have the numbers available at the time she was being questioned. What should she tell him if she doesn't have the numbers available?

I don't mess around with medication either. I don't take any kind of drugs, either from the pharmacy or the pusherman and I don't drink any alcohol. I had surgery to repair a torn meniscus about three years ago. I was also offered pain medication and the night of the surgery I had some pain. It wasn't extreme but I did not take any of the pain meds. Vaccines are a different story for me.

I saw my father in law die from COVID because the vaccines were not yet available.

I'll take my chances with the vaccine rather than risk getting Polio or COVID.

Mars ,sad to hear of your father in law passing .I was hesitant to take the vaccine ,two Saturdays ago had the first shot of Pfizer. I am also on no medications or have any health issues ,knock on wood.

Django
Last edited by Django

Thanks guys. I appreciate your kind words. My father in law was in an assisted living facility and we think that he contracted the virus from one of his attendants since he wasn't getting any visitors. He was scheduled to get the vaccine within a few days but unfortunately he got sick before he could get it.

Mars

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