[msdivy]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

The logic is that people don't work during the weekend and go out to socialize. The curfew is to prevent the crowding due to more people going out which hopefully controls the spread to a certain extent.

Past experience & numbers indicate that curfew, lockdowns, 'strict' rules, 'tough' rules aren't working. These are extreme measures & unwarranted. Covid restriction, masks, sanitizers 50-50 occupancy can still continue and this helps in overcoming other bacterial & viral infections.

[RGK]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

August 2020: Covid positive
Feb / March 2021: Covishield 2 doses
Jan 2022: Covid positive (reinfection)

Doctor saab - My experience is exactly what you had .

August 2020 (4th to 7th ): Covid positive
March / April 2021: Covishield 2 doses
Jan 2022: Typical Covid positive Symptoms. Nasal Block and Fever for 3 days.

It was mild on both occasions.

[atnyia]

So, it's again that time of the year. On one side, we have just-the-flu bros (could finally be true for omicron). On the other, administrations keep coming with blunt tools like lockdowns, night/weekend curfews that have more downside than upside. Very little interest in actually stopping the transmissions (they would have postponed elections and rallies) but just want to be seen doing something.

Had met a guy around a month back. He told me that there was not much impact of the delta on Indian people and because humanity originated here, people had/have the genetic ability to wade off the virus.

Needless to say, we are barely on talking terms.

[Sran]

Came across this article which explains some theories going around in other parts of the world. Many times it has been said that SARS COVID-19 is man made. A Geneticist has found that a Moderna patented sequence from 2015 has been found in the original Wuhan COVID-19 strain.

https://archive.is/18Ho4

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Sran

Came across this article which explains some theories going around in other parts of the world.

Seems to be an updated version of an old conspiracy theory.

"The false claim that a testing method for COVID-19 was patented by Richard Rothschild in 2015 and 2017 has been shared online. The patent for a system that analyses biometric data to determine whether the user is suffering from COVID-19 was not applied for until May 17, 2020."

"The first is that “coronavirus” is not a word that only applies to the agent behind COVID-19"

"The Pirbright Institute, a research centre in England, filed for a patent on “the coronavirus” in 2015, but it is for a coronavirus that causes avian bronchitis"

Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-f...-idUSKBN27C34O
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/co...avirus-patents
https://thelogicalindian.com/fact-ch...s-patent-24540

[ankan.m.blr]

I have got a mail forward which states : KA Govt. notifies that only those who are seriously sick Or have emergency health issues should visit the hospitals /super speciality hospitals. OPD patients, follow up patients, elective health care etc should not visit hospitals for next two weeks.
Now, who is going to judge what constitutes a serious health issue? My wife underwent a surgery few days back and needs to visit hospital weekly for post-op treatment. In her case, that me be critical. But follow up cases are not advised to visit any hospital!

[Aravind_M92]

Covid now has become more of endemic condition from pandemic. With the results from last 2 years, the official mortality has been around 1.2% as per recorded statements. Also European nations have given statement to consider Covid similar to a flu and isolate oneself if any symptoms are noticed.
In India, post the second wave, covid cases were never low. They were always present constantly at a baseline level. The media also have their ways to manipulate the public in thinking that the cases have really come down! I remember news back around Diwali times, which stated COVID cases have DECREASED to less than 600 per day. And the same channel now states daily COVID cases have INCREASED rapidly to 400 cases per day ( this was around new year's time). So yeah COVID hasn't left us and isn't going anywhere for a another 2-4 years solid. These RNA viruses mutate quicker and in the process loose their virulence. Think of it like modding your car but you need to loose one to get one. As we do gain immunity, the virus will modify the outer structure to gain entry but at the same time loose the virulence. That's what has been seen with the recent Delta and Omicron variants. Over the course of time, the the virus will become a part of our lives like rhinoviruses ( the ones causing common cold). RNA virus Vaccines are required to be repeated at frequent duration to keep the T cell memory active. Thus justifying a need for booster dose. In my opinion a jab every 3-6 months should become a norm till the virus looses it's potency.
Coming to the current situation, the government has very well been working seemlessly over the past two years trying to control the spread. Do remember, in India, a health worker to public ratio is far too less and how do you expect one person to monitor over 500 people per day which might be over 1000 in certain places. The government also has been bleeding Money ( well they did make a lot in other sources) but taxpayers money has been channelised for this purpose. Joblessness would've become even more dangerous condition than COVID. As a frontline worker, I've been witnessing a lot and I too am affected and in quarantine currently. So yeah, it's high time to consider safeguarding ourselves. And yes, the mortality is higher than you'll expect.
Well there's this one more theory, the faster the virus spreads, faster will be the mutations and earlier will be the emergence of less virulent strains. We all are welcome to be a part of this.
I do humbly request all our teambhp members to stay away from travelling or going to crowded places for the next two months minimum and stay the same way you did during lockdown times.

[Kln]

As a doctor, this thread and the non chalant attitude of many is depressing to read. People are absolutely tired of covid and its restrictions. But that spilling over as a casual attitude towards it is worrying. "Mild" covid is not mild. Fatigue, cough, and brain fog are very likely to persist even in mild covid.

You know polio? that virus everyone uncontroversially wants eradicating to protect kids from and we never hear any talk about 'natural immunity' as a good idea? Well, about 3/4 of those infected are totally asymptomatic and about 1 in 200 infections leads to permanent paralysis.

