Could Omicron variant end the Covid crisis?

[Klaralven]

...

An overlooked factor in analyses of Omicron so far is the geographical origin of the variant, Gurel, chief science officer of Flite Material Sciences Corp in Montreal, told Asia Times.

“If we take the premise that this highly transmissible variant arose in an immune-compromised population, by definition, it is not that severe,” Gurel, who has taught courses on medicine in Asia, Europe and North America, said.

The variant, identified last week, appears to have originated in Southern Africa, a hotspot of the immune compromised. Citing 2019 data, Gurel noted that HIV/AIDS is present among 17.3% of adults in South Africa; in Botswana the figure is 22.20%; and in Lesotho, it is 23.10%.

If the disease is not killing off hosts whose immune systems are already weakened, it strongly suggests lower morbidity than other strains.

https://asiatimes.com/2021/11/could-omicron-variant-end-the-covid-crisis/

[SCantiGOP]

1. Yes, this is getting almost no coverage

I have read that hundreds of years ago ago, before medical intervention, plagues often ran their course by mutating into a very transmissible strain with very low fatality. That would facilitate the mass natural immunization of the population.
When the idiot anti-vaxxers would propose this approach to Covid instead of vaccines, masks and social distancing, they were ignoring that the approach would lead to millions of deaths and perhaps even more deadly variants.
The Omicron strain could (and we don’t have the data yet for sure) be a very fortunate development, especially for the billions who are still a long way from any effective vaccination programs in their countries.

[róisín_dubh]

2. I hope so.

I'm tired of this Groundhog Day hellscape we've been in.

[appalachiablue]

3. This reminded me of a case early in the pandemic

of a very sick man with AIDS in the hospital in the UK that I read about.

He had 3 Covid variants in his body which was like a 'host.' A sad situation like the cases in southern Africa.

Thanks for posting, very informative and underreported.

[imaginary girl]

4. Weren't there indications ...

It was in the Netherlands prior to it's discovery in SA? Or would that just indicate it had spread already?

[milestogo]

5. yes

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59473131

Well it was earlier in Botswana, but its hard to tell where it originated.

[imaginary girl]

6. Thanks!

[Klaralven]

7. It was found in Botswana Nov 11 after they were retest. The Dutch retested a sample collected Nov 19

South Africa reported Omicron to WHO on November 24.

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/30/1060025081/omicron-variant-netherlands-europe-south-africa

Days after South Africa informed the WHO about the new variant, Botswana said its genomic surveillance of COVID-19 had found four omicron cases, in foreign diplomats who entered the country on Nov. 7.

"It's not clear where the variant actually emerged," as the STAT health news site reports. "It could be that South Africa and Botswana saw it early because they have strong genetic sequencing networks."

The four people tested positive on Nov. 11, as they prepared to leave Botswana; their samples were retested after the alarm was raised about the variant.

Botswana has not identified the diplomats or said where else they traveled. The country recently said it found an additional 15 cases, with the majority of them also linked to international travel.

[milestogo]

8. There is a Harvard affiliated lab in Gabarone Botswana.

So thats where it was detected first.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/29/metro/how-harvard-affiliated-lab-botswana-became-first-identify-omicron-variant/

[maxsolomon]

10. Let's get Sens. Cruz & Paul on it.

They're so focused on origins of the virus they know just where to start: Blame Fauci.

[JCMach1]

9. Or are other factors like retrovirals and BCG vaccines playing a role

In limiting vulnerability...

Why you do the 🧪 science...