Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #104

[WichitaFalls]

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Massive New Bird Flu Outbreak Could Be 2022’s Deadly Pandemic


Israel’s National Security Council has assumed control of a massive bird flu outbreak in the Galilee, which scientists warn could become a “mass disaster” for humans.

Over half a billion migrating birds pass through the area every year, heading for warm African winters or balmy European summers, making this a catastrophic location for a major bird flu outbreak—right at the nexus of global avian travel.

The virus can be deadly if it infects people. The World Health Organization says more than half of the confirmed 863 human cases it has tracked since 2003 proved fatal. Most strains or variants of avian flu, H5N1, are relatively difficult to transmit to people.

Yossi Leshem, one of Israel’s most renowned ornithologists, told The Daily Beast, however, that it is the ability of these viruses to mutate into new strains that poses such a threat, as we have seen with the coronavirus.

“There could be a mutation that also infects people and turns into a mass disaster,” said Leshem, a zoologist at Tel Aviv University and director of the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration at Latrun.

So far, at least 5,400 wild cranes have died infected with the new H5N1 avian flu, which Israeli authorities fear could expand into a global emergency.

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The deaths of thousands of wild birds in the Hula Nature Reserve, one of the world’s premier bird sanctuaries, “is an extraordinary event with global ramifications,” warned Tel Aviv University Professor of Zoology Noga Kronfeld Shor in an interview with Reshet Bet Radio.

Shor, who is also the chief scientist at Israel’s Ministry of the Environment, noted that the carcasses of other waterbirds, such as pelicans and egrets, have already been found.

Israelis have been warned not to approach any wild bird that looks sick, and not to touch any bird droppings.

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WTH. Thud.

 

[jakat]

What’s crazy is that that happened to my husband. We had gone to a late dinner and had a few drinks. He woke up the next day and felt like crap but he thought he was just hungover of sorts or maybe just didn’t sleep well. By 5pm he was running a fever and was down for the count. It really does come on fast and furious. One mine you’re fine and the next you’re sick. That didn’t happen to me as I was already in quarantine when my symptoms started which was very obvious to me since I had not Been drinking and I was honestly just waiting for the boom. I figured I’d he has it then I def have it. We are attached at the hip. We aren’t really sure where he picked it up. He did go to VA 3 times for work that week and he’s been going back to the gym so it’s really anyone’s guess.

Eta- even with a fever and looking like Patrick Dempsey from Outbreak he tested Negative with an at-home test. He didn’t test positive with an at home test until he’s been visibly and physically sick for 24 hours. My rapids was negative but PCR was positive. I did take an at home test a few days into my sickness (after I had felt better) and it was glaring positive while my husbands was barely there anymore). I trust an at home when it’s positive but not necessarily when it’s negative.

I hope you're both feeling better!

The brother-in-law was at the party on the 22nd and hadn't been anywhere else that day except for work. He didn't feel any symptoms until Christmas Day when he was at my son and daughter-in-law's house and sat next to him opening presents and they had breakfast together.

It was only a couple of days, maybe a bit more, when he first felt it and didn't know he had been infected. Now, my son feels sick, but as I said, he and his brother-in-law are just about joined at the hip. They enjoy the same things so they hang out together all the time.

I hope nobody else in the family gets it, but they won't know until they can get tested and right now there aren't many tests available where they live. My son was lucky to get 2 from his job and they're being sent to him. They're only home tests so I hope they're accurate.

I can't help but feel like I'm guarding my life from covid. We've all been on high alert for almost 2 years, except for those who refuse to get vaccinated and don't seem to care. That would be my brother and his family of 6 who were never vaccinated and refuses to do so. They all had covid last year including the two kids, 10 and 12. He calls it 'poison'. He told me I would infect him because I've been vaccinated and I'm shedding covid. He said he should be protected from vaccinated people. Uhmmm...okay, whaever. They live far away from me so I don't go to their house at all anymore.

 

[mickey2942]

You're right, of course, by not getting vaccinated, they increase the risk of covid continuing to mutate, and who knows where that could lead. Nowhere good. I was wrong about this being mostly political--I just read the recent study about who was and who wasn't getting the jab, and politics don't seem to have much to do with it. Age, however, does.

This is really interesting.

Who are the vaccine holdouts? America's real COVID divide might not be what you think

I think that the decision for vaccines is very personal, and it is unfair to generalize to a specific religious, or political affiliation.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Looks like deaths are starting to rise.

