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ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord

@ScienceUpFirst

Feb 1

Got Omicron? You are not alone!

See our thread on what we know so far 👇

🧵 [1/11]

#ScienceUpFirst

Can I get infected with Omicron again?

Anecdotal reports find reinfections happening weeks apart. Experts expect it is possible to catch Omicron more than once. Scientists are currently assessing how often reinfections occur and who is at most risk.

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#ScienceUpFirst

Though the relationship is not clearcut, several factors may influence reinfection:

How many exposures you have had (via vaccine 💉 or infection 🦠)

How recent your exposures are 📅

The severity of those exposures 🤒

If you're immunocompromised

🧵 [3/11]

#ScienceUpFirst

Read 11 tweets

ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord

@ScienceUpFirst

Jan 14

“Should I get Omicron and just get it over with?”

NOPE! 🙅‍♀️

We’ve heard this line of thinking from our friends and family. But we’re here to tell you that getting COVID-19 isn’t inevitable and now isn’t the time to throw our hands in the air.

🧵 [1/7]

#ScienceUpFirst

Omicron spreads very easily, and hospitalizations are climbing.

Between Jan 3 and Jan 10, COVID-19 hospitalizations in Canada jumped from 4,113 to 6,926 and 290 more COVID-19 patients were admitted to an ICU (2).

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#ScienceUpFirst

We get that talking about “flattening the curve” gives serious 2020 déjà vu. 😵‍💫

But it’s truly what we need to do! Healthcare workers are dealing with record case numbers while severely short staffed (3, 4). Slowing the spread matters.

🧵 [3/7]

#ScienceUpFirst

Read 7 tweets

ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord

@ScienceUpFirst

Jan 14

Don’t underestimate “mild” - COVID-19 isn’t a chicken wing 🍗

There’s confusion around the severity of Omicron, let’s get into it 👇

🧵 [1/6]

#ScienceUpFirst

Good news: there is evidence of less lung damage (1,2,3); and lower rates of hospitalization and death (4).

But, what’s mild for one can be severe for others. Plus, the number of Long COVID cases related to Omicron are not yet captured.

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#ScienceUpFirst

The bad news: Omicron is more transmissible than all previous variants (5).

In Canada, we’ve seen the highest number of cases reported so far in the pandemic (and with limited testing, these are an underestimate) (6).

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#ScienceUpFirst

Read 6 tweets

ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord

@ScienceUpFirst

Jan 12

Thanks to committed scientists around the world, we have learned a lot about #Omicron.

Here’s what we know* now; the good news and the bad news.👇

*A lot of this research is still pre-print - things may change

🧵 [1/10]

#ScienceUpFirst

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has A LOT of mutations.

It’s got at least 36 mutations around the spike protein (which is the target of our vaccines)

🧵 [2/10]

#ScienceUpFirst

Omicron is more transmissible

- 2.6 to 3.7X more than Delta in vaccinated individuals (2).

- Shorter incubation period (3 days) than the OG strain (3, 4).

- Replicates 70x more than Delta in bronchus tissue (5). Could mean more virus shedding.

🧵 [3/10]

#ScienceUpFirst

Read 10 tweets

ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord

@ScienceUpFirst

Dec 7, 2021

We’re here to set the record straight on spike proteins.

Here’s why the spike proteins generated via the vaccine are safe, activate an effective immune response, and are *not the same* as the spike on the virus.

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#ScienceUpFirst

First, a little Spike Protein 101

Spike proteins live on the surface of SARS-CoV-2

The virus infects human cells by binding to receptors. Once attached, the spike protein changes shape, letting the virus infiltrate our cells.

🧵[2/13]

#ScienceUpFirst

But mRNA vaccines teach our body to make a *modified spike protein*

- This triggers an immune response that teaches our bodies to protect against real SARS-CoV-2 infection.

🧵[3/13]

#ScienceUpFirst

Read 13 tweets