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This variant will be global within those few weeks. It’s like we don’t learn about the speed in which all this happened. Travel restrictions to and from South A

This variant will be global within those few weeks. It’s like we don’t learn about the speed in which all this happened. Travel restrictions to and from South Africa need to happen yesterday.

ogogmad 5y ago
Slow down, mate. The WHO would like a word with you: (all quotes from the Guardian) - The World Health Organization cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to Omicron, saying they should take a “risk-based and scientific approach”. It would take several weeks to determine the variant’s transmissibility and the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics against it, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said, noting that 100 sequences of the variant have been reported so far. People should continue to wear masks whenever possible, avoid large gatherings, ventilate rooms and maintain hand hygiene, he added. - South Africa condemned the decision of other countries to impose travel restrictions as ‘unjustified’. The health minister, Joe Phaahla, Phaahla said South Africa was acting with transparency, and that travel bans introduced by a number of countries against southern African nations are “completely against the norms and standards” of the WHO. Phaahla called on all South Africans over the age of 12 to come forward and receive the vaccine, which he said remained a “major bulwark” against infection and severe illness. - South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa will discuss reimposing lockdown restrictions at a meeting on Sunday, as the country scrambles to assess the potential for Omicron to unleash a deadly fourth wave. As I’ve mentioned above, the government appealed for people to get jabbed as soon as possible - only around 35% of South Africans have been vaccinated.
- tfehring 5y ago
  Of course the WHO and South African government oppose travel bans. That doesn't mean imposing those bans isn't in other countries' best interest. Taking a risk-averse approach in a highly risky and uncertain situation isn't inconsistent with the WHO's recommendation to take a "risk-based and scientific approach." I'm not saying that restricting travel is necessarily the right approach (though it probably is), but nothing in your comment really strikes me as compelling evidence that it's the wrong approach.
  - ogogmad 5y ago
    I didn't say it was the wrong approach. I'm actually exasperated by what the WHO and South Africa are saying. They're saying we're not supposed to exercise any precaution until they've waited two days to decide whether to impose a lockdown against a variant which has (with current knowledge) a high chance of evading previously acquired immunity. The variant is highly transmissible, and infections can grow rapidly in that period. This might lead to a reckoning for the WHO. > Taking a risk-averse approach in a highly risky and uncertain situation isn't inconsistent with the WHO's recommendation to take a "risk-based and scientific approach." South Africa interpreted the WHO's statements as being against imposing travel bans. The first sentence of your comment implies you agree that that's what they meant. It's either that, or the WHO's statements are meaningless verbiage. This looks like the events of early 2020 repeating.
- crate_barre 5y ago
  Where have I heard this story before? Oh yeah, January 2020. Here we go again.
  - dang 5y ago
    Please don't take HN threads further into flamewar. Unsubstantive/flamebait comments like this are among the things the site guidelines ask you to avoid. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  It would be great if the WHO was focused on saving lives and preventing infections rather than pushing China's agenda [0]. [0] https://www.foxnews.com/media/who-china-taiwan-interview https://www.foxnews.com/media/who-china-taiwan-interview
  - cercatrova 5y ago
    Fox News is not a credible news source, they themselves termed it as entertainment that no reasonable person would take as news.
    - 908B64B197 5y ago
      That's an interesting opinion. I linked fox because it was the first link to pop up but the same news was picked by several other national and international outlets across the political spectrum. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/senior-who-adviser-appears-to-dodge-question-on-taiwans-covid-19-response https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/senior-who-adv... https://nationalpost.com/news/world/who-taiwan-bruce-aylward https://nationalpost.com/news/world/who-taiwan-bruce-aylward https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8172031/WHO-official-allegedly-refuses-address-Taiwan-appears-hang-journalist.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8172031/WHO-officia... https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52088167 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52088167
  - pasabagi 5y ago
    Ah, fox. Finally, a reputable source!
yosito 5y ago
I wouldn't be surprised if the variant is already global. There is a known case in Belgium from November 11th. Travel restrictions are mainly political at this point.
- ogogmad 5y ago
  What about testing and tracing? And doing travel bans.
  - yosito 5y ago
    What evidence do you have that travel bans stop covid?
    - ogogmad 5y ago
      Infectious diseases spread by human contact. Reducing contact between infected and uninfected people should therefore slow down spread. We can use this time to gather information about this variant in order to make better decisions about how to deal with it. The precautionary principle dictates that we act by assuming that a very bad outcome is likely until we get more information. A very bad outcome (which we don't have enough information to rule out) is hospitals being overwhelmed with sick people, so that some patients are left untreated, with a greatly increased rate of dying as a result. The reason this is possible is because there are a large number of mutations in this variant, which might allow it to bypass people's immunity. This can make immunity acquired through previous infection or vaccination ineffective.
      - yosito 5y ago
        Last time I checked, there were infected people on both sides of the border.
        ogogmad 5y ago
        Which border? What infections? I'm not living in Belgium.

