Universities that used vaccine mandates are no longer using them because +90% of college students & employees are now fully vaccinated and the Pandemic is now entering the Endemic phase. Simply, mandates are no longer needed. Prior to the vaccine mandates...+75% of students volunteered (their choice) to be vaccinated so that they can be with their fellow students on campus in reference to those that lived in the dorms. Everyone else that stayed at home instead of being on campus was subject to health policies in their home, cities, or community. Yet, required to be tested for visitation of another student that lived in the dorms. I have a few nephews & nieces in college that live in the same town as their University. They decided to live in the dorms during the lockdowns to be with their fellow vaccinated students for online classes instead of being lockdown at home for online classes. Also, they volunteered to be vaccinated so that they can have a little more freedom on campus instead of being in lockdown at home with their parents. Most parents requested students to be regularly Covid tested if their teenager was going to live in the dorms. Most universities did such to avoid any liability if a student was to become infected or worst and could not isolate in their dorm room. International students and out-of-state students were given separate housing for infected students whereas locally infected students were required to stay home. I asked my niece what were the negative aspects of being a college student in this Pandemic ? She could not sleep over in her boyfriend's dorm. She could not hangout in her friend's room or in the doorway of her friends room to just talk...it always had to be by Facetime, telephone/cellphone, or outside. No more parties or gathering at the nearby campus bars. She did not like her mom & dad visiting more often to make sure she was OK...she believed they were snooping around in her private life. Frequent Covid testing especially when someone on her floor tested positive. Designated cafeteria times by floor numbers to prevent overcrowding...most instead ate outside with friends or stayed in their dorm...latter is less common because if you've ever lived in a dorm...rooms are small. She did enjoy seeing more students hanging out and walking around outside or studying outside after online classes. Profs that had small classes...were allowed to continue with normal classes but outside. She enjoyed it but not on a very sunny day because the desks would get too hot... Winter was online classes only. She worried more about her family back home during the Pandemic enough that she almost stayed home for her college classes instead of living in the dorms. In fact, that was the most stressful aspect of being a college student on campus...worrying about family & friends back home. Now that she's fully vaccinated...she can do an internship in Europe and will live with family relatives whom she hasn't seen since grade school at a family reunion. We're lucky, nobody from our relatives has died from Covid or has been hospitalized...all are fully vaccinated. In comparison, she has a few classmates that lost a few relatives to Covid that were not vaccinated... A friend/student from India...four relatives from that family died from Covid. Her two younger siblings are now living with a friend of the family. Her friend will be returning back to college next fall. wrbtrader
What to know about EG.5, the most prevalent covid subvariant in the U.S. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/08/08/eris-covid-variant-eg-5-omicron/ The coronavirus has not disappeared. With the advent of successful vaccinations and better social management, however, it has waned. Globally, over 1 million new covid-19 cases and more than 3,100 deaths were reported in the 28 days up to Aug. 3, according to the latest World Health Organization report — bringing the death toll to almost 7 million since the pandemic began. The attention of public health experts around the world is being piqued by a new subvariant, known as EG.5, which is becoming a dominant strain in countries including the United States and Britain. Here’s what we know. What to know What is the EG.5 coronavirus variant? What symptoms may be associated with EG.5? Where is EG.5 being reported? How dangerous might EG.5 be? Will the new boosters work against EG.5? Is covid-19 still a big deal? What is the EG.5 coronavirus variant? The EG.5 coronavirus is a subvariant and descendant of omicron — which remains the world’s most prevalent coronavirus strain. EG.5 has narrowly surpassed other omicron descendants circulating in the United States and now accounts for the largest proportion of covid cases nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Twitter users and some media outlets have unofficially nicknamed the subvariant “Eris” in keeping with Greek nomenclature, but this name is not used officially by the WHO. All viruses evolve and change over time. In its latest update, the WHO designated EG.5, which includes a similar EG.5.1 strain, as one of its “variants under monitoring,” so it is not yet a variant of interest or concern. The virologist and researcher Stuart Turville, an associate professor at Sydney’s University of New South Wales, called the EG.5 variant “a little bit more slippery” and “competitive” than its counterparts, able to “navigate better the presence of antibodies” produced by vaccines. It is, however, only incrementally different from other subvariants, having evolved slightly to “give it a better ability to engage and enter cells a little bit better,” he said. Professor K. Srinath Reddy at the Public Health Foundation of India likened the subvariant to one of “several Barbies in the same film” — noting that it was essentially a variation of