Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
0
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mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 36,341
New COVID variants EG.5, FL.1.5.1 and BA.2.86 are spreading. Here's what to know.
By Alexander Tin
Updated on: August 22, 2023 / 7:13 PM
/ CBS News
Health authorities say they're closely tracking the spread of three new COVID-19 variants now spreading around the country.
Levels
of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths for now remain far below
previous peaks seen during past summer and winter waves of the virus,
but have been climbing steadily for several weeks.
Public
health officials have said that they're well-equipped for the latest
seasonal uptick in the virus, with COVID-19 tests and forthcoming
vaccines expected to work for the variants on the rise around the
country.
But the appearance of a new "highly mutated" variant has raised
questions among virus trackers about what the coming months could hold.
Here's the latest about what we know about the new COVID-19 variants now on the rise.
What are current new COVID variants?
There
are two that are fairly prevalent and one — the highly mutated variant —
that is not as widespread, for now. Every two weeks, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention publishes projections of COVID-19 variants that are dominant around the country.
The
EG.5 variant is estimated to be the "dominant" strain in the U.S.
because it makes up the largest share of new cases of COVID-19 compared
to other variants. On Aug. 18, the CDC estimated EG.5 made up 20.6% of
new infections.
Behind EG.5 – unofficially nicknamed
"Eris" by virus tracker T. Ryan Gregory on social media – is a long
list of other closely related variants, virtually all of which descended
from the XBB strains that were dominant last winter.
FL.1.5.1 is
the next-largest strain at 13.3% of U.S. infections, the CDC estimated.
Dubbed "Fornax" by Gregory, FL.1.5.1 has nearly doubled from the week
prior when it was an estimated 7.1% of circulating variants.
Both EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 are XBB variant descendants that share a mutation known as F456L, which appears to be helping them spread more than other virus siblings.
Authorities
have also been tracking a new highly mutated strain of the virus called
BA.2.86. That strain was nicknamed "Pirola" by user @JPWeiland
on social media. BA.2.86's prevalence remains too small to show up on
the CDC estimates and is currently being aggregated with its distant
ancestor BA.2.
While only a small handful of cases have been spotted around the world, including one in Michigan,
the strain's large number of mutations at some key parts of the virus
has accelerated investigations into the risk that BA.2.86 might pose.
Are symptoms for new COVID variants different?
COVID
symptoms appear to be largely the same. Since EG.5 and FL.1.5.1
emerged, officials have generally downplayed claims of dramatic changes
in symptoms caused by these closely related new variants, compared to
their close Omicron variant relatives from earlier in the pandemic.
There has been no evidence of increased disease severity from the new EG.5 strain, the WHO reported on August 9.
Experts say other changes in the population, like immunity from prior
infections and vaccination, also muddies attempts to compare whether
new variants are to blame for shifts in reported symptoms from the
virus.
In recent months, COVID-19 symptoms appear to have
remained largely the same as they have for the past year, with cold and
flu-like signs – cough, headache, muscle aches, runny nose and fatigue –
reported most often.
As
for BA.2.86, officials say it is too early to say whether that strain
will cause more severe illness because of its worrying sum of
mutations.
The sole case in Michigan was "an older adult with
mild symptoms, and [the patient] has not been hospitalized," Chelsea
Wuth, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health and Human
Services, said in a statement to CBS News.
In Denmark, health officials said their three BA.2.86 variant cases did not have "symptoms other than those normally seen" from COVID-19.
The U.K. said
its BA.2.86 case was tested at a London hospital, but that it was
currently not possible "to assess comparative severity by variant" based
on their data.
Do COVID tests work for new COVID variants?
They
seem to work, although that may change if one of the strains becomes
more prevalent. The Food and Drug Administration has so far not flagged any new
issues with the EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 variants, from its ongoing joint
effort with the National Institutes of Health to study the performance
of COVID-19 tests with new strains. One positive development — Modeling
suggests the variant will not evade tests better than other previous
Omicron strains.
"Now we have the genome mapped and all that
information. We also have the epitopes mapped for all antigen-based
tests. We can do computational analytics to see whether or not we think
there's going to be any impact on test performance," Todd Merchak,
co-lead of the NIH's RADx Tech initiative at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
Merchak
said the initiative's "well-oiled machine" has been preparing for
manual experiments to validate whether home COVID tests are less
sensitive to EG.5 and other variants, in case the FDA decides to call
for home COVID tests to be rechecked for the new strains.
