COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)

[FPV MIC]

Oof, the tech briefing from the UK Health Security Agency gives a bleak outlook for people with just two doses of the AZ or Pfizer vaccine:


Meaghan Kall is an epidemiologist with the UKHSA and in the Twitter thread, this is the important part to call out:



So according to Dr. Kall, if you've only gotten your two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine you're basically back to square one with Omicron. However, if you get a booster it significantly helps. I don't really know much about the AZ vaccine since it's not approved or under EUA in the US.

I'm pretty sure AstraZeneca was close to zero for the earlier strain found in South Africa too... and that's what most of the vulnerable people have had in Australia, myself included. I'll be booking in on Monday to get the booster at the first available time (17th of January by our current rules).

Edit: About AZ and Beta. A bit better than I'd remembered at least. This wasn't a very large study and not being very well versed on this I don't know how accurate it was. It seems small and the median age seems very young considering in Australia no one under 60 could have AZ for a long time and I doubt too many younger people had it once Pfizer became readily available.

''Two doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine were found to have only a 10.4% efficacy against mild-to-moderate infections caused by the B.1.351 South Africa variant, according to a phase 1b-2 clinical trial published on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

It is important to note that there were still no cases of hospitalization for severe Covid-19 or deaths observed in the study. Yet the authors did caution that the relatively young median age of participants (30 years) likely influenced the lack of severe Covid-19 cases.''

AstraZeneca Vaccine Fails To Protect Against The South African Variant, Says Study

Two doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine were found to have only a 10.4% efficacy against mild-to-moderate infections caused by the B.1.351 South Africa variant, according to a phase 1b-2 clinical trial published on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

www.forbes.com

 

[Danoff]

Oof, the tech briefing from the UK Health Security Agency gives a bleak outlook for people with just two doses of the AZ or Pfizer vaccine:


Meaghan Kall is an epidemiologist with the UKHSA and in the Twitter thread, this is the important part to call out:



So according to Dr. Kall, if you've only gotten your two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine you're basically back to square one with Omicron. However, if you get a booster it significantly helps. I don't really know much about the AZ vaccine since it's not approved or under EUA in the US.

Do we have any idea yet if the the low effectivity of 2x Pfizer is due to the fact that the doses presumably happened long ago. My kids are fully vaccinated as of right this second, so they only have 2x doses, but it's super recent. Seems like that might offer some help against omicron.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

My university already requires vaccinations for all students. They recently delayed the requirement for staff because the government extended their vaccine mandate. When looking at my school's covid tracker, most positives are from the staff

View attachment 1096896

Vaccination rate

View attachment 1096897

There's been so many cases on my school's campus after Thanksgiving break that they've gone to alert level yellow. I was planning on getting a booster but none of the pharmacies in the area have appointments before I fly home for the holidays

 

[FPV MIC]

I'm pretty sure AstraZeneca was close to zero for the earlier strain found in South Africa too... and that's what most of the vulnerable people have had in Australia, myself included. I'll be booking in on Monday to get the booster at the first available time (17th of January by our current rules).

Edit: About AZ and Beta. A bit better than I'd remembered at least. This wasn't a very large study and not being very well versed on this I don't know how accurate it was. It seems small and the median age seems very young considering in Australia no one under 60 could have AZ for a long time and I doubt too many younger people had it once Pfizer became readily available.

''Two doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine were found to have only a 10.4% efficacy against mild-to-moderate infections caused by the B.1.351 South Africa variant, according to a phase 1b-2 clinical trial published on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

It is important to note that there were still no cases of hospitalization for severe Covid-19 or deaths observed in the study. Yet the authors did caution that the relatively young median age of participants (30 years) likely influenced the lack of severe Covid-19 cases.''