Don't fall for whatsapp forwards. Be cautious, keep your guard up.

[careind]

Damned if they do, damned if they don’t!
As I see it, I/we can tell anything on a public forum as the factual reality does not get back to me/us.
But the blame always squarely falls on the government since they are the ones responsible for that factual reality as it comes back to them.
The mortality in the first wave was mostly restricted to people over a certain age. The second wave had a devastatingly different signature. The government cannot be seen as doing Nothing and so they are falling back on tried and tested methodologies rather than taking a chance of getting caught unawares.
Someone stated that European countries have declared COVID as just another flu. But I beg to point out that that isn’t a similar comparison. They have more money to burn and a lesser population density and a better infrastructure and a better citizen tracking system and better percentages of vaccinated population and , let’s accept, better percentage of responsible citizens.
For all the declaration, Germany was all aflutter a month before and Netherlands stopped Christmas gatherings as the situation was bad.

https://indianexpress.com/article/wo...spike-7653071/

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...wn-2022-01-14/

Even during the first wave US was the most affected after Brazil. I am still surprised how India with a bigger pie of the aged/vulnerable population somehow didn’t end up at the top. Strict Lockdown? Maybe , may not be.
Back to reality check, unless the citizens behave responsibly, governments have to force them and that almost always is not possible as government machineries are geared to tackle , maybe, 10% deviation from the rules/policies but not the 90% that is deviating currently.
So I just take it with a grain of salt and leave it at that.

[am1m]

I've been in a poll-bound state for the past week and I've already seen a couple of political parties going door-to-door canvassing. I'm no doctor or expert, but isn't taking 15-20 people and going from from house to house while the third wave of covid is peaking asking for trouble/a super-spreader literally?!

And the best part is these same people/political parties will pass emergency laws shutting public open-air parks and cause misery to small businesses and local travellers with their weekend curfews and 50% seating rules!

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by am1m

I've been in a poll-bound state for the past week and I've already seen a couple of political parties going door-to-door canvassing. I'm no doctor or expert, but isn't taking 15-20 people and going from from house to house while the third wave of covid is peaking asking for trouble/a super-spreader literally?!

Just my preference, but I would prefer this to organising large rallies and roadshows where thousands of people mingle with no concept of social distancing. In the door to door campaign, of course risk is not zero, but it is reduced to some extent and at least the receivers of the campaign, ie the residents have some control over their own safety.

But OTOH, I feel bad for businesses that have to shut down during the weekend curfew. Maybe a more sensible approach is required with curbs only on crowded places and not just every shop out there. Well, thats too much to ask I guess.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by audioholic

But OTOH, I feel bad for businesses that have to shut down during the weekend curfew. Maybe a more sensible approach is required with curbs only on crowded places and not just every shop out there.

This is exactly the point I was trying to make. Different rules and standards for netas (from every political party) and for ordinary people. Science doesn't agree. The virus doesn't behave differently during election-related activities and business or 'fun' related activities. And the useless media will publish photos of soft targets (tourists, etc.) while ignoring any risky activity that the politicians do. (There's a local newspaper here that literally does that!) Wish the doctors were making the rules and not the politicians!

[am1m]

Great interview with the doctor who first identified the Omicron variant. Some good info here:

https://indianexpress.com/article/id...riant-7726865/

"What I can advise you is that do not look at your positivity rate or your daily cases. You need to look at how many people are admitted in the ICU and what are your death rates for patients admitted specifically for Covid-19."

"What we have seen is that whether you have been vaccinated or not, you still get the mild disease. I think, it’s extremely important that people understand this, that the vaccines are not going to protect you against mild disease but your symptoms will be less intense."

"The use of masks should not be negotiable; it should be compulsory."

"It depends on your immune system. And we unfortunately know that the older you get, the poorer your immune system is or the younger you are, the better your immune system is. Herd immunity was something that we thought we would get via vaccination. But looking at vaccinations, especially in Africa, we are never going to get herd immunity through vaccination."

"Another scary thing, which, I think, we also need to start making people aware of, is the use of antibiotics. The irresponsible use of antibiotics during these viral infections might lead, going forward, to a bacterial pandemic and that would kill us."

"We have done away with our restrictions on movement (of people), closing of restaurants, sale of alcohol, but mask-wearing is still compulsory, there’s still a cap on big gatherings — indoors 1,000, outdoors more. Indoor gatherings of 1,000 people are allowed because of political pressure from the churches. But we haven’t really seen an uptake in the number of infections, even from indoor gatherings of churches."

"Common sense will say that the rule should be the same; it doesn’t matter whether you sweep the floors in a hospital, or whether you are the president of a country. And the rules should be clearly spelled out."

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Kln

You know polio? that virus everyone uncontroversially wants eradicating to protect kids from and we never hear any talk about 'natural immunity' as a good idea? Well, about 3/4 of those infected are totally asymptomatic and about 1 in 200 infections leads to permanent paralysis.

That is a really useful perspective: thank you very much. Have quoted you (with a link to your post) elsewhere.

[Naetik30]

I am sure everyone here knows a kid or two in their Circle that lost a parent in their 40s in the past year to COVID. And to just brush everything away is just irresponsible.

This is a great automotive portal. Let's not claim to be medical experts. Even if you are a medical doctor, you know very well not to provide blanket opinions on a web forum.