other omicron descendants. EG.5 belongs to a family of subvariants “all within the overall umbrella of omicron,” he said in an interview. As with other omicron variants, it is “less invasive and lethal in the body” and “this still remains the general observation,” for EG.5, noted Reddy, a physician. “It’s clear we’re going to be seeing this particular variant have its own day in the sun or period of dominance for some time before it’s replaced by yet another variant,” he said. “That’s the nature of the virus.” EG.5, although more infectious, is not more virulent, and the response to it is generally the same as for other variants because “the impact on the human body is just about the same,” he added. What symptoms may be associated with EG.5? The symptoms for this subvariant remain common to the coronavirus in general and can range from mild effects to more-serious illness. They can include a cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, and headaches. According to Reddy, EG.5 tends to cause symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and a dry cough. He added, however, that with seasonal fluctuations and a lack of testing, differentiating an EG.5 infection from a flu or the common cold can be difficult. NIH announces long covid treatment studies with hundreds of patients Vaccines and boosters still should be encouraged, as should safe social practices such as wearing face masks and keeping rooms well ventilated, health experts say. The elderly may be most vulnerable to new strains, as their immunity from vaccination can wane more rapidly. But EG.5 should not be an immediate cause for concern, Reddy said. “It is not increasing the number of cases in intensive care, or deaths,” he said, although it may be responsible for more hospitalizations, especially among the elderly. “But we have to keep up our vigilance,” he added. “Covid-19 is still with us, but there’s no need to panic with this particular variant.” Where is EG.5 being reported? In the United States, the EG.5 variant — responsible for 17.3 percent of all coronavirus cases reported during the two-week period ending Aug. 5 — is the most prevalent in the country, according to the CDC tracker. In the previous two-week period, ending July 22, EG.5 cases were nearly 12 percent of all reported cases, the CDC said. XBB.1.16, sometimes called “Arcturus,” also remains prevalent in the United States, accounting for nearly 15.6 percent of recently reported cases. Elsewhere, cases of the subvariant EG.5.1 have been reported in countries including Britain, India and Thailand. EG.5.1 was first flagged for monitoring in early July, the UK Health Security Agency said, after reports of its surfacing in Asia. Nearly 12 percent of all samples sequenced in late July were classified as EG.5.1, the agency said. “The COVID-19 virus has not gone away and we expect to see it circulating more widely over the winter months with the numbers of people getting ill increasing,” Mary Ramsay, the director of public health programs at the UK Health Security Agency said in a statement. How dangerous might EG.5 be? “There’s currently no evidence to suggest that it causes more-severe illness,” Andrea Garcia, the American Medical Association’s vice president for science, medicine and public health, said in late July. “And the CDC is indicating that it does appear to be susceptible to coronavirus vaccines, which is good news,” she added. Like Reddy, Turville thinks the variant is not of “significant concern” despite the fact that it “transmits well,” and he advises those who have not received booster shots or been vaccinated or infected with coronavirus in the past six months to consider getting immunized. Will the new boosters work against EG.5? In the United States, health officials are preparing this fall to administer booster doses of coronavirus vaccines made with a new formula targeting the XBB subvariants that have accounted for most infections in 2023. The physician Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, said there is enough overlap between the different variants to believe that the new booster would protect people infected with EG.5 against severe disease. He said the updated boosters will be better aligned against the viruses circulating now than the current formula targeting the BA.5 subvariant that became dominant in summer 2022. The rise of the new subvariant illustrates the challenges public health officials face trying to keep up with an ever-evolving virus, Topol said. “The ‘pandemic is over’ culture is the last thing we need to confront the pressure we’ve put on the virus to find new ways to get us — to find repeat and new hosts — and evade our prior immunity,” Topol wrote in a Substack post Sunday. Is covid-19 still a big deal? Many regions continue to report declines in illnesses and deaths linked to covid, the WHO said in its latest update. However, countries including South Korea, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand were among those having the highest number of reported cases in the past month. A lack of testing and reporting to the WHO also makes figures hard to monitor, the agency said. In general, the coronavirus “remains a major threat,” the WHO said in an update, although the international public health emergency was declared May 5 to be officially over. “WHO continues to urge Member States to maintain, not dismantle, their established COVID-19 infrastructure. It is crucial to sustain surveillance and reporting, variant tracking, early clinical care provision,” it added. Although some people understandably want to put the pandemic behind them, Turville said, it’s a “virus we live with now,” like influenza, and does require regular monitoring. “We are still working in the background, even if it’s not front-page news,” he added.
