COVID (The BA.5 sub-variant is here)

[Nancy OShea]

It's deja vu all over again!  I just returned from Amazon Fresh where masks are required at all times now.  According to doctors in San Francisco Bay area, BA.5 is a beast with superpowers. It's more resistant to vaccines and more contagious than previous sub-variants.  And it's moving faster as people are traveling more and not wearing masks.  

So my N-95 masks and hand sanitizer are in active service again.  I'm not waiting for government action as it's unlikely to come soon enough.  This is an election year.  Nobody wants to hear that wearing masks and isolating is the most prudent thing to do, even if it's warranted.

Keep safe & stay healthy everyone.

[John T Smith]

Hmm... and the 'god of covid' admits the vaccines don't work very well

Fauci admits that COVID-19 vaccines do not protect 'overly well' against infection | Fox News

[PaintedKitty]

Yeah but isn't that always the case? Nothing is ever perfect especially made by human hands. But it still beats dieing in a hospital and making more variants. Better something then nothing.

[Nancy OShea]

Dr. Faucci said this morning that less than 67% of eligible people are fully vaxed in the U.S.  And most (including myself) haven't been boosted since last year.  So whatever immunity we had previously is waning fast. 

I had high hopes that we'd have a new/improved COVID booster rollout by end of summer.  It remains to be seen if that will happen.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-recommends-inclu...

Meanwhile, I'm taking steps to prevent myself & my husband from re-infection.  Neither of us can afford increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, etc...  Nobody wants another lockdown —  with the possible exception of Q followers who preach that all vaccines are evil and demon exorcisms will cure mass shootings.  😖

I wonder how these whackadoodles will feel about vaccines when they or someone they know gets Monkeypox with excruciatingly painful blisters.   Maybe they'll start singing a different tune but probably not. 

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/06/25/1107416457/monkeypox-outbreak-in-us

UK patient with Monkeypox. Source: NPR, Getty Images

[Ann Bens]

BA5 is already dominant in our country: next one to watch out for is the BA.2.75 (Centaurus)

[Nancy OShea]

The new, new sub-variant is already in San Francisco.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/covid-omicron-subvariant-ba-2-75-found-in-wastewater-sampl...

"The problem is, the COVID virus hasn't stopped mutating and there are no indications that it will anytime soon."

[John T Smith]

>virus hasn't stopped mutating

All viruses mutate... that is why there is a new flu shot every year

Covid is here forever

[Nancy OShea]

Yeah, but flu doesn't evade detection by our immune system. That's why we get early flu symptoms.  Vaccinated or not, most of us can fight off H1N1 flu in a few days without aggressive medical intervention. 

By comparison, COVID attacks like a Stealth bomber or a cloaked Romulan warbird that hides from enemies while levying damage.  By the time the immune system responds, the damage is done.  Long-COVID fatigue, brain fog and other serious symptoms can recur 3-12 months after "recovery."  We still have no idea what long term effects COVID has on developing babies and infants.

HIV/AIDS (first identified in the early '80's) isn't beaten yet but we succeeded at reducing morbidity and mortality rates with good science and massive awareness outreach.  But we're failing with COVID.  Too many people still think it's a bad cold/flu or worse, a hoax.  The message isn't getting through.

I'm slightly more optimistic about the timeline. I think COVID is likely to be with us for 50+ years if we last that long.  For some of us (myself included), 50 years is forever.  😉