Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Berkut]

I was at the grocery store yesterday and saw that they had PCR self tests for sale. $4 for a pack of 2.

I was tempted to buy a couple packs "just because".

[Zanza]

A PCR self test instead of the usual lateral flow self tests? Normally for PCR, you need a machine as the process needs thermal cycling... how is that solved?

[Sheilbh]

Boosters/third doses are essential and should be the focus of every government right now:

Becky Quick
@BeckyQuick
Significant breaking news: Pfizer says 3 doses of its current Covid vaccine (2 original shots plus booster) provide as much protection vs Omicron as 2 shots provided against the original variant. Dow futures spike to up 140.

[garbon]

Just had a colleague who is 37 in NE London get contacted by their GP to get a vaccine and has appt now for Saturday.

[Syt]

End of lockdown vs case incidence in Austria:

[Josquius]

That far west bit... They wanted to join Switzerland once.
Are they ultra conservative liberal smooth brains like the forest cantons?

[Syt]

That far west bit... They wanted to join Switzerland once.
Are they ultra conservative liberal smooth brains like the forest cantons?

It's firmly ÖVP country, so conservative, but not FPÖ-style, similar to Upper/Lower Austria and Tyrol (Styria, Burgenland, Salzburg, Kärnten are a bit more pluralistic). Results of the most recent state elections in 2019:

[Sheilbh]

Obviously very early days - and it may mainly be infecting young people. But these charts from South Africa look promising about the impact of omicron (obviously if it's more transmissible it will find the unvaccinated quicker but a milder variant crowding out delta would probably still be good right?):

[Tamas]

but a milder variant crowding out delta would probably still be good right?

That's my hope for sure.

[Valmy]

Well each variant should be more infectious but also less deadly as the pandemic goes on right?

[Caliga]

Well each variant should be more infectious but also less deadly as the pandemic goes on right?

Correct.  That's how most viruses evolve.  They don't care about killing their hosts, they just want to survive.

[DGuller]

I've read multiple virologists being annoyed that this myth exists.  They said that there is no evolutionary pressure to make the virus less lethal.

[Josquius]

I've read multiple virologists being annoyed that this myth exists.  They said that there is no evolutionary pressure to make the virus less lethal.

How's that?
Logically it makes sense. Avoid killing your host and your chances of survival and reproduction are boosted no?

[HVC]

killing is not a problem, killing before you transmit is. a hosts immune system would kick in after a while and stop the virus anyway (in most non lethal cases), so from a virus' perspective it doesn't matter if the host is immune or dead.

[celedhring]

I've read multiple virologists being annoyed that this myth exists.  They said that there is no evolutionary pressure to make the virus less lethal.

How's that?
Logically it makes sense. Avoid killing your host and your chances of survival and reproduction are boosted no?

I'm no expert, but I suppose the advantage is gained by not incapacitating your hosts too quickly so they can spread the virus around. Usually that translates to being less lethal but not necessarily so.