US coronavirus: Between Christmas and New Year's, doctors expect the Omicron surge to grow - CNN

(CNN) Covid-19 numbers keep soaring as Christmastime travelers scatter back across country and Americans prepare for another holiday weekend.

The US is now averaging 198,404 new Covid-19 cases each day, according to Sunday data from Johns Hopkins University. That's is 47% higher than a week ago and the highest such number since January 19. "I think we're going to see half a million cases a day -- easy -- sometime over the next week to 10 days," CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN on Sunday.

About 71,000 Americans were hospitalized with Covid-19 as of Sunday, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

And an average of 1,408 Americans died from Covid-19 each day during the week ending Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins. That's a 17% increase from the prior week.

 

[indicolite22]

I found that people who believe in one conspiracy theory are more likely to believe in others, because the source is often the same. My hair stylist, who is vaccinated (despite being reluctant at first) and takes all Covid-related precautionary measures, revealed the other day that she believed that the Covid pandemic was planned by the global elite. Another customer agreed. Only a few minutes later she stated that 9/11 was an inside job. She's not a zealot of any kind but obviously gets easily influenced by disinformation spread by people she knows. She doesn't recognize the flawed logic and lies behind the theories.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I am mentally prepared (as much as I can) to deal with Omicron, Delta, and the next variant. We have no choice but to do our best to fend off the stubborn virus and will patiently keep fighting to stay healthy.

But I'm not happy to hear about the shortage of test kits and now disposable masks. Why are we so unprepared?? It has been almost two years of hardship and massive deaths. Free test kits can be ordered sometime in January is not good enough. I wish we had several kits already mailed to each household in November. Oh also a pack of genuine N95 and surgical masks too.

In the months leading up to November...... NO ONE was wearing a mask, EVERYONE thought it was over... All the goverments of the world had no idea yet of what Omicron would be or do. Experts with the world's scientific organization did and do, and told us so. No body listened. No body cared.

We can't go back and blame when we cannot even get our fellow humans to care.

 

[GRT]

He also got MAB and they said he shouldn’t boost for at least 90 days anyway.

---respectfully snipped for focus--

That's what they told my son as well--that can't get boosted for a minimum of 90 days after he got the MAB treatment.

 

[SouthAussie]

<RSBM>After reading that the booster shots are only good for 10 weeks plus or minus, that's worrisome.

I don't know how to properly explain this, but I hope you can get the gist. It is something that we have learned through reading lots of scientific papers (links have been posted previously).

The antibodies from the vaccines do wane. But the antibodies are teaching our bodies how to fight the virus. The hope being that once the antibodies wane, our bodies have learned how to fight the virus and spring into action.

The vaccines were made to fight the Alpha strain. They seemed to hold up okay against the Delta strain, but boosters were recommended to help our bodies fight. Now we are dealing with Omicron.

We are unable to determine our bodies' learned ability to fight the virus (until we catch the virus) but we can see when the vaccine antibodies wane. By the time they wane, our bodies should have learned how to fight.

Boosters will keep our bodies learning how to fight, while adjusting to new variants.

imo


(This is why we give babies MMR shots and boosters ... so their bodies can learn to fight measles, mumps and rubella, before their little bodies ever have to face those diseases.)

 

[Tower]

My sister in law does the same. She get weekly tested. She’s also a school teacher.

Same for Las Vegas, Nevada teachers (Clark County School District).

 

[sds71]

CDC recommends shortening COVID-19 isolation time from 10 days to 5 days, if asymptomatic.

CDC recommends shorter COVID isolation, quarantine for all | AP News


CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population
CDC Newsroom

 

[Tower]

I have a coworker who went about a week ago said it was dead. A lot of restaurants were closed or closed early. Especially during the week.

It’s usually quiet here the week before Christmas, but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were nuts, and huge traffic jams leaving town yesterday. I expect New Year’s will be the same. I’m sure Omicron is spreading here, unfortunately, and know more people with active Covid than I have at any point.

My 19-year-old finally got it last week at an outdoor swap meet, masked except while eating, after (almost) 2 years of avoiding it. Unfortunately, he was scheduled for his booster today, a week too late.

 

[MrX]

It’s usually quiet here the week before Christmas, but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were nuts, and huge traffic jams leaving town yesterday. I expect New Year’s will be the same. I’m sure Omicron is spreading here, unfortunately, and know more people with active Covid than I have at any point.

My 19-year-old finally got it last week at an outdoor swap meet, masked except while eating, after (almost) 2 years of avoiding it. Unfortunately, he was scheduled for his booster today, a week too late.

