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The primary goal of this site is to provide mature, meaningful discussion about the Vancouver Canucks. However, we all need a break some time so this forum is basically for anything off-topic, off the wall, or to just get something off your chest! This forum is named after poster Creeper, who passed away in July of 2011 and was a long time member of the Canucks message board community.
Our current knowledge of viral mutation rates indicates that viral genetic diversity is determined by multiple virus- and host-dependent processes, and that viral mutation rates can evolve in response to specific selective pressures.
Sure, the mutation rate may be host-dependent or depend on its environment, but not the mutation itself, which was my point. Mutations are basically random errors that occur during replication. Those errors may occur more frequently depending on the environment.
So viruses don't mutate to stay alive. They don't choose their mutation as an adaptation to their environment any more than Mick would realise he needs to post better and therefore initiate a mutation resulting in more thoughtful posts.
That's all I meant when I said mutations are random, the upshot being that the virus is not going to choose a more beneficial mutation due to the presence of a vaccine.
White Smoke Emanates From Wuhan Lab Chimney Signaling A New Variant Has Been Named
WUHAN—Thousands gathered outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology with faces of anxious anticipation over the weekend, as rumors had been circulating that a new COVID-19 variant would soon be named. The hopeful pilgrims' hours of waiting were not in vain. Cheers erupted as white smoke began pouring out of the chimney early Sunday morning, signaling the creation and naming of a new COVID-19 variant.
The Swiss have now had a referendum on their covid measures and a clear majority has voted in favour of it, including covid passports.
Now, will the anti-vaxxers view things differently when it has been confirmed that this is what the vast majority wants?
Will they respect the will of the people?
Three people 'scale fence', escape from Howard Springs COVID-19 quarantine facility near Darwin
A search is underway for three people who police say scaled a fence and escaped from Darwin's Howard Springs COVID-19 quarantine facility this morning.
NT Police say the trio escaped sometime before 4:40am last night
It is not known if the escapees are returned international travellers or contacts linked to the Katherine COVID outbreak
NT Police are conducting a police operation in the area
A large contingent of police is currently at the scene, with officers in masks stopping and searching vehicles.
In a statement, NT Police said they were searching for three absconders.
"At 4:40am, it was reported that three people from the Centre for National Resilience scaled the fence and fled the area," the statement reads.
"Police and staff at the Centre for National Resilience are currently confirming the absconders' identities prior to releasing further information."
The facility is currently holding people affected by the NT's Katherine region COVID-19 outbreak as well as returned travellers from repatriation flights.
I say if you're healthy enough to scale fences and run off in the middle of the night, you don't have covid.
But the nazis down under are going to hunt them down like the filthy rabid dogs they are!
HEALTH AND SCIENCE
WHO calls special meeting to discuss new Covid variant found in South Africa with ‘a large number of mutations’
PUBLISHED THU, NOV 25 202112:45 PM ESTUPDATED FRI, NOV 26 20219:15 AM EST
The variant has spread rapidly through the Gauteng province, which contains the country’s largest city, Johannesburg.
“Especially when the spike happens in Gauteng, everybody travels in and out of Gauteng from all corners of South Africa. So it’s a given that in the next few days, the beginning of rising positivity rate and numbers is going to be happening. It’s a matter of days and weeks before we see that,” South Africa Minister of Health Joe Phaahla said during the briefing.
The variant has also been detected in Botswana and [Hong Kong], Phaahla said.
Micky wrote: ↑Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:19 am
I think the NHL should scrap the plan to allow the players to go to the Olympics. The latest Covid variant sounds scary as hell. After everything that's transpired over the last 20 months, is it worth it?
I don't find the Omicron variant to be "scary".
(as per usual, the mutation is more infectious but less severe)
But I wouldn't be surprised if they used it as an excuse to cancel...
From the little I've read on Omicron, there's still too little data for anyone to know how it will affect things. I think the travel restrictions out of SA are just a quick "We better look like we're doing something" reaction - but really, nobody knows if this is the mutation that finally kills of mankind or just a weak variation on a theme.
Cornuck wrote: ↑Tue Nov 30, 2021 5:46 pm
From the little I've read on Omicron, there's still too little data for anyone to know how it will affect things. I think the travel restrictions out of SA are just a quick "We better look like we're doing something" reaction - but really, nobody knows if this is the mutation that finally kills of mankind or just a weak variation on a theme.
The Omicron strain has already been found in most European countries, Hongkong, Canada, Australia and the USA.
So the attempts to lock it in in Africa failed.
We still don't know much about this variety except that it seems to spread even easier than the Delta strain. As it is so new, there is no data on how lethal it is. It ususally takes a week or two before people end up in the hospital and then another couple of weeks before they die, so it's hard to tell how bad a variety is when it has just been detected. The worry here is that it has dozens of mutations in the spike protein, and this is the protein targetted by most of the vaccines available. Thus there is a fear that this virus could go undetected by the antibodies created by the vaccine. But once again, too early to tell. We'll know in a month or two - if we are still alive at that point in time, that is.
Whatever you do, always give 100 %!
Except when donating blood.