AstraZeneca Vaccine Fails To Protect Against The South African Variant, Says Study

Two doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine were found to have only a 10.4% efficacy against mild-to-moderate infections caused by the B.1.351 South Africa variant, according to a phase 1b-2 clinical trial published on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

www.forbes.com

Good news for me! They've brought forward the eligibility for the booster from 6 months down to 5 months so now I'll be eligible next week, which is lucky because Omicron has just hit my state. While it is only two cases at this stage I'd still rather be ahead of the game as I'm immunocompromised than being left vulnerable. I really couldn't understand why we opened up here just as Omicron was hitting Australia with so little known about it.

Booster access brought forward to slow spread of Omicron COVID-19 variant

Millions of Australians are now able to access a COVID-19 booster shot one month earlier than expected, after a change to the national rollout in response to the Omicron variant.

www.abc.net.au

Omicron cases in South Australia confirmed

www.9news.com.au

 

[ProjectWHaT]

There's been so many cases on my school's campus after Thanksgiving break that they've gone to alert level yellow. I was planning on getting a booster but none of the pharmacies in the area have appointments before I fly home for the holidays

View attachment 1098960

Oof. My school just sent us an email saying there has been at least 300 new cases from yesterday and today's testing, including Omicron

The number of new COVID-19 cases among the Cornell student body continues to climb at concerning rates. Testing from Friday and Saturday, which is still in the process of being finalized, has already identified nearly 300 additional student cases on the Ithaca campus. In addition, we have now confirmed cases of the Omicron variant within our Cornell community.

 

[Fat Tyre]

So I developed a nasty cough and sore throat just before watching that farcical end to the F1 season. I did a rapid antigen test and after 10 minutes it seemed clear. After the race I had a look and a smudge developed parallel to that T. The kit says that even that faintest line should be taken as a positive and one should get a PCR test. What do you guys think? I mean it's there but it's not a line, so I should be right? I guess I'll have to play it safe and get properly tested regardless?

 

[Famine]

So I developed a nasty cough and sore throat just before watching that farcical end to the F1 season. I did a rapid antigen test and after 10 minutes it seemed clear. After the race I had a look and a smudge developed parallel to that T. The kit says that even that faintest line should be taken as a positive and one should get a PCR test. What do you guys think? I mean it's there but it's not a line, so I should be right? I guess I'll have to play it safe and get properly tested regardless?

That's "inconclusive". If you have another lateral flow test - preferably from a different batch - test again. If it's positive or still inconclusive, get a PCR test. If it's negative, do another one, and if that's positive or inconclusive, get a PCR test. If it's negative again, test again in 12hr or before you have to go out anywhere.

 

[Fat Tyre]

That's "inconclusive". If you have another lateral flow test - preferably from a different batch - test again. If it's positive or still inconclusive, get a PCR test. If it's negative, do another one, and if that's positive or inconclusive, get a PCR test. If it's negative again, test again in 12hr or before you have to go out anywhere.

Thank you so much. By batch I'm guessing you mean the box it came from? I only got a ten test kit box so I wouldn't have one from a different batch to try. I did another test and came back negative but then again on the first one it took longer than the 15 min. to appear so I'll keep an eye on that negative test.

I really hope it's not now, it's nearly 6 months from my second Pfizer dose. My booster shot is scheduled for in a couple of days. My antibodies count must be pretty low, plus I'm the fattest I've ever been. Ironically I'm also at my fittest/ strongest point since I've been hitting the gym real hard for the last couple of months, with the goal of gaining strength. I know even healthy people can get severely ill and or die from this but I hope if I am indeed sick it'll improve my chances, I'll take whatever percentage I can get.

 

[CodeRedR51]

My Mom is asking me if I am going over to my brother's house for Christmas and I told her it's probably not a great idea since he's had Covid recently. Mild case, but still. His wife had something I guess that lasted a couple days but I don't believe she was tested. One of my nephews apparently tested positive and then when tested again it came up negative. Needless to say I don't believe I, or anyone else, should be going to that house and I told her that. Especially her because her immune system is compromised from going through breast cancer treatments. Should I flat out tell her no? She seems to think it's OK because it's been 2 weeks...