"We use
the same protocols, so we have comparisons across every test that's on
the market, every test that's in development, we can compare them
against each other so we have data for everything," said Merchak.
Experts say it's possible BA.2.86's wide changes might change the performance of some tests, if it grows more prevalent.
U.K.health authorities said
it was "unreliable to attempt to predict the combined effect of the
large number of mutations" from BA.2.86, but acknowledged there's enough
information "to expect significant antigenic change."
Will the fall 2023 COVID vaccine boosters work for new COVID variants?
They're
expected to be effective. Vaccine makers say they expect the upcoming
rollout of new COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots next month will work
for EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 as well, since they are closely related to the
XBB.1.5 variant targeted by the revised shots recommended by the FDA and WHOearlier this year.
"We
try to select the antigen that will provide the maximum breadth of
immunity so that the protection to people is as wide as possible,
anticipating that the virus may evolve between the time when the
recommendation is issued and the time when the vaccine is produced," the
WHO's Dr. Sylvie Briand told reporters on August 9.
On Aug. 17, Moderna said
preliminary results from its human clinical trial data suggest its
updated vaccines will trigger a "significant boost in neutralizing
antibodies against EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 variants." Pfizer says data from a
recent study in mice suggests its vaccine will be effective as well.
The CDC expects, based on evidence and input from the FDA advisory
committee, that "the fall updated vaccines with a monovalent XBB.1.5
composition will best protect public health," Kathleen Conley, a CDC
spokesperson, said in a statement August 18.
It is unclear whether
BA.2.86 could upend those plans. Experts say the strain's mutations
might be enough to render the upcoming shots "a fairly poor match" if it circulates more widely.
As
virologist Paul Duprex told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr.
Jonathan LaPook on "60 Minutes" in March of 2021, changes in the virus'
spike protein can allow it to evade antibodies and more easily infect
someone. Duprex said the only way to stop a virus from mutating is to
stop its spread.
"If we block its transmission, if we wear a mask,
if we get vaccinated, if we do social distancing, so, there's a
practical thing we can do," he said. "But physically, biologically, is
there something we can do? Is there a magic bullet we can shoot at it
that stops it making mutations? no."
This was part of our @60Minutes segment about #variants that aired in March, 2021. It’s perfectly applicable to what’s going on right now with #COVID19. In just 84 seconds, @PaulDuprex explains the current - and future - emergence of new variants. @CBSNewshttps://t.co/t30C94658C
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
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mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 36,341
edited August 2023
So it seems the two dominant strains right now and this third new variant all stem from the Omicron variant , so in theory the bivalent booster that was produced last year should provide some coverage remains to be seen to what degree in depth at any rate given the newest highly mutated strain is in its early stages I would expect to see Pfizer and moderna adapt once again the current bivalent to include this newest strain, it's early in the season yet
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Thanks! The cult of being rational and responsible. No clorox injections or horse pills necessary to join!
There's no booster for this highly mutated new variant and it doesn't stop the transmission, but enjoy it anyway. Have fun.
You know everything doesn’t have to be taken literally. I’m aware the “new” booster won’t be ready till the end of September, hopefully sooner and I won’t be getting 17 shots. Is this the problem? Not understanding when people, like trump, are being facetious?
Thanks! The cult of being rational and responsible. No clorox injections or horse pills necessary to join!
How dare you come on here with your common sense, your ethics, your morals, and your doing the right thing, not just for yourself, but for those around you.
Thank goodness it was established yet again that the vaccine doesn't stop transmission, something we've known for over 2 years and has been discussed ad nauseum.
Thanks! The cult of being rational and responsible. No clorox injections or horse pills necessary to join!
How dare you come on here with your common sense, your ethics, your morals, and your doing the right thing, not just for yourself, but for those around you.
Hahahaha go ahead and flag me, all the republicans do!!!!
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
Someone told me this a couple of weeks ago.
Apparently there is “footage”.
I am intrigued, but not intrigued enough to dare searching on this.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
Someone told me this a couple of weeks ago.
Apparently there is “footage”.
I am intrigued, but not intrigued enough to dare searching on this.
They consider themselves critical thinkers when it’s painfully obvious they’re just ignorant about wildfires.
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
lol. So I looked up on this. She did say space lasers but never "Jewish space lasers".
