Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

Heard a comedian suggesting that the Chinese border control covid test might be much more sensitive than LFTs and should be used for unvaxxed folks to get access to non-essential venues, eg, concerts.

Can’t imagine there would be more uptake than with nasal and oral swabs though.

My normally very Covid compliant partner has been coughing intermittently since late last week. No long bouts or anything like that, just a few dry, chesty coughs multiple times an hour, including at night.

They’ve been doing LFTs every day, all negative, and now we’re out of tests. No loss of smell or taste, but they do have a sore throat. Humidity in the house is fine, the carpets and beds have been vacuumed and surfaces dusted, no obvious cause.

We’ve been keeping to ourselves so no risk to others, but today when I asked them to call the GP to hopefully get a PCR their energy changed: they soon had a strong desire to go outside or go to the shop. I had to be strict with them to get their perspective back, I think they were in denial. I can see how easy it would be for others in this situation to let their partner or themselves off easy, and go ahead with ‘just one (urban) walk’ or a quick shopping trip ‘because it’s probably not covid but they’ll have to isolate if waiting for a PCR’.

Ah is that medical brand loyalty working ;)

So French anti vaxxers are now threatening MPs that support Covid passes so you have to show that you are vacinated instead of the being allowed to show a LFT negative test
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59860058

Seems odd that there are so many protests as most of the population have been wearing masks outdoors.

Yo. Thought I'd share my recent (probably boring) experience here in case it's of use to anyone -

I was testing with lateral flows all the way up to Christmas. I do them routinely for work anyway, and I wanted have peace of mind when visiting my parents on Xmas day.

So it gets to Christmas Day, and I have a slight sniffle when I wake up. Tested Xmas eve and Xmas morning, both negative and my head clears the moment I start walking about etc.

Being a silly billy, I go to my parents anyway. Mask the whole time no contact windows open blah blah. Just in case.

Get back and that night I am proper full of snot. Headcold. I'm a bit nervous now so I keep testing. All good. Same negative the next morning. Order a PCR for extra peace of mind.

That night, back aches a bit. Bit cold. Head proper full of water. I never get sick so I'm pretty sure I got it. Send off PCR right after it arrives in the morning. Still testing negative on the lateral flows so fingers crossed.

Another shitty night.. start to isolate just in case, and boom, results texted to me and I'm positive. Not sure which. Assume omicron.

A bit gutted at myself, and worried for parents. They haven't shown any bad signs since though, touch wood.

Had one more night of aches, coughing, headcold, although mostly gone the next day.. Anyway I still haven't tested positive on any lateral flows. Was given the all clear on a PCR this weekend. Still keeping distance from everyone for a while.

Out of breath still. Coughing a bit. Feels like my lungs are smaller than they were. Get tired easy. Out of sorts.

Anyway, that's my experience with covid up to now. First time getting it. First time having anything like the flu.

The takeaway for me is that you should trust your body if you're not sure about a negative test result. The stress from worrying about my parents afterwards made the whole Christmas thing not worth it.

Media hype.
it predates omicron and has been sequenced less than 100 times, its going nowhere fast.

I hope you're right. I remember post #7 in this thread though...

There was a cold with a particularly persistent annoying cough doing the rounds in the lead up to Christmas. All the kids at nursery had it. We were chainsmoking LFTs for weeks to be sure. You haven’t got kids, so it might have only just reached you.

Alternative anecdote - I had a bad cold just before Christmas. Sore throat, dry cough, lost voice, fever. LFT everyday, negative. Bracketed the worst of the illness with PCRs (a couple days in just before the worst symptoms then a week after), both negative. Felt very covid-like based on many people's symptoms - 4 weeks after it started my lungs are still 'small'. I'm pretty sure it wasn't covid but unpleasant enough to not want to pass on to elderly parent and family.

I think there's a lot of lung/throat/cold virus around, so more listen to your body and stay away from other people, whatever it is they don't want it.

Man I have exactly the same as you but still tested negative in LFT (daily since early Dec) and recent PCR negative.

Exactly like @hoefla , I think it didn’t help that the current variant echoed a typical mild cold.

I hope you're right. I remember post #7 in this thread though...

Just to give you some perspective, Omicron is doing its damndest to find a viable mutation. Just take a look at how many times it's had a stab at mutating (orange dots). It's rate of transmission is perfect for that. From what I have read, that pre-omicron mutation is not something those in the know are worrying about.

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^^Sounds a lot like seasonal flu.

Zoomed in view

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Is this not just a product of the number of infections? Or is it something specific to this variant?

Just going to post this here:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34954396/

If Omicron is of zoonotic origin (mice), then it is likely to mutate faster when it first circulates in humans, aiui.

thats shit, if you need anything let me know

Middleburn rs7's ta <3

Is this not just a product of the number of infections? Or is it something specific to this variant?

My understanding is that its pretty much down to the rate of reproduction, rather than anything special about the variant itself. More reproduction = more opportunity to try new things.

Middleburn rs7

I will never let anyone use Middleburns

Indeed. The probability around variants must be quite interesting.
To my mind it would suggest there is an optimal number of infections in terms of controlling variants.
High enough that any one variant can’t become dominant low enough that it can’t occur multiple times?

My sister in law (French) in France has been vaccinated, and also helped out in care homes with covid patients in the first lockdowns.

She is however vehemently against covid passes and loss of freedom of movement out of principle.
Plenty of French people who appreciate the vaccine and science, but not government enforced restrictions.

Anyone unvaxxed who wants to go to a non-essential venue should be forced to take an anal swab at the door. Let's test their commitment to their stance.

Didn't see it posted yet - JVT was the person doing the Royal Institution Xmas lectures this year, all about the pandemic: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pmbqq

caught one of these on TV, the one with R-number, very good!

I had the pleasure of watching him rip off his tie twice. I was banished to the cheap seats in the gods while my daughter was in the on screen audience. Sadly they didn't pick her for any of the volunteer bits.