 

[Danoff]

My Mom is asking me if I am going over to my brother's house for Christmas and I told her it's probably not a great idea since he's had Covid recently. Mild case, but still. His wife had something I guess that lasted a couple days but I don't believe she was tested. One of my nephews apparently tested positive and then when tested again it came up negative. Needless to say I don't believe I, or anyone else, should be going to that house and I told her that. Especially her because her immune system is compromised from going through breast cancer treatments. Should I flat out tell her no? She seems to think it's OK because it's been 2 weeks...

If his wife had something else, then she could still come down with covid, and not test positive until it's too late. Likewise for anyone else who might have been exposed. I think the usual guidance is like 30 days, and that's partly because it gives you time to see who it's spreading to.

 

[Daz555]

With regards to how well the main vaccines protect against Omicron, all the stuff I'm seeing published is all about effectiveness to prevent infection and any symptoms at all.

On a personal level I don't really care if I get Covid or even if I get sick for a week or two - being ill is part of the human condition and we live with that risk our whole lives. All I really want to know is how effective the current vaccines are against people getting very ill, ending up in hospital, or worse.

 

[Danoff]

On a personal level I don't really care if I get Covid or even if I get sick for a week or two - being ill is part of the human condition and we live with that risk our whole lives. All I really want to know is how effective the current vaccines are against people getting very ill, ending up in hospital, or worse.

It's good for you that you feel that way, not everyone does. Consider, for example, my situation. I have a trip coming up with my kids. Currently there is an airborne pandemic that is spreading like crazy in my region, with a new variant that bypasses some of the protection offered by vaccines. I'd like to balance my exposure to the pandemic with the risk that I will be killing my trip plans for my family. Pre-pandemic, I might be able to hop on a plane with a kid that had a fever 2 days ago. But I can't very well hop on a plane with a kid that tested positive for covid 2 days ago can I? I'm in the window where if anyone in my household gets covid, the trip is off. We can isolate like crazy to make sure that doesn't happen, but we're all fully vaccinated (and boosted where available), so perhaps that's more than what is needed.

I agree that it's not a life or death scenario here (specifically for my household, if we spread it, that's different). But I think it's important to continue to remember that the pandemic is very much NOT what we had before, and it can't be fairly analogized to it. Covid remains deadly to certain vulnerable groups, and it remains extremely disruptive to daily life (like school, work, and travel) if you catch it. I'm willing to avoid a few high risk activities if it means that I can keep my travel plans and minimize the spread. But I'm looking to understand what the risks really are so that I can hit that balance right. Hunkering down comes with a big price, catching covid does too.

We're all having to try to find that balance between what we want to do and the risks associated with it. It's different for all of us, and it's a hard problem. Anyone who thinks it's easy is either misunderstanding the situation, or has a very... I'll call it regulated... existence. The only answer is data. As much and as soon as possible.

 

[CodeRedR51]

With regards to how well the main vaccines protect against Omicron, all the stuff I'm seeing published is all about effectiveness to prevent infection and any symptoms at all.

On a personal level I don't really care if I get Covid or even if I get sick for a week or two - being ill is part of the human condition and we live with that risk our whole lives. All I really want to know is how effective the current vaccines are against people getting very ill, ending up in hospital, or worse.

For what it's worth, besides wearing a mask where I have to (work, air travel) I don't wear one at all. I've been in malls, shopping centers, etc. I typically avoid people and I have yet to come down with anything. (that I know of, never been tested) I too don't care if I get sick, just hoping the vaccine will do it's job. I'm actually scheduled to get my booster tonight.

 

[TB]

For what it's worth, besides wearing a mask where I have to (work, air travel) I don't wear one at all. I've been in malls, shopping centers, etc. I typically avoid people and I have yet to come down with anything.

