Re: CORONAVIRUS-Updates, discussion, etc

[TrueCrazyLion]

Well, we don’t know yet, no - but to me, if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck… 

Maybe that’s why I’m not a scientist, LOL! I know they like to double-check and triple-check(And maybe many more times check) data before believing it, and they like to see actual proof of something before explicitly stating it. I know that that’s the best and correct approach, but for me, I’m too impatient and I like to think in black or white, because shades of grey just bug me, LOL.

So with the data I’ve seen already, I’m making an educated guess.

I think it was only quite recently that the 1918 Flu pandemic was scientifically confirmed to be caused by a flu virus, but it had been known and accepted for a long time already?
I dunno, I just find that scientific process of confirming formalities to be painfully drawn-out.

Yes, developed countries do need to share vaccine supplies with the developing countries to help the situation. (Interestingly, I read the other day that Africa is seemingly recovering well from the pandemic now, despite being the least well vaccinated continent. I’m not sure how true that is at this stage, but it did sound positive!)

And long Covid does sound horrible and scary. From what I understand, it’s actually caused by the body’s autoimmune response to the virus in some, rather than by the virus directly, but I know it has devastated some people, which has been genuinely upsetting to read about. That’s partly why the virus has scared me so much.
I have been aware of the virus triggering heart attacks and strokes in some victims, and it sounds like that’s the kind of thing which happened to your work colleague… Hope she’ll eventually make a full recovery.

And yeah, antivaxx are so dense I just can’t even begin to understand them. And yeah, great point about their parents and grandparents benefitting from vaccines!! That goes completely over those numpties’ heads. Ridiculous.

[Lenzabi]

Myself and one of my friend/roommates are thinking that when it hit in 2019, her husband, my other friend/roommate, caught it at his job in a small retail chain store.

He had been sick, seemed flu like, but since has a chronic fatigue issue, and other problems slowing him down a LOT for a man yet to hit 40yrs old and so hyper normally.

The virus seemed to be more likely to happen to A-Type Blood, he happens to be A+

My roommate and I have the opposite blood type for the virus as it seems to not fare as well in O-type blood.

A-type blood is 20% more likely to get hit by COVID while O-types have a 30% stronger resistance.

She and I also happen to have several of the danger markers but due to those are on medication that might also have helped us control things better, all of us have had our vaccines, and we are trying to coordinate a booster.

It is scary for he as physically healthy, but now we must see if he develops other issues due to being a "longhauler"

People who thought it is "just a flu" have no clue.

I agree, the anti-vaxxers are a dense bunch.

[Rogue]

I've heard that about blood types as well. It's interesting to know more about.

Deltacron seems to be becoming more of a thing now...

https://theconversation.com/deltacron-what-scientists-know-so-far-about-this-new-hybrid-coronavirus-179442

[TrueCrazyLion]

Seemingly there’s a new sub-variant of Omicron going round - not sure why it’s being called a sub-variant and not an actual new variant. But it’s the latest one going round the UK at the moment. 
Not sure if it counts as the 5th strain of this virus or not. I just came across a couple of new articles on it today.

[Rogue]

Here we go again...

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/coronavirus/thousands-of-people-trapped-on-cruise-ship-for-five-days-after-covid-19-outbreak-c-8646481

[TrueCrazyLion]

It won’t be as bad again as it was. The natural immunity process has already taken care of that.

[Rogue]

I'm not convinced about any natural immunity. We have had people catching covid three times now and just as badly as previous infections. I still don't know how I've missed out.

[Agartha]

I got it twice and I know someone who's had it 4 times. But my second time was very mild, almost no symptoms.

I was reading that your genetic makeup is what's making some getting it so many times and some not even once. Rogue, you may have that particular gene responsible for a greater immune response (post vaccine). A study (I can look for it later if you want) found that people with that gene still had immunity 400 days post vaccine... you are probably one of those lucky ones.

[Rogue]

That is interesting Ags. My two sisters have also not had it. I imagine that might fit with the gene theory.

Ags, what do you think about the idea of natural immunity?

[Kaere]

I still haven't had it either, neither have my kids. We're all vaxxed but even so, not even a mild case.

[TrueCrazyLion]

I think that what you’re saying makes a lot of sense, Aggie, about certain genes providing protection against Covid; that would help explain the apparently random way in which it seems to affect people.

Since early on in the pandemic, T-cells and T-cell production have been identified as a key factor in protecting against the virus, which would be consistent with the genetic factor too.

[Rogue]

These cruise ships are on the nose... another in NZ now...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130277675/covid19-on-board-first-cruise-ship-in-2-years-to-dock-in-wellington

[Agartha]

I know someone who is on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean right now.. hopefully it will be better than the ones down South! lol

Rogue, natural immunity with covid doesn't work very well, it works better if you had the vaccines. With other diseases it may work, but there is one big downside: you have to get sick to get it, and you never know how sick you'll get, as everybody is different and they react different to the same disease.

Kaere, you and your boys may have the gene too. I obviously don't and my whole family has had Covid (everyone once, my mum and I twice). The thing with Covid is also about exposure: people like me, with the job I do, are a lot more expose (and have been a lot more exposed) than those who were lucky enough to work from home or stay home. 

Lion, the genetic influence on T-cells is approximately 37% which more or less corresponds with the portion of people that carry the gene that produced a stronger immune resistance for Covid. The gene is called HLA-DQB1*06 and approximately 40% of people have it.

[Rogue]

Thanks Ags, yeah much as I thought.

[TrueCrazyLion]

I think it’s fascinating how our genes influence this stuff, and they combine with the vaccines to increase our protection levels. 

I’m still waiting to get my 2nd booster, which I’m hoping to get in the next few weeks, and once I’ve had that one, I’m hoping that it’ll be safe for me to go back to living completely normally again. No face mask anymore!

(And if that sounds silly or risky at all, most people here have been living that way since all the restrictions were officially dropped, more than 6 months ago. I’ve been acting super safe! LOL)

[Sponsored content]