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
lol. So I looked up on this. She did say space lasers but never "Jewish space lasers".
It's still funny as hell though.
I heard Jewish Space Laser so much I thought for sure it was true she said it. I just looked it up, and its sort of true. It looks like she never did say "Jewish Space Laser" but did say space laser like you said. She also blamed the Rothschild family for spearheading the laser program. So that's where the Jewish connection came from.
"I will not comply" is the new slogan of the easily mislead.
with a nearly circular venn diagram of people who love to say "he should have complied."
1995 Milwaukee 1998 Alpine, Alpine 2003 Albany, Boston, Boston, Boston 2004 Boston, Boston 2006 Hartford, St. Paul (Petty), St. Paul (Petty) 2011 Alpine, Alpine 2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
lol. So I looked up on this. She did say space lasers but never "Jewish space lasers".
It's still funny as hell though.
I heard Jewish Space Laser so much I thought for sure it was true she said it. I just looked it up, and its sort of true. It looks like she never did say "Jewish Space Laser" but did say space laser like you said. She also blamed the Rothschild family for spearheading the laser program. So that's where the Jewish connection came from
Interesting.
It's incorrect to attribute the quote "Jewish Space Lasers" to her, but it's still accurate to say she blamed it on space lasers from a program spearheaded by Jews.
So. On FB I have a conservative friend that just heard "They are planning on shutting down the US again." Asked for sources? None. A few friends chimed in "yeah I am hearing about this too now"
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
They heard that a TSA “whistleblower” said there’s going to be mask mandates for flying starting this fall. Source: youtube
Can FEMA camps be far behind? They’re in Hawaii, you know?
I’m already at the maximum that I can take with the conspiracy theories after hearing about how the space lasers caused all the fires.
lol. So I looked up on this. She did say space lasers but never "Jewish space lasers".
It's still funny as hell though.
I heard Jewish Space Laser so much I thought for sure it was true she said it. I just looked it up, and its sort of true. It looks like she never did say "Jewish Space Laser" but did say space laser like you said. She also blamed the Rothschild family for spearheading the laser program. So that's where the Jewish connection came from.
Just to be clear....any mention of the Rothschilds or George Soros is an antisemitic trope. The conspiracy theories surrounding The Rothschilds has been around for generations. The George Soros trope is another QtRUmplican anti-semitic dogwhistle
It’s a big stretch to go from what she said to “JewishSpace Laser” though. Reading more about it, I don’t actually think she even used the term “space laser.” I can’t find the original post this came from, but have found multiple reports saying she was describing what she thought was an experiment to harness the sun’s energy. Snopes described it as “Greene theorizedthat a space-based solar generator, used in a clean-energy experiment with the goal of replacing coal and oil, could have beamed the sun's energy back to Earth and started the fires.” and “that among the entities behind this conspiracy were former California Gov. Jerry Brown, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Rothschild Inc.,” Saying the Rothschilds are one of several entities involved and taking that to mean it’s Jewish is more than a stretch. I just think it’s funny that after all these memes and jokes she never did say it. I never bothered checking because it was so commonly accepted. I’m not defending her, it’s still a stupid statement. But it’s also a manifestation of social media as much as her comments. And I find it funny how easily we can run with the story when at best it’s only half true. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still crazy. I just don’t think she ever did say “space laser” let alone “jewish space laser” despite so many quoting her as saying it.
It’s a big stretch to go from what she said to “JewishSpace Laser” though. Reading more about it, I don’t actually think she even used the term “space laser.” I can’t find the original post this came from, but have found multiple reports saying she was describing what she thought was an experiment to harness the sun’s energy. Snopes described it as “Greene theorizedthat a space-based solar generator, used in a clean-energy experiment with the goal of replacing coal and oil, could have beamed the sun's energy back to Earth and started the fires.” and “that among the entities behind this conspiracy were former California Gov. Jerry Brown, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Rothschild Inc.,” Saying the Rothschilds are one of several entities involved and taking that to mean it’s Jewish is more than a stretch. I just think it’s funny that after all these memes and jokes she never did say it. I never bothered checking because it was so commonly accepted. I’m not defending her, it’s still a stupid statement. But it’s also a manifestation of social media as much as her comments. And I find it funny how easily we can run with the story when at best it’s only half true. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still crazy. I just don’t think she ever did say “space laser” let alone “jewish space laser” despite so many quoting her as saying it.
