COVID-19 - On the Ground

[PhDhawk]

This might not appeal to anyone here besides me, but if you're at all interested in mutations/phylogeny of this virus, this website is great:

https://nextstrain.org/ncov/open/africa ... ssion=show

In the link, I selected for a tree looking at just the Spike protein (that's what matters for the vaccine), and only in Africa (to reduce the noise) and scatter plot. You can see how crazy the Omicron variant is. What's especially weird, is how long the tail is, and that based on sequencing it seems like it would have appeared in early 2020.

This of course raises all kinds of questions about its origin, which this article talks about:

Since I believe you truly know wtf you are talking about when you post, can you tell me why we should/need to be vaccinated for the Coronavirus at least 3 if not possibly 4 times in a year?
Maybe in moron terms so I can somewhat understand.

A couple reasons. The more you are exposed to antigens, the better your body will respond and for longer. The first two shots gave a good response, but it weakened over time. So two weeks after your second shot you had a stong defense, but 6 months later it wasn't as good, still good but not as good. So you get the booster to enhance it. This should give your body a longer period of strong immunity. Also, each time you do that you present your body with the spike protein and your body makes antibodies (and T cells with receptors) specifically against it. The additional shots give you more coverage of that spike protein (your body makes more different antibodies and more different T cells to more of the shapes of the protein).

The booster may not have been necessary, but the delta variant was different enough that the minor drop in efficacy over time, and the minor drop in efficacy because of mutations warranted it.

With Omicron, there are enough mutations that the shape of the spike protein might potentially be changed enough that enough of the antibodies (and T cells) no longer interact with the virus, so the response is weaker. If there is a need for a 4th shot, it will be with the specific shape of the spike protein of Omicron, rather than the first spike protein from the original virus, which was in the first three shots.

[Deleted User 89]

on waning immunity:

https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/620436/

[sdoyel]

I don’t really give AF about the omicron variant with my 3 shots. It’s you nuts who won’t get the jab that should worry…

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

This might not appeal to anyone here besides me, but if you're at all interested in mutations/phylogeny of this virus, this website is great:

https://nextstrain.org/ncov/open/africa ... ssion=show

In the link, I selected for a tree looking at just the Spike protein (that's what matters for the vaccine), and only in Africa (to reduce the noise) and scatter plot. You can see how crazy the Omicron variant is. What's especially weird, is how long the tail is, and that based on sequencing it seems like it would have appeared in early 2020.

This of course raises all kinds of questions about its origin, which this article talks about:

Since I believe you truly know wtf you are talking about when you post, can you tell me why we should/need to be vaccinated for the Coronavirus at least 3 if not possibly 4 times in a year?
Maybe in moron terms so I can somewhat understand.

A couple reasons. The more you are exposed to antigens, the better your body will respond and for longer. The first two shots gave a good response, but it weakened over time. So two weeks after your second shot you had a stong defense, but 6 months later it wasn't as good, still good but not as good. So you get the booster to enhance it. This should give your body a longer period of strong immunity. Also, each time you do that you present your body with the spike protein and your body makes antibodies (and T cells with receptors) specifically against it. The additional shots give you more coverage of that spike protein (your body makes more different antibodies and more different T cells to more of the shapes of the protein).

The booster may not have been necessary, but the delta variant was different enough that the minor drop in efficacy over time, and the minor drop in efficacy because of mutations warranted it.

With Omicron, there are enough mutations that the shape of the spike protein might potentially be changed enough that enough of the antibodies (and T cells) no longer interact with the virus, so the response is weaker. If there is a need for a 4th shot, it will be with the specific shape of the spike protein of Omicron, rather than the first spike protein from the original virus, which was in the first three shots.

Thank you!!! I wasn't thinking too clearly when I asked and wondered why the vaccine developers couldn't come up with a vaccine that I would only need one injection instead of three or four or ten or fifty.

[JKLivin]

Wife and I both got our boosters this afternoon. My head already hurts and my lymph nodes are tender. I never get sick, so this doesn’t bode well.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Wife and I both got our boosters this afternoon. My head already hurts and my lymph nodes are tender. I never get sick, so this doesn’t bode well.

[TDub]

Germany. ugh. bad idea. That is way past the slippery slope we've been treading on...

I'll save Cascadia the typing...

I know I know... stupid hillbilly trash blah blah

[JKLivin]

Wife and I both got our boosters this afternoon. My head already hurts and my lymph nodes are tender. I never get sick, so this doesn’t bode well.

Thanks, Dad!

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Wife and I both got our boosters this afternoon. My head already hurts and my lymph nodes are tender. I never get sick, so this doesn’t bode well.

Thanks, Dad!

Ok, being serious, you do have my sympathy. I don't like to see/hear/read anyone suffer health wise.
I hope your side effects don't last long.

[Cascadia]

Germany. ugh. bad idea. That is way past the slippery slope we've been treading on...

I'll save Cascadia the typing...

I know I know... stupid hillbilly trash blah blah

Why don’t you just

Stop

Being

A

Hillbilly

It’s not that difficult.

[TDub]

stop being a piece of shit...its not that hard.

[JKLivin]

stop being a piece of shit...its not that hard.

It’s what he does best.

[Cascadia]

stop being a piece of shit...its not that hard.

It’s what he does best.

Two peas in a pod

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Gee, who woulda thought?

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavi ... 0#nws=true

[ousdahl]

lulz

[Cascadia]

Yikes

[Cascadia]

Oof, man, #’s 2 through 4 are even worse.

[JKLivin]

Gee, who woulda thought?

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavi ... 0#nws=true

Serious question: What do you expect people to do? Stay locked in their homes indefinitely? We have to live our lives - and I say that as someone who has been fully vaccinated and has gotten the first booster. My extended family gathered at Thanksgiving and I will be flying to Michigan to spend Christmas with my in-laws. Life is too short to waste it being afraid.

[PhDhawk]

lulz

Shocking to see how dumb people are. Scary that we elect them to office.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Gee, who woulda thought?

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavi ... 0#nws=true

Serious question: What do you expect people to do? Stay locked in their homes indefinitely? We have to live our lives - and I say that as someone who has been fully vaccinated and has gotten the first booster. My extended family gathered at Thanksgiving and I will be flying to Michigan to spend Christmas with my in-laws. Life is too short to waste it being afraid.

I agree 100%. We have to live our lives.
I expect people to live their lives and enjoy whatever they can to the best of their abilities. Covid or not.
I also expect people to be less careless when it comes to their and people they care about's health and lives. Covid or not. That's all.

I am sincerely happy for you that you were able to have Thanksgiving with your family (as did I with much but not all of mine) and you will hopefully be able to travel to Michigan for Christmas. That's assuming you like your in-laws.