'Stealth' COVID Variant Spreading Faster in NY Than US, CDC Says: What to Know About BA.2

[riversedge]

Source: nbc





According to the CDC, the "stealth" omicron variant, BA.2, accounts for 39% of COVID circulating in New York and New Jersey right now; that compares with a quarter of new infections nationally


By Jennifer Millman • Published March 18, 2022 • Updated 4 hours ago
0:01/ 1:50



Another COVID variant is contributing to increasing cases in NYC and across America once again, fueling fresh worries as the pandemic recovery appears to hit an unprecedented stride
According to the CDC, the "stealth" omicron variant, BA.2, accounts for 39% of COVID circulating in New York and New Jersey right now; that compares with a quarter of new infections nationally
At this point, it's unclear if BA.2 is linked to more severe COVID cases or is more vaccine-resistant but WHO says it is "inherently more transmissible; a case uptick, but no major resurgence, is expected

Rising COVID infections associated with the so-called "stealth" omicron variant BA.2 are fueling fresh leeriness about the state of the pandemic in New York City and America, just as life as we now know it is starting to return to normal.
.................................

So how worried should you be? Not much, experts say.

On Friday, the Biden administration's incoming COVID czar Dr. Ashish Jha said he wasn't expecting the latest variant to trigger yet another national surge in infections, given the overwhelming prevalence of those vaccinated and boosted.

.......................

Read more: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/stealth-covid-variant-spreading-faster-in-ny-than-us-cdc-says-what-to-know-about-ba-2/3605342/

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I am a worrier.






https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/stealth-covid-variant-spreading-faster-in-ny-than-us-cdc-says-what-to-know-about-ba-2/3605342/

[riversedge]

1. also see this thread.......

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216499165#post5

[SoCalDavidS]

2. Overwhelming Prevalence Of Those Vaccinated & Boosted?

What a bunch of Bullshit!

I read an article saying that 64% are fully vaccinated, and around 30% have received the booster.

I wish they would quit hiding the fact that we're a pathetic country that couldn't get it together and do the right thing.

[L. Coyote]

10. Right, we wish! Get ready for another red state surge.

Link to tweet

[Pobeka]

12. CDC data - 70% of eligible pop is vaxxed, 32% of eligible pop is boosted

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total

Nearly a year behind where we wanted to be.

I still shake my head. If Americans truly cared about each other, we would probably have deaths in only the 10's of thousands, with the trivial ask to wear a mask and avoid social contact in some situations.

And if the everyone who could get vaxxed was vaxxed, the transmission of new variants would be so much lower.

[SoCalDavidS]

14. Americans Care More About Their Precious Firearms Than They Do One Another

I'm still not convinced there won't be another big outbreak wave Nationwide sometime in the not too distant future.

[Pobeka]

15. Yep. It's anybody's guess if we have another COVID wave or slow(er) decline.

Gun violence, on the other hand, is guaranteed to increase.

[Meowmee]

17. This

But they never will, they caved from the start.

“I wish they would quit hiding the fact that we're a pathetic country that couldn't get it together and do the right thing.” So true, pathetic and criminal. I am so disgusted.

[SoCalDavidS]

18. FREEDUMB!!

I DEMAND MY FREEDUMB TO KILL OTHERS WITH THE COVID VIRUS!

[Meowmee]

19. Yes and I was thinking more of the policy makers as well

Most of whom know better.

[Bluethroughu]

3. Me too.

[Tomconroy]

4. The seven day average for Covid cases in NYC is 905 per

the NY Times. That's up a couple 100 from a week or to ago.

[progree]

7. NY is the only state with a 14 day increase in new cases, so far...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html

[rockfordfile]

9. like you're really going to read true numbers from Repuke govs.

[Scrivener7]

23. But NY does tend to be the tip of the spear when new variants come in.

Lucky us.

This sucks.