Same with me. I'll wear a mask at the doctor's office, upcoming airport/airplane or to things like the play we went to that required them but other than that, I don't. I never made a habit of hanging around people besides shopping anyway so there was nothing to change for me in that regard. Once I'm back in my vehicle I'll hand sanitizer and be on my way. Knock on wood that has been working for me so far.

 

[Blitz24]

I wear a mask in the following locations:
Gym
Any store,
any public building.

I usually do not wear a mask in the following location(s):
Synagogue (I am OCD about who is sitting around me and if it's too crowded, I will leave).
Friend's or family's house (provided I know they are vaccinated).

 

[Joey D]

Do we have any idea yet if the the low effectivity of 2x Pfizer is due to the fact that the doses presumably happened long ago. My kids are fully vaccinated as of right this second, so they only have 2x doses, but it's super recent. Seems like that might offer some help against omicron.

Per this study, it looks like your protection falls off fairly quickly after your second dose with regards to Omicron:

Reduced neutralisation of SARS-COV-2 Omicron-B.1.1.529 variant by post-immunisation serum

In this report, we present live neutralisation titres against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, compared with neutralisation against Victoria, Beta and Delta variants. Sera from day-28 post second-dose were obtained from participants in the Com-COV2 study who had received a two-dose COVID-19...

www.medrxiv.org

It's still a preprint and I think there are some unanswered questions with it, but it's the only study I've seen that looked at this.

 

[Danoff]

Per this study, it looks like your protection falls off fairly quickly after your second dose with regards to Omicron:

Reduced neutralisation of SARS-COV-2 Omicron-B.1.1.529 variant by post-immunisation serum

In this report, we present live neutralisation titres against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, compared with neutralisation against Victoria, Beta and Delta variants. Sera from day-28 post second-dose were obtained from participants in the Com-COV2 study who had received a two-dose COVID-19...

www.medrxiv.org

It's still a preprint and I think there are some unanswered questions with it, but it's the only study I've seen that looked at this.

You prompted me to search for more information and I found this on the topic:

Will children need Covid-19 booster shots?

A booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine appears to provide strong protection against the omicron variant, the companies said.

www.nbcnews.com

Two alternative notions presented in that article. One being that kids immune systems may respond much more aggressively than adults, and so the protection may last longer. The other being that regardless of whether kids are protected against omicron, a booster may not do as much good this soon.

 

[McLaren]

Wouldn't kids fresh off being approved to get the vaccines help play a role in keeping them protected for now?

 

[Danoff]

Wouldn't kids fresh off being approved to get the vaccines help play a role in keeping them protected for now?

You mean my kids? It's not super clear how much a fresh 2-dose of pfizer does against omicron.

 

[McLaren]

You mean my kids? It's not super clear how much a fresh 2-dose of pfizer does against omicron.

I would assume any kids that were just vaccinated under the new approvals at least provides some significant level of protection than not being vaccinated at all.

 

[Danoff]

I would assume any kids that were just vaccinated under the new approvals at least provides some significant level of protection than not being vaccinated at all.

Protection from hospitalization, sure, that seems like a safe assumption. Kids were always at lower risk of hospitalization, I'm sure vaccination pushes that even further, regardless of whether it's omicron or delta.

Protection of the family vacation from getting cancelled because we attended an indoor birthday party? That I'm not so sure of, because susceptibility to omicron for 2-doses of pfizer seems like it's potentially pretty significant.

There are so many unknowns here. How well does a fresh 2-dose of pfizer do in a kid against omicron? How susceptible are kids to omicron in the first place? I think I remember delta spreading among kids more than previous generations, which means omicron may not spread that well among children. Just have to operate without the data for now.

 

[NotThePrez]

I have to wait a few more days before I'm able get my booster shot, so I'm wondering:

1) Are there any reports of Omnicron vs. people with x2 Moderna doses?