Any mention of the Rothschilds in a conspiracy or in a context of some kind of nefariousness or suspicious event/behaviour is a dog whistle. Just stop.
Comments
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Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
There's no booster for this highly mutated new variant and it doesn't stop the transmission, but enjoy it anyway. Have fun.
Another piped up "I have alternative news outlets that aren't mainstream."
I chimed in that if it came from redit or Qanon to please stop spreading this bullshit.
So. Be sure to have your ear to the wind because the next big hubaloo is coming.
Is Q still a dman thing anyway?
New COVID variants EG.5, FL.1.5.1 and BA.2.86 are spreading. Here's what to know.
By Alexander Tin
Updated on: August 22, 2023 / 7:13 PM / CBS News
Health authorities say they're closely tracking the spread of three new COVID-19 variants now spreading around the country.
Levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths for now remain far below previous peaks seen during past summer and winter waves of the virus, but have been climbing steadily for several weeks.
Public health officials have said that they're well-equipped for the latest seasonal uptick in the virus, with COVID-19 tests and forthcoming vaccines expected to work for the variants on the rise around the country.
But the appearance of a new "highly mutated" variant has raised questions among virus trackers about what the coming months could hold.
Here's the latest about what we know about the new COVID-19 variants now on the rise.
What are current new COVID variants?
There are two that are fairly prevalent and one — the highly mutated variant — that is not as widespread, for now. Every two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes projections of COVID-19 variants that are dominant around the country.
The EG.5 variant is estimated to be the "dominant" strain in the U.S. because it makes up the largest share of new cases of COVID-19 compared to other variants. On Aug. 18, the CDC estimated EG.5 made up 20.6% of new infections.
Behind EG.5 – unofficially nicknamed "Eris" by virus tracker T. Ryan Gregory on social media – is a long list of other closely related variants, virtually all of which descended from the XBB strains that were dominant last winter.
FL.1.5.1 is the next-largest strain at 13.3% of U.S. infections, the CDC estimated. Dubbed "Fornax" by Gregory, FL.1.5.1 has nearly doubled from the week prior when it was an estimated 7.1% of circulating variants.
Both EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 are XBB variant descendants that share a mutation known as F456L, which appears to be helping them spread more than other virus siblings.
Authorities have also been tracking a new highly mutated strain of the virus called BA.2.86. That strain was nicknamed "Pirola" by user @JPWeiland on social media. BA.2.86's prevalence remains too small to show up on the CDC estimates and is currently being aggregated with its distant ancestor BA.2.
While only a small handful of cases have been spotted around the world, including one in Michigan, the strain's large number of mutations at some key parts of the virus has accelerated investigations into the risk that BA.2.86 might pose.
Are symptoms for new COVID variants different?
COVID symptoms appear to be largely the same. Since EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 emerged, officials have generally downplayed claims of dramatic changes in symptoms caused by these closely related new variants, compared to their close Omicron variant relatives from earlier in the pandemic.
There has been no evidence of increased disease severity from the new EG.5 strain, the WHO reported on August 9.
Experts say other changes in the population, like immunity from prior infections and vaccination, also muddies attempts to compare whether new variants are to blame for shifts in reported symptoms from the virus.
In recent months, COVID-19 symptoms appear to have remained largely the same as they have for the past year, with cold and flu-like signs – cough, headache, muscle aches, runny nose and fatigue – reported most often.
As for BA.2.86, officials say it is too early to say whether that strain will cause more severe illness because of its worrying sum of mutations.
The sole case in Michigan was "an older adult with mild symptoms, and [the patient] has not been hospitalized," Chelsea Wuth, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement to CBS News.
In Denmark, health officials said their three BA.2.86 variant cases did not have "symptoms other than those normally seen" from COVID-19.
The U.K. said its BA.2.86 case was tested at a London hospital, but that it was currently not possible "to assess comparative severity by variant" based on their data.
Do COVID tests work for new COVID variants?
They seem to work, although that may change if one of the strains becomes more prevalent. The Food and Drug Administration has so far not flagged any new issues with the EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 variants, from its ongoing joint effort with the National Institutes of Health to study the performance of COVID-19 tests with new strains. One positive development — Modeling suggests the variant will not evade tests better than other previous Omicron strains.