[WhiteTara]

5. I call us cautious.

[Ford_Prefect]

6. I noticed they did not discuss how many vaccinated and/or boosted make up those infected by the new

Last edited Fri Mar 18, 2022, 09:41 PM - Edit history (2)

variant. Nor did they discuss a possible reinfection rate.

That is concerning given the latest research on immunity decline for booster/vaccinated individuals at roughly 4 months.

Montana reports a 55% vaccination rate among all who could be vaccinated. This is up from 51% last December. Which means there is a huge pool of potential hosts for COVID of any variant. Almost 1/2 of the people you could encounter here could be a carrier.

[Talitha]

8. If there's going to be a second Booster, count me in.

I trust this virus as much as I trust a repug.

[wnylib]

22. Both Pfizer and Moderna have

requested approval for a 2nd booster. Pfizer requested it for people 65 and older. Modeba requested it for people 12 and older.

Wonder why the difference in age between the two companies.

Meantime, don't put away your masks and hand sanitizer. I think that vaccinated young people in good health will fare well with BA.2, but older adults or anyone with health issues will be vulnerable - again.

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

28. Moderna's explanation for the difference ...

was that their request will give the CDC flexibility to make its own decision on what the age range should be.

[wnylib]

34. Interesting. Thanks. That would cover younger people

with underlying health issues.

[beaglelover]

11. Personally I'm not worried.

ICU bed usage is not increasing in Europe which is about a month ahead of us.

[Demsrule86]

29. That is the telltale sign...when hubs had his surgery two and a half weeks ago, there were no Covid

cases in the hospital. We live in Ohio.

[róisín_dubh]

45. Exactly.

My best friend is an NHS nurse and in her hospital they’re seeing a little bit more COVID intakes, but nothing serious. The UK has no restrictions. I was just there and no one masks up anymore except on crowded transport (and I’d say that maybe 50% masked up).

[beaglelover]

47. Great to hear a first hand account of what is actually happening in the UK with the new variant.

Thank you!

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Of course and not just there

The numbers here in Philly have ticked up a bit the past couple dauys right when they have decided to go somewhat half-assed with the reporting, now shifting to the see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil method of dealing with this. They are no longer reporting "positivity" and replaced that report (done daily M-F) with number of hospitalizations.

Will have to see if our recent increase in positives is just an aberration (and/or a dump of some previously unreported results) or is a real increase on the way. In any case, would have to wait until Monday to get the next set of results for here (and that will be a typical "3-days worth"/post-weekend truncated set based on labs not testing/reporting over the weekend but including those who did report to cover Friday/Saturday/Sunday test results. I'll probably know better by about next Wednesday or so when the data sortof settles down.

[MyMission]

25. U.S. Sewer Data Warns of a New Bump in Covid Cases After Lull

Data from wastewater network that monitors for Covid-19 trends is warning that cases are once again rising in many parts of the U.S., according to an analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data by Bloomberg.

More than a third of the CDC’s wastewater sample sites across the U.S. showed rising Covid-19 trends in the period ending March 1 to March 10, though reported cases have stayed near a recent low. The number of sites with rising signals of Covid-19 cases is nearly twice what it was during the Feb. 1 to Feb. 10 period, when the wave of omicron-variantcases was fading rapidly.

It’s not clear how many new infections the signs in the sewage represent and if they will turn into a new wave, or will be just a brief bump on the way down from the last one. In many parts of the country, people are returning back to offices and mask rules have been loosened — factors that can raise transmission.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-14/are-covid-cases-going-back-up-sewer-data-has-potential-warning

[BumRushDaShow]

27. I remember last month I think

looking at CDC's map of where they had partnered with municipalities doing that monitoring Their main web link for that is here - https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/surveillance/wastewater-surveillance/wastewater-surveillance.html

Their tracker is here - https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance

There is just one location listed (which I think is recent) for eastern PA just just outside of Philly in Montgomery County (apparently sampling being done "before" and then "during/after" treatment). The only other in PA is on the western side of the state. So there is no indication of any increases using that type of data here on this side of the state although on the opposite side of the state in the Pittsburgh/Allegheny County area, there is apparently a significant presence/rise.