Meet the new Pirola variant. Seen in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere. Four new Covid symptoms to be aware of as 'Pirola' strain arrives in the UK The new strain appeared in numerous other countries before spreading to the UK. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/health-fitness/four-new-covid-symptoms-aware-30740838 People in the UK are being urged to look out for some key Covid symptoms as a mutated strain arrives in the UK. The new strain, called BA.2.86, or 'Pirola', has already been identified in a number of different countries according to the UK Health Secretary Agency (UKHSA). And it was confirmed yesterday that there is one case in the UK so far, although the UKHSA has not given any more details. The Mirror reports that the new strain of the Omicron variant may have up to 30 changes in its protein make-up, and the mutations mean that people may not be immune from previous viruses or vaccines. (More at above url)
Covid variant ‘Pirola’ spreading fast across the US as new boosters planned for this month https://www.aol.com/news/covid-variant-pirola-spreading-fast-054410680.html A new, rapidly spreading coronavirus variant has sounded alarm bells for public health experts in the United States amid a rise in cases across the country. Doctors warned that the BA.2.86 variant – unofficially called “Pirola” – may be cause for concern as it is a newly-designated, highly-mutated variant of Omicron which triggered a surge in cases in a number of countries including the US. According to a Thursday bulletin in Yale Medicine, the new variant has more than 30 mutations to its spike protein - located on the outer surface of a coronavirus - which helps it enter and infect human cells. “Such a high number of mutations is notable,” infectious disease specialist Dr Scott Roberts said. “When we went from [Omicron variant] XBB.1.5 to [Eris] EG.5, that was maybe one or two mutations. “But these massive shifts, which we also saw from Delta to Omicron, are worrisome.” A separate mini-wave of Covid cases is being fueled by the newest dominant variant EG.5, or “Eris”. It has caused hospitalisations to increase by 39 per cent since the end of July. (More at above url)
More on Pirola... Early lab tests suggest new Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 may be less contagious and less immune-evasive than feared https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/03/health/covid-new-variant-pirola-early-lab-results/index.html
Map shows UK’s biggest Covid hotspots as new variant spreads across country https://metro.co.uk/2023/09/14/maps-shows-uk-covid-hotspots-pirola-variant-19499530/
There's nothing for them to worry about if cases (infections) continue to rise as long as hospitalizations and deaths do not begin to rise. Most people have been vaccinated in the past two years. Yet, we all know vaccines do wane (all vaccines in mankind do wane...they just need to get us through any periods in our life when we'll most likely be exposed to a dangerous virus) but as long as hospitalizations and deaths are low...it will imply vaccines did their job... Jump-started the immune system to fight any Covid variant while the remainder of the population has built up natural immunity...keeping the hospital system from being overwhelmed. Until then...play football (soccer) and have a lot of fun if their team is winning in the premier leagues. By the way, over 68% of players in England's premier soccer leagues have in fact been fully vaccinated with more than 40% boosted. wrbtrader
New Covid variant 'evading immune systems' warns CDC as viral 'hurricane' hits hospitals The subvariant JN.1 currently accounts for an estimated 15-29 percent of cases in the United States and "COVID-19 hospitalisations are rising quickly", warns the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1846603/covid-new-variant-symptoms-jn-1-2023 Covid subvariant JN.1 is the fastest growing strain in America and it's "better at evading immune systems" than its predecessors, suggests the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The warning comes after JN.1 was recently designated a variant of interest by the World Health Organization (WHO). The subvariant is closely related to BA.2.86, which was first detected in August of last year, and features more than 30 mutations compared to omicron XBB.1.5, the dominant variant for most of 2023. However, JN.1 is of particular concern because it possesses more than three dozen mutations in its spike protein compared with XBB.1.5. Why is this a problem? Covid gets into our cells via the spike protein (the exterior part of the virus that the immune system recognises), so the more mutations to the virus's spike protein, the more likely it is that it will evade the immune response. The jury is still out on whether JN.1 will evade the naturally acquired or vaccine-induced immune response but the CDC has raised cautious concern. "The continued growth of JN.1 suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems," the agency recently said. The latest CDC data suggests the new variant comprises an estimated 15–29 percent of all cases in America and it's having tangible effects. "COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising quickly," the agency said in its weekly update. "Since the summer, public health officials have been tracking a rise in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which is caused by COVID-19. Influenza activity is growing in most parts of the country. RSV activity remains high in many areas." However, it did caution that "there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants". Other health bodies are making similar noises. “It has a growth advantage, but this is what we expect from variants that are classified as variants of interest,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead for COVID-19, said during a briefing last month. “In terms of severity, we don’t see a change in the disease profile of people infected with BA.2.86 and its sublineages, including JN.1, but it is one, of course, one to watch.”