This variant will be global within those few weeks. It’s like we don’t learn about the speed in which all this happened. Travel restrictions to and from South Africa need to happen yesterday.

ogogmad 5y ago

Slow down, mate. The WHO would like a word with you: (all quotes from the Guardian) - The World Health Organization cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to Omicron, saying they should take a “risk-based and scientific approach”. It would take several weeks to determine the variant’s transmissibility and the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics against it, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said, noting that 100 sequences of the variant have been reported so far. People should continue to wear masks whenever possible, avoid large gatherings, ventilate rooms and maintain hand hygiene, he added. - South Africa condemned the decision of other countries to impose travel restrictions as ‘unjustified’. The health minister, Joe Phaahla, Phaahla said South Africa was acting with transparency, and that travel bans introduced by a number of countries against southern African nations are “completely against the norms and standards” of the WHO. Phaahla called on all South Africans over the age of 12 to come forward and receive the vaccine, which he said remained a “major bulwark” against infection and severe illness. - South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa will discuss reimposing lockdown restrictions at a meeting on Sunday, as the country scrambles to assess the potential for Omicron to unleash a deadly fourth wave. As I’ve mentioned above, the government appealed for people to get jabbed as soon as possible - only around 35% of South Africans have been vaccinated.

tfehring 5y ago
Of course the WHO and South African government oppose travel bans. That doesn't mean imposing those bans isn't in other countries' best interest. Taking a risk-averse approach in a highly risky and uncertain situation isn't inconsistent with the WHO's recommendation to take a "risk-based and scientific approach." I'm not saying that restricting travel is necessarily the right approach (though it probably is), but nothing in your comment really strikes me as compelling evidence that it's the wrong approach.
- ogogmad 5y ago
  I didn't say it was the wrong approach. I'm actually exasperated by what the WHO and South Africa are saying. They're saying we're not supposed to exercise any precaution until they've waited two days to decide whether to impose a lockdown against a variant which has (with current knowledge) a high chance of evading previously acquired immunity. The variant is highly transmissible, and infections can grow rapidly in that period. This might lead to a reckoning for the WHO. > Taking a risk-averse approach in a highly risky and uncertain situation isn't inconsistent with the WHO's recommendation to take a "risk-based and scientific approach." South Africa interpreted the WHO's statements as being against imposing travel bans. The first sentence of your comment implies you agree that that's what they meant. It's either that, or the WHO's statements are meaningless verbiage. This looks like the events of early 2020 repeating.
crate_barre 5y ago
Where have I heard this story before? Oh yeah, January 2020. Here we go again.
- dang 5y ago
  Please don't take HN threads further into flamewar. Unsubstantive/flamebait comments like this are among the things the site guidelines ask you to avoid. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
908B64B197 5y ago
It would be great if the WHO was focused on saving lives and preventing infections rather than pushing China's agenda [0]. [0] https://www.foxnews.com/media/who-china-taiwan-interview https://www.foxnews.com/media/who-china-taiwan-interview
- cercatrova 5y ago
  Fox News is not a credible news source, they themselves termed it as entertainment that no reasonable person would take as news.
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    That's an interesting opinion. I linked fox because it was the first link to pop up but the same news was picked by several other national and international outlets across the political spectrum. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/senior-who-adviser-appears-to-dodge-question-on-taiwans-covid-19-response https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/senior-who-adv... https://nationalpost.com/news/world/who-taiwan-bruce-aylward https://nationalpost.com/news/world/who-taiwan-bruce-aylward https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8172031/WHO-official-allegedly-refuses-address-Taiwan-appears-hang-journalist.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8172031/WHO-officia... https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52088167 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52088167
- pasabagi 5y ago
  Ah, fox. Finally, a reputable source!

yosito 5y ago

I wouldn't be surprised if the variant is already global. There is a known case in Belgium from November 11th. Travel restrictions are mainly political at this point.

ogogmad 5y ago
What about testing and tracing? And doing travel bans.
- yosito 5y ago
  What evidence do you have that travel bans stop covid?
  - ogogmad 5y ago
    Infectious diseases spread by human contact. Reducing contact between infected and uninfected people should therefore slow down spread. We can use this time to gather information about this variant in order to make better decisions about how to deal with it. The precautionary principle dictates that we act by assuming that a very bad outcome is likely until we get more information. A very bad outcome (which we don't have enough information to rule out) is hospitals being overwhelmed with sick people, so that some patients are left untreated, with a greatly increased rate of dying as a result. The reason this is possible is because there are a large number of mutations in this variant, which might allow it to bypass people's immunity. This can make immunity acquired through previous infection or vaccination ineffective.
    - yosito 5y ago
      Last time I checked, there were infected people on both sides of the border.
      - ogogmad 5y ago
        Which border? What infections? I'm not living in Belgium.