[MyMission]

38. Wishing will not make it so

I generally believe in the power of positive thoughts, but not when it comes to a pandemic. In the past, if I felt like I'd been exposed to a cold I always said "I'm fighting a cold" not "I'm catching or I caught a cold" and usually I was able to fight it, not catch it.

I'm also good at avoiding, ignoring and procrastinating, up to a point. But that's usually about chores, paperwork or non essential medical stuff. The important stuff, I seem to have a better handle on it. I think about the Asian cultures who have worn masks for decades. Makes sense to me.

"Face masks are considered by many a useful way to stop the contraction and spread of the new coronavirus. The tiny surgical aids are less common in Western countries despite growing outbreaks in Europe and the United States. But its use has exploded in Asia. That’s because Asians, especially in Japan, China and Taiwan, have worn masks for a host of cultural and environmental reasons, including non-medical ones, since at least the 1950s.

Japanese wear masks when feeling sick as a courtesy to stop any sneezes from landing on other people." (more)
https://www.voanews.com/a/science-health_coronavirus-outbreak_not-just-coronavirus-asians-have-worn-face-masks-decades/6185597.html

I've observed (I'm a trained statistician) that when cases drop here mask wearing and social distancing is reduced, then cases increase and many start to mask up and avoid crowds, until numbers go down and it's been cycling like this for 2 years now. I've kept a mask on when others followed guidelines that they could remove them only to start wearing them again as cases rose.

I find it fascinating that they can track Covid and other stuff through sewage, and yet don't act on it. They (not sure who "they" are) knew omicron was coming because of this tracking. But they moved to reduce or remove restrictions and protocols because people want to get back to normal. I say we need to establish a new normal.

My cousin and his wife live in Philadelphia and work in healthcare. They both got covid in April 2020 and recovered, but as far as I know they have not caught it again, and are staunch mask advocates.

The current idea that many may catch it and be asymptomatic, or have a mild case, and that hospital numbers aren't rising in the same proportion as prior strains is dangerous. There is a lag time between infection and hospitalizations. The people who were most at risk before the vaccine are also more at risk even if vaccinated. And another strain may be following this one. At least we can pay attention to the sewage reports, and use our own common sense and best judgement. And keep wearing a mask, even and especially if others are not.

[BumRushDaShow]

40. Agree with what you wrote but would add this

particularly when it comes to both Japan and China - in the case of Japan, you have about 126 million people packed into an area of islands that is around the same size as the state of California (a state that has a population of about 1/3rd of Japan with 40 million) -



Similarly with China, you have 1.4 billion living in an an area the size of the U.S., the latter of which has a population about 1/3rd of China's with about 330 million -



And in most cases around the world, your population is usually packed into the urban areas. So that necessitated the need for something as simple as masking strictly for health reasons, although based on cultural expectations, it would be easier to implement there... The U.S. used to have certain "cultural norms" (like men taking a hat off when inside a building, etc) that have fallen by the wayside due to shifts in the weighting of freedom of choice and attempts at demographic equalization.

You also have China (not unlike places like southern California and Denver) with a unique topography, and then couple that with a large (often coal-fired) industrial footprint, the result being persistent smog and general air unhealthy to breathe in the urban areas, thus also necessitating mask use as needed. California has instituted near unprecedented strict regulations to deal with that over the years but China not so much.

And yes - I expect we are going to see "wave 7" incoming soon. There's a lot of mouthing off about "new normal" but little or no actual embrace of the reality of that term, let alone expectation of instituting the behavior changes required for dealing with it.

If anything, the "predictability" of our health officials throwing away the umbrella when the sun peaks through the clouds while ignoring a gathering storm on the radar heading their way, pretty much establishes how I need to determine what my next steps should be. Unfortunately it requires much reading and assessment of all the info out there because like what is typical within the scientific community (as a retired scientist myself), there will always be disagreements about what the same sets of facts "mean".