We are going to Laughlin for New Years. Last year was spooky slow, but I think that was more due to "Covid Bucks," so hotels were running at low capacity due to lack of housekeeping. It seemed so odd because everyplace claimed to be sold out, but every casino was empty.

 

[Tower]

In the months leading up to November...... NO ONE was wearing a mask, EVERYONE thought it was over... All the goverments of the world had no idea yet of what Omicron would be or do. Experts with the world's scientific organization did and do, and told us so. No body listened. No body cared.

We can't go back and blame when we cannot even get our fellow humans to care.

My US state still has a mandatory mask mandate (one of only 5?), so we have definitely been wearing masks here.

But I understand your point. It was much easier to hope and believe it was all over.

 

[CharlestonGal]

My US state still has a mandatory mask mandate (one of only 5?), so we have definitely been wearing masks here.

But I understand your point. It was much easier to hope and believe it was all over.

My state banned mask mandates some time ago. But, interestingly, despite no mask mandate whatsoever my daughter returned to work today - she a personal trainer - and nearly everyone at the gym was suddenly wearing a mask. On their own. And some of her clients have decided to drop the gym/personal training until Omicron blows over.

The government didn't tell people to do this - they are doing it on their own. People are also avoiding restaurants in places like London, even though the restaurants are open. jmo

UK Covid: London bars and restaurants shut down as Omicron rips through the nation - CNN

 

[SouthAussie]

---respectfully snipped for focus--

That's what they told my son as well--that can't get boosted for a minimum of 90 days after he got the MAB treatment.

I looked up the reason for this, as I was wondering.


One caveat: If you received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you will need to wait 90 days before getting the vaccine.
"People who received either of these antibody treatments will need to wait about three months before getting vaccinated," says Dr. Phillips. "The reason for this is that the antibodies in these treatments might hinder you from developing a complete immune response towards the vaccine."
How Soon Can You Get Vaccinated or Get Your Booster After Recovering from COVID-19?

 

[Bravo]

I have had all 3 Pfizer. Mask mandate here in Ontario Canada since forever lol. If I do go out I double mask due to Omicron. I am more than happy to do my part. For myself and those I love.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

CDC recommends shortening COVID-19 isolation time from 10 days to 5 days, if asymptomatic.

CDC recommends shorter COVID isolation, quarantine for all | AP News


CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population
CDC Newsroom

I will not be trusting this just yet!

 

[CharlestonGal]

I looked up the reason for this, as I was wondering.


One caveat: If you received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you will need to wait 90 days before getting the vaccine.
"People who received either of these antibody treatments will need to wait about three months before getting vaccinated," says Dr. Phillips. "The reason for this is that the antibodies in these treatments might hinder you from developing a complete immune response towards the vaccine."
How Soon Can You Get Vaccinated or Get Your Booster After Recovering from COVID-19?

That's the reason my doctor gave me. I'm not due for a booster until March anyway, but she said for me NOT to get a booster earlier than April even if the government moves the booster schedule up as the mab's I got the other day will interfere. jmo

 

[Lilibet]

As for the person working here for cash payments from residents....she was a dishwasher at one time in the kitchen here, but then saw a lucrative way to make more money by "helping" the residents. We have one other person working here doing the same.
They are not "hired" by the corporation and I imagine it is this way in a lot of retirement communites.
We have many early dementia residents that should NOT be here and should be in assisted living or memory care units- but this place is cheaper- so the families of these folks pay these "workers" to care for them! I can't stand it myself as I feel like I was lied to about how this was an independent community where they screen people before renting. I know of one family that has hired her for $5 per day to get thier mother up and dressed and to breakfast (this resident should not be here as she has advanced dementia and sits all day in the atrium doing nothing, then wanders the halls at night- nothing is ever done about it)

Sounds like the place we used to live. Although the facility had assisted living, often the people with dementia were in independent living and the residents ended up keeping an eye out to make sure they didn’t walk out the door and get lost. One of the reasons we left, although I suppose we’ll end up back there eventually. They’ve done really well with covid, but as I mentioned earlier, the residents don’t have to wear masks in group settings.

 

[weepingangel]

CDC Newsroom
( 5 days isolated plus 5 days wearing a mask. Yah. Sure. To minimize the risk to others. As if that’s a thing)

“Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others.”

CDC recommends shortening COVID-19 isolation time from 10 days to 5 days, if asymptomatic.

CDC recommends shorter COVID isolation, quarantine for all | AP News


CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population
CDC Newsroom

“We want to make sure there is a mechanism by which we can safely continue to keep society functioning while following the science.”