South Africa has now hit a true exponential in cases: a massive increase in just 3 weeks from less that 1% positivity to 30% as new variant with significant changes becomes dominant: the variant is thought to be more transmissible and may completely evade vaccine protection:
At an emergency press conference recently held leading South African scientists accounted that they have intensified a new variant of concern, amid a paid rise in cases: the variant has significant changes in spike:
This variant is thought to be more infectious as well as better at evading vaccines protection: the new variant has been named: B.1.1.529, and is soon to be named using the WHO Greek alphabet system:
There are 30 mutations in spike, these mutations are 'clearly very different from other circulating variants of concern' scientists in South Africa said.
There has been a massive increase in test positivity in the last few weeks in certain districts, but the virus is spreading extremely quickly:
The variant can be detected with particular PCR tests: labs have reported an increased in S gene dropout that can help to determine the variant (a bit like Alpha): variant is very quickly becoming dominant.
South African Gov has reported that they are preparing for a massive hospital surge as a result and will be reimplementing stricter measures to try and contain the outbreak.
Watch the Urgent briefing here: credit should be given to South Africa here for mobilising an extremely quick response (by out standards at least) and taking action to inform the public and the world.
The variant has also been detected in Hong Kong: over 7,000 miles away indicating that spread is already wide.
Apparently some sort of error has occurred Our World In Data and the chart which opens this thread is to be am mended: the information with in the thread remains accurate at the time of print:
The South African Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla today called the rise 'exponential', saying:
"Many members of the public have been noticing that the number of reports of positive Covid 19 infections have been rising over the last…seven to ten days, started...
...gradually and over the last few days over the last our to five days there has been more of an exponential rise starting about eight days ago where we had the total daily infections on the 16th of November just having a total of 273...
positive cases rising steadily the next day to almost double and then the region of 700 800 and as of yesterday we passed the two at the 1,000 mark at over 1,200 positive cases'
At today's urgent international press conference due to the new variant of concern that may evade vaccine and prior immunity due to significant changes in spike, covered earlier in the thread.
OK, this is super bad, how infectious is this motherfucker? someone got infected from staying at the quarantine hotel opposite the index case in HONG KONG!!!! Where they have some of the best infection control anywhere in the world, and they were vaxxed!
Reinfection in Mink in less than 3 months after first infection: yet more evidence that there is no long-term immunity to this virus:
The most plausible explanation is that infection with Sars Cov2 does not create long-term immunity in Mink. The authors go on to give examples of how this applies to other animals: including humans:
"We concluded that the initial round of infection in mink was insufficient to confer protection against re-infection."
The same is true in humans: as many are now finding out for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time etc.
This is what wishful thinking looks like: there's no reason to assume that the Mink has less symptoms or got less sick etc: just like humans they got reinfected shortly after infection: and probably had more severe disease if anything.
So let's just imagine this was true: they are reinfected and mainly asymptotic carriers now: what does that mean? well, it means they will pass the virus on undetected: sooner or later a new variant and or strain will arise from that...Possibilities are endless here.
I think what many Drs don't seem to understand is that viruses aren't going to start being nice one day: just like the heart disease they treat and cancers etc: they don't start getting less severe just because you have 60-70% effective drug you can give SOME people.
I like Sky News now says will you catch it again? Erm, yeah, you can get infected by the same variant multiple times idiots.
Many in the low IQ squad still think that getting infected makes you immune: just like being infected with colds, RSV, flu etc makes you immune🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
1/School in Cumbria has cases well above 10% with 1 in 3 of the class infected: as outbreak consumes the school
A school in Cumbria reports that 27% of one class has been diagnosed as having Covid over the last 5 days.
2/This includes teachers and pupils.
The school also has a 'smaller number' of cases in other classes: meaning that the outbreak will intensify.
3/ 27% is well over the 'trigger threshold' for PHE action which is now supposed to be 10%: though this 10% can seemingly be applied in any way they feel like: 10% of a class, 10% of a school, 10% of a year group?
1/A Vist from Ofsted Inspectors followed by a 'significant outbreak of Covid' In A Sussex Primary school
A school reports a reduction of 1/3rd in some classes due to a Covid outbreak following an Ofsted inspection after half term.
2/Unsurprisingly, the school reports being significantly down on staffing numbers as a result and then brags about keeping classes open: to those of us who live in the real world, we know that all that will happen is the outbreak will get worse.
3/British headteachers don't live in the real world, of course, they wait for miracles to happen and Covid to stop spreading through prayer alone it seems.
3/ 32 more have sadly died in England and Wales since then: death now happens at an increased rate from October and September which averaged around 10 a day or one every 3 days.
November there have already been 32 deaths: more than 1 every single day.