[IronLionZion]

49. China's vaccine is not as effective as ours

I had a conversation with some dude recently who thought getting the Chinese vaccine would be better because it's where it all started.

[BumRushDaShow]

50. Most of the vaccine efforts have been along the lines of the more "traditional" types

(modified/live-attenuated/inactivated/dead viral fragment or more recently, through use of modified adenoviruses to mimic a target virus to trigger a response), versus the targeted mRNA ones that use no actual virus, being a true exception, and thus as we're finding, the latter is apparently more effective than the other types.

When it comes to dealing with respiratory viruses, those are difficult to do consistently and with any kind of sustained/high efficacy due to the mutations. I think this is why the companies doing the mRNAs are also looking at their use for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) as well as the Influenzas.

[MyMission]

51. Excellent point, great images too

Thanks for sharing them. My father often told me I should learn Chinese (as I studied several languages) because I could communicate with more people since there were so many of them, and if they ever invaded I'd be useful as a translator. My father was a crazy republican, and this was in the late 60's, and he continued well after Nixon went to China. I was a kid, thought it was great we were making friends with them, but I didn't study Chinese.

There are many who rely on the CDC and government agencies advice and recommendations, in terms of what precautions to take. I agree with your statement about the predictability of our health officials, and also do my own reading and assessment in this and many areas. Growing up people often told me I'm too smart for my own good. (I thought outside the box) What a thing to say?!? I read, observe, reflect, question, analyze, synthesize, evaluate in an effort to understand, enhance, explain, possibly modify. A social scientist at heart, with training and a spiritual center.

I was looking up information on the stealth variant, and found this interesting and entertaining article. The writer reports and ponders some of the information available.

Will BA.2 Omicron ‘Stealth Variant’ Cause Another Covid-19 Coronavirus Surge?

Bruce Y. Lee
Senior Contributor
Healthcare

Looks like the so-called “stealth variant” is not so stealthy anymore. It’s now clear that the BA.2 Omicron subvariant of the Covid-19 coronavirus has been spreading and spreading and spreading. Samples suggest that the BA.2 may currently account for nearly a quarter of all new Covid-19 cases in the U.S., up from about a tenth the week prior. The question then is whether this specific subvariant will fuel yet another Covid-19 surge in general? ...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/03/17/will-ba2-omicron-stealth-variant-cause-another-covid-19-coronavirus-surge/

I was born and raised in NYC, lived there for over 40 years, familiar with crowds, public mass transit systems, people everywhere, small living spaces, elevators, narrow isles in grocery stores and markets, crowded parks, etc. I moved to Western NC 19 years ago, a rural mountain area which seems crowded when the tourists, campers, and visitors invade, April through October, but really isn't when compared to the northeast. Seeing China superimposed in the US and thinking of hundreds of millions more living here is impressive, hard to imagine. But makes sense why so many there do wear masks.

[BumRushDaShow]

52. Many have suggested

that we might consider learning Hindi since it is projected that India will surpass China's population within the next 5 years - https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/population-race-china-india/





So you basically take China's population and put it in a land area 1/3rd the size of China -





And with respect to BA.2 - CDC has been tracking it on their variant proportion tracker site - https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions



It doesn't seem to be increasing at the same excessive rate as its earlier initial variant (yet) but it is still moving pretty quickly and some articles I saw indicated that it is more transmissible than the earlier, more well-known Omicron variant (although running into a vaccinated populace would keep the transmission down and that is probably why the rate isn't exploding like its predecessor).

And aside from the vaccines at least being out there, the only other mitigation that might help (other than the usual like masking/distancing) is that winter is on its way out, allowing for more outdoor (vs indoor) activities. So it might not produce as a high wave as the last two, although the waves will also be more localized to areas that have the lowest vaccination rates and those more densely populated locales (which is why health officials in the urban areas have tried to do as much outreach as they could to get people vaccinated and boosted).