"Now we have the genome mapped and all that information. We also have the epitopes mapped for all antigen-based tests. We can do computational analytics to see whether or not we think there's going to be any impact on test performance," Todd Merchak, co-lead of the NIH's RADx Tech initiative at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
Merchak said the initiative's "well-oiled machine" has been preparing for manual experiments to validate whether home COVID tests are less sensitive to EG.5 and other variants, in case the FDA decides to call for home COVID tests to be rechecked for the new strains.
"We use the same protocols, so we have comparisons across every test that's on the market, every test that's in development, we can compare them against each other so we have data for everything," said Merchak.
Experts say it's possible BA.2.86's wide changes might change the performance of some tests, if it grows more prevalent.
U.K.health authorities said it was "unreliable to attempt to predict the combined effect of the large number of mutations" from BA.2.86, but acknowledged there's enough information "to expect significant antigenic change."
Will the fall 2023 COVID vaccine boosters work for new COVID variants?
They're expected to be effective. Vaccine makers say they expect the upcoming rollout of new COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots next month will work for EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 as well, since they are closely related to the XBB.1.5 variant targeted by the revised shots recommended by the FDA and WHOearlier this year.
"We try to select the antigen that will provide the maximum breadth of immunity so that the protection to people is as wide as possible, anticipating that the virus may evolve between the time when the recommendation is issued and the time when the vaccine is produced," the WHO's Dr. Sylvie Briand told reporters on August 9.
On Aug. 17, Moderna said preliminary results from its human clinical trial data suggest its updated vaccines will trigger a "significant boost in neutralizing antibodies against EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 variants." Pfizer says data from a recent study in mice suggests its vaccine will be effective as well.
The CDC expects, based on evidence and input from the FDA advisory committee, that "the fall updated vaccines with a monovalent XBB.1.5 composition will best protect public health," Kathleen Conley, a CDC spokesperson, said in a statement August 18.
It is unclear whether BA.2.86 could upend those plans. Experts say the strain's mutations might be enough to render the upcoming shots "a fairly poor match" if it circulates more widely.
As virologist Paul Duprex told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook on "60 Minutes" in March of 2021, changes in the virus' spike protein can allow it to evade antibodies and more easily infect someone. Duprex said the only way to stop a virus from mutating is to stop its spread.
"If we block its transmission, if we wear a mask, if we get vaccinated, if we do social distancing, so, there's a practical thing we can do," he said. "But physically, biologically, is there something we can do? Is there a magic bullet we can shoot at it that stops it making mutations? no."
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Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Thank goodness it was established yet again that the vaccine doesn't stop transmission, something we've known for over 2 years and has been discussed ad nauseum.
Well, I found the source.
https://www.infowars.com/posts/the-lockdowns-are-coming-back/
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I am intrigued, but not intrigued enough to dare searching on this.
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
It's still funny as hell though.
I just looked it up, and its sort of true. It looks like she never did say "Jewish Space Laser" but did say space laser like you said. She also blamed the Rothschild family for spearheading the laser program. So that's where the Jewish connection came from.
2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
It's incorrect to attribute the quote "Jewish Space Lasers" to her, but it's still accurate to say she blamed it on space lasers from a program spearheaded by Jews.
The conspiracy theories surrounding The Rothschilds has been around for generations.
The George Soros trope is another QtRUmplican anti-semitic dogwhistle
Reading more about it, I don’t actually think she even used the term “space laser.” I can’t find the original post this came from, but have found multiple reports saying she was describing what she thought was an experiment to harness the sun’s energy.
Snopes described it as “Greene theorizedthat a space-based solar generator, used in a clean-energy experiment with the goal of replacing coal and oil, could have beamed the sun's energy back to Earth and started the fires.” and “that among the entities behind this conspiracy were former California Gov. Jerry Brown, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Rothschild Inc.,”
Saying the Rothschilds are one of several entities involved and taking that to mean it’s Jewish is more than a stretch.
I just think it’s funny that after all these memes and jokes she never did say it. I never bothered checking because it was so commonly accepted.
I’m not defending her, it’s still a stupid statement. But it’s also a manifestation of social media as much as her comments. And I find it funny how easily we can run with the story when at best it’s only half true.
Don’t get me wrong, she’s still crazy. I just don’t think she ever did say “space laser” let alone “jewish space laser” despite so many quoting her as saying it.
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