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Concerns about new strain of COVID

YippeeKi YOW !!

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Second star to the right ...
MODERATOR'S NOTE: THE FIRST FIVE POSTS IN THIS THREAD HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THE THREAD: https://forums.phoenixrising.me/thr...commendations-health-rising-jan-3-2021.82538/


Here are two articles from Dec 21 regarding the new strain ...

The Mutant U.K. Virus Strain Is Probably Here Already…. DEC 21, '20
https://www.thedailybeast.com/mutant-coronavirus-variant-in-the-uk-is-probably-already-in-the-us
The variant may or may not make the virus more contagious, and there’s no evidence that it will neuter vaccines. But travel bans are too little, too late, experts said.


Britain’s Supercharged Mutant Coronavirus Expected to Go Global .... DEC 21, '20
https://www.thedailybeast.com/britains-supercharged-mutant-coronavirus-expected-to-go-global
Since the pandemic took hold, the world has learned largely what to expect from the coronavirus—but now the rulebook is being frantically rewritten by a fast-spreading new strain.
 
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junkcrap50

Senior Member
Messages
1,330
Since the pandemic took hold, the world has learned largely what to expect from the coronavirus—but now the rulebook is being frantically rewritten by a fast-spreading new strain.
I think this "New Strain" in England is an over-hyped fearmongering media creation. Whether or not it is done purposefully to cause panic & push an agenda (either direction), done neutrally to just get clicks and sell newspapers, or done naively because they do not understand the science/context & just recited what an expert told them, can be left to you to interpret and decide based on your opinion. But throughout COVID, no one can deny that communication on facts and information (via media and other avenues) has been inconsistent, unreliable, polarized, and often wrong. So taking anything, at this point, on face value is prone to be a mistake.

Early on in COVID, May and earlier, there were already some 49 strains and mutations that were being tracked around the world. The US had 2 different strains that infected the country at the same time in the first wave in March. The "Chinese" strain that infected Seattle and spread from there, mostly on the west coast. And the "Italy" strain that infected NYC and spread from there. Eventually the NYC spread through most of the US and faster. If you mapped the strains, the "Italy-NYC strain" was everywhere, east coast, sout (FL & LA), midwest, mountains (CO & AZ) - almost everywehre. The "China-Seattle" strain, despite arriving to the US much earlier, was mostly only in WA, OR, & CA. There was even an GIF animation of how the different strains moved, spread, and overtook each other.

There has been alot of talk of different strains over the past several months. If in May there were 49 strains, by now I'm sure there are several hundred. There was a "Brazil Strain" too at one point that people were watching closely. But these discussions have been mostly among viral scientists & researcher circles (twitter & literature). To hear of a "New Strain from England" really could mean absolutely nothing. Something for researchers to watch, but how the media has treated it is irresponsible. There is no evidence it is more dangerous and deadly. The media isn't even making those claims. They are only saying it's "possibly more contagious", but the only evidence the media have of it being more contagious is that it's has a wide foothold in England during this recent surge. But that does not mean it's more contagious or more dangerous!

I'm sure each and every "surge" in different parts of the country and at different times were "different strains." Viruses mutate very frequently and quickly. The NYC surge strain in March is a totally different strain than say the most recent surge in ND, SD, MN, WI, IL in October.

Also, when examining the various surges, it can be misleading looking at too large of a geographic region. Areas that saw no COVID earlier in the year are now getting COVID and vice versa. And likely different starins occured at these different times. There have been very interesting cases on localized viral spread comparing provinces in Germany and Switzerland, islands in Denmark, and even within provinces that were hit in Feb vs now in Italy. So, possibly this New English Strain is not more containgous, but rather more wide spread, covering more of the country & many more smaller cities. The first surge in England was mostly in London. Explanations for more widespread could be: seasonal (now fall/winter), relaxation of lockdowns after 1st surged subsided, individuals being more lax in taking precautions after 12mos of rule following, virus characteristics not related to contagiousness or deadliness (say it lasts longer in cold vs warm temperatures), or just due to spreads different at different times.

In short, viruses mutate frequently and rapidly. Every surge probably is a different strain. It is important to monitor these strains to catch mutations that make the virus worse & more deadly, reserved for the scientists and researchers who understand it better. However, the simplest explanation is that the media heard of scientists talk about a new strain in England and ran with the story, exaggerating and misunderstanding the meaning.

Also, there is little constructive use spreading panic (see the headlines) of a new English Strain (I'm not saying they should suppress the news). How are the public health interventions going to change at his point? Is anything different being done besides lockdowns and masks? I haven't heard of any new ideas.

I would not let fear of new English Strain get to you. Take take appropriate precautions you feel applies to you. Risk is a personal judgement with many variables unique to each person.

(I am open to changing my opinion on the English Strain should new information about come to light.)
 

YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
Messages
16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
I think this "New Strain" in England is an over-hyped fearmongering media creation. Whether or not it is done purposefully to cause panic & push an agenda (either direction), done neutrally to just get clicks and sell newspapers, or done naively because they do not understand the science/context & just recited what an expert told them, can be left to you to interpret and decide based on your opinion.
Couldn't disagree more.