[JI7]

16. NY will usually be hit earlier because of large numbers of people that travel through there

[turbinetree]

20. And there are some in Congress that don't want to fund Covid19 stuff

[Demsrule86]

30. They are not funding it...when hubs had Covid before BA2...he did not get unemployment or get

paid from his job...he was new and benefits had not kicked in. Had he waited several days for the test, he would have gotten benefits for 10 days...now he is management. The hourly get nothing beyond a handful of sick days.

[turbinetree]

33. This is still quite worrisome.....

[Demsrule86]

44. I agree. People work sick which spreads Covid and other illnesses.

[PSPS]

21. "just as life as we now know it is starting to return to normal"

Who says "life is starting to return to normal?"

1. Advertiser-motivated media
2. Politicians up for reelection and cowed by the MAGA (sadly, seems to include democrats now too.)
3. People who have "done their research" on Facetube
4. The many weak and soft people who proclaim they are "done with the virus."

[JT45242]

24. Prevalence....really

Last I saw we were stuck at about 60-65 percent vaxxed.

About 25-30 percent boosted and vaxxed.

That's not prevalent enough.

It will spike again whether it is this strain or another, and we will have weeks or months of more than 2,000 a day dying again.

There just won't be enough doctors and nurses left.

[Demsrule86]

31. I don't think so...there are now treatments... and it will be the same as DeWine said some months

ago those clogging the hospitals and dying are not vaccinated.

[Marthe48]

26. Covid-19 isn't over

Business and government might say it's over, but Covid-19 hasn't agreed.

I saw my dr. last week for brochitis and said I planned to wear a mask for the rest of my life and we both laughed bitterly.

[Demsrule86]

32. A mask protects you against a variety of illness...as we age, a mask is a good idea...Covid or no

Covid.

[childfreebychoice]

35. Every Oct, I would get this "thing," where I would lose my voice...no sore throat, and

Since masking, getting vaxxed, and boosted have had neither.

[Marthe48]

36. Since I've been masking I like the

protection against cold air, helps a little, I think.

I went to Iceland in Feb. and we did a lot of outside touring in very cold air. I knew better, and tried to protect my lungs, but I got sick anyway, and am still getting over it. I don't think what I wore on my face would've have headed this off. I'll remember for a year or 2 and then it'll fade.

But I won't forget to mask against Covid. The cold air might make me wish I was dead, but Covid can actually kill me.

[Demsrule86]

42. I find the mask is warming in the cold Ohio winters. And I have not had anything in since I began

wearing a mask. I hugged my neighbor when she lost her Mom...and got Covid before there were vaccines. But that was it.

[Marthe48]

46. Glad you recovered from Covid

I miss hugging, but avoid it now.

I'm in Ohio, too. Lifelong exposure to dampness and freakish weather :/

[Jetheels]

37. I live in NYC

I am not going to mask outside anymore it’s too dangerous to wear one.
You are a walking target to anti maskers.
They might be driving their car.
I’m still shaken up from an incident 2 days ago.
But indoors yes I mask.
Although in the grocery no one’s masking except the people who work there.

[Farmer-Rick]

39. Went to Publix and Lowe's today

No one, not even employees, were wearing masks. I usually go to Publix because normally all employees wear masks. But not today.

But al least no one harassed me for wearing one mask.

[Jetheels]

41. Thx for your support and comment.

I hope you don’t get experience any harassment for masking.

[Demsrule86]

43. I live in Ohio ...a red state and yet no one has even mentioned that I wear a mask...go figure.

[IronLionZion]

48. I'm still masking indoors around people

Everyone at work is vaccinated by mandate, most are boosted. But I still wear a mask in meetings and take it off only when I'm sitting alone away from others.

Every member of my gym is vaccinated and boosted, yet I wear a mask even for cardio. Cardio outside in my city is pretty dangerous so I stick with the gym.

At my local Harris Teeter I was definitely the only masked millennial I could see. Old people still mask in grocery stores here, which is good.

[ultralite001]

53. You're right to worry... Take a look at the nation's wastewater testing for Covid...

[link:https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance|]

Shapes of things to come...