2) Do I need to make sure that the booster I get is also Moderna, or does it not matter?

 

[Joey D]

I have to wait a few more days before I'm able get my booster shot, so I'm wondering:

1) Are there any reports of Omnicron vs. people with x2 Moderna doses?

2) Do I need to make sure that the booster I get is also Moderna, or does it not matter?

It seems like Moderna has about the same level of protection as Pfizer does when it comes to two doses, which is about 30%.

Vaccines appear weak at blocking Omicron, better against severe disease

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.

www.reuters.com

However, it appears Moderna doesn't have the data just yet to say one way or another:

Moderna developing 'further protection' against COVID, chairman says

Moderna Chairman Noubar Afeyan told FOX Business "Mornings with Maria" that it is in the final stages of testing a booster vaccine that is effective against omicron.

www.foxbusiness.com

As for what booster, it doesn't matter. I had Moderna for my initial series and Pfizer for my booster. There's some loose evidence that mixing the two might provide better protection, but I haven't really seen anything concrete on that. I'd just get whatever one is the easiest to get. It's the main reason I went with Pfizer since they were giving them through work and it was just easier.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I am officially all boostered up. And I seem to have lost my favorite mask somewhere after I left the airport on Saturday morning. So that sucks because it was the only one that fit perfect.

 

[Whitestar]

There's some loose evidence that mixing the two might provide better protection, but I haven't really seen anything concrete on that.

I actually did a search on this a couple of days ago, but all the articles I found had a lot of modal verbs in them: "could be", "might give" etc. And "suggests".

 

[CodeRedR51]

I am officially all boostered up. And I seem to have lost my favorite mask somewhere after I left the airport on Saturday morning. So that sucks because it was the only one that fit perfect.

Update: woke up with the typical sore arm I can barely lift, and a fuzzy headache. Feel blah overall. 😕

 

[CodeRedR51]

Update: woke up with the typical sore arm I can barely lift, and a fuzzy headache. Feel blah overall. 😕

New update, tried to work VO from home today and just couldn't do it. Tried to get more sleep and it was hard, entire body was steaming hot (with no fever, go figure) but the moment I removed the covers I would be freezing. Cotton mouth, massive headache. Feel worse than when I posted previously...

 

[Blitz24]

New update, tried to work VO from home today and just couldn't do it. Tried to get more sleep and it was hard, entire body was steaming hot (with no fever, go figure) but the moment I removed the covers I would be freezing. Cotton mouth, massive headache. Feel worse than when I posted previously...

I have a friend who actually is very under the weather from her booster shot. I'm curious if reactions to the vaccine sort of are related to one's immune system?

 

[TB]

New update, tried to work VO from home today and just couldn't do it. Tried to get more sleep and it was hard, entire body was steaming hot (with no fever, go figure) but the moment I removed the covers I would be freezing. Cotton mouth, massive headache. Feel worse than when I posted previously...

Food, pain reliever of choice and plenty of water.

I have a friend who actually is very under the weather from her booster shot. I'm curious if reactions to the vaccine sort of are related to one's immune system?

Immune responses are going to be different for each person. My wife was knocked out by the first shot and nothing from the second or booster, I wasn't really affected by the first two but the booster kicked my butt. My kids didn't really have any response to the first two, either.

 

[Jezza819]

New update, tried to work VO from home today and just couldn't do it. Tried to get more sleep and it was hard, entire body was steaming hot (with no fever, go figure) but the moment I removed the covers I would be freezing. Cotton mouth, massive headache. Feel worse than when I posted previously...

I have a friend who actually is very under the weather from her booster shot. I'm curious if reactions to the vaccine sort of are related to one's immune system?

I had the hot feeling for about 24 hours after I got my booster along with a medium sized headache but the headache quickly went away and the random hot feeling only last that next 24 hour period. Unlike after my 2nd shot when I had the hot and cold feeling for about 3 days later.