Could you post your source(s) for your certainty that this is either intentionally misleading, or absolutely non-existent?
Also, there is little constructive use spreading panic (see the headlines) of a new English Strain (I'm not saying they should suppress the news).
Then not sure exactly what you are saying ....
 

junkcrap50

Senior Member
Messages
1,330
Could you post your source(s) for your certainty that this is either intentionally misleading, or absolutely non-existent?
I said this is my opinion: that they are making a bigger deal than it is. I don't know their motivations. I can't read their minds. I never said it was "intentionally misleading."

Then not sure exactly what you are saying ....
There's a difference between reporting new information and, in my opinion, at this stage, is spreading panic: "Supercharged" "Mutant". And of course it could be "Expected to Go Global": international flights are occurring, 100% of the world has not blocked flights form England, and even if they did they'd have had to do it before the anyone with the new strain traveled.

Couldn't disagree more.
Cool! :)

But I probably made a mistake in making my post, because it's a bit off topic.
 

YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
Messages
16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
I never said it was "intentionally misleading."
This is what led to my interpretation that you felt the information being released and 'hyped' was intentionally misleading:
I think this "New Strain" in England is an over-hyped fearmongering media creation.

Here's another more recent article on the 'new COVID', posted early this aft ....

The more contagious UK variant of COVID-19 has been found in New York

https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-man-positive-more-contagious-uk-variant-covid-19-2021-1?utm_source=notification&utm_medium=referral
 

andyguitar

Moderator
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6,595
Location
South east England
Boris Johnson held a press conference today. He was joined by our 2 main scientific advisors. They spoke about some data that suggests the UK variant of the virus may be more lethal. The data they spoke about showed that the mortality rate in over 60s for the original strain was 10 per 1000. For the new one it is 13-14 per 1000.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
But also another "new" strain is there... Quite contagious in LA.

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsro...nd-in-over-one-third-of-los-angeles-patients/

Thank you for this link and I had not seen it yet. I have suspected for the last few weeks that we must have a more contagious and/or lethal COVID variant here in LA b/c I couldn't figure out any other explanation for why it is so bad here. The vast majority of people in LA are following the stay-at-home order, wearing masks, social distancing, and we have had one of the strictest quarantine orders in the entire country since last March. This finally makes sense why it is so bad here right now.
 

bensmith

Senior Member
Messages
1,547
I could be wrong about other two variants, but ill keep an eye out. Just something i saw pssing in reddit.

But yes cali seems to join the list of worse varients. They are all getting worse it seems, sadly.
 

Sledgehammer

Senior Member
Messages
270
I've visited forums where people rant that Covid isn't real, fake, all a scam so the billionaire class can put a permanent boot in our face, or "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever" -George Orwell

Now that's out of the way, yes, I think Covid exists. Is it the lethal mutated killer we are told, I'm not sure.
But I don't want to find out and will keep the mask applied to my face when out and wash my mittens regularly.

I'm saying this as a person who could catch a cold speaking to someone who is unwell on the other end of the phone 100 miles away. That's not a joke. I came to detest people's filthy habits years ago, whether it was spitting on the streets, coughing and spluttering anywhere but a tissue, or scratching their you know what's front or rear in public then going into the store to shop and wipe it all over the place. Yes I've seen it all, and often wondered where this type of behaviour would lead us in the future.

Mild rant over :)
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
I'm saying this as a person who could catch a cold speaking to someone who is unwell on the other end of the phone 100 miles away. That's not a joke.

I had the home office, and then would make the infrequent trips out to meetings. I would get sick from the coworkers nearly every time I got near them. Or we would both get the same something- a few days later and for them, its a bad afternoon, and for me, its weeks of profound illness. We often had to drive in a car with other people..so there you go.

Sometimes, oh in the mid afternoon, somebody sitting next to you in the meeting rooms, mentions that they are sick, but they are here, they took a pill! Well isn't that nice- you have brought your germs to this meeting and given them to me.

Or I enter the drug store- just to get my pills, touched nothing...but chatted with the clerk, a friend...for...5 minutes. I went nowhere else, got horrifically ill again.

As a result....I've been hiding from germs for years now. Then- COVID struck.
 

Sledgehammer

Senior Member
Messages
270
I wish I could like your post 100 times over.

That was also my experience with co-workers alone. But I had to remember it was frowned upon to take a day off even when your were genuinely unwell. You had to be near death to be taken seriously.
Oh it's just a Cold, what's wrong with you, get back here, you're needed is all I would hear down the phone.
And so the spreading continued along with the misery of feeling ill.

Lock down has given me a good excuse to keep clear of one neighbour in particular who has two children.
I could swear she can make me unwell just by looking at me. Slight joke aside I'm certain she has passed colds and other flu like bugs onto me in the past. She likes to chat, but I now like to run and close the door before she appears :)

Let's hope attitudes really change with Covid.
 
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