COVID-19 Crisis: According to two studies, Omicron variant causes less severe symptoms while being more resistant to Pfizer’s vaccine

News reports about the Omicron variant continue to scare people and their respective authorities around the world. To cut through all the noise and fear made by the secular liberal media outlets and their Leftist activists working as journalists, it’s time we pay attention to specific details about the Omicron variant with regards to infection and reaction towards the COVID-19 vaccine of Pfizer, as reported by CBN News.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the statement published by CBN News. Some parts in boldface…

The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus appears to cause less severe symptoms than earlier variants of COVID-19, but it’s also more resistant to the Pfizer vaccine, according to two new studies.

A Center for Disease Control study (CDC), published Friday, looked at 43 people with the confirmed strain.

The five-page report shows the most common symptoms are cough, fatigue, congestion, or runny nose lasting around three days.

More than 58% of those surveyed were young people between 18 and 39 years old. And 79% of those infected with the variant were vaccinated, including 14 people who had received a booster dose. In addition, 16% had been infected with COVID-19 before.

Only one person who was vaccinated was hospitalized.

Findings from a much larger study by Discovery Health revealed the Pfizer vaccine is less responsive to the Omicron variant.

Discovery Health is South Africa’s largest health insurance provider and the group looked at 78,000 cases of this particular variant between Nov. 15 and Dec. 7.

According to study findings, the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination provides 70% protection against hospitalization from Omicron but only 33% protection against a COVID-19 infection from this highly contagious variant.

Ryan Noach, Discovery Health’s chief executive, said the variant is more transmissible despite lower hospitalization rates.

“The omicron-driven fourth wave has a significantly steeper trajectory of new infections relative to prior waves,” he said in a statement. “National data show an exponential increase in both new infections and test positivity rates during the first three weeks of this wave, indicating a highly transmissible variant with rapid community spread of infection.”

“What is encouraging at this stage is a flatter trajectory of hospital admissions indicating likely lower severity of this wave,” he told a news briefing later.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky described their agency’s smaller study as a starting point.

“I know we all remain concerned about where we are in the pandemic both with delta and now with the omicron variant,” she said during the White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing. “CDC has been actively addressing and evaluating the omicron variant and working with state and local jurisdictions to understand its spread.”

As seen in the above report, the two separate studies revealed key aspects of the Omicron variant: it has caused mild symptoms and among the forty-three people who got infected by the variant, one patient (described as vaccinated although it’s not clear as to how many doses were injected) got hospitalized. The other finding about Pfizer’s vaccine being less responsive to Omicron is more concerning as it is a fact that many millions of people around the world got vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech. In a somewhat related move, Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 pill could work against Omicron.

Going back to vaccines, the team behind Sputnik vaccines of Russia declared their current vaccines are effective against all variants, that they will prove to be effective against the Omicron variant, and they went ahead developing a new version of their vaccine with Omicron in mind. Here in the Philippines, the Omicron variant has been detected for the first time. Prior to the confirmation of the first two Omicron cases, the daily average of new COVID-19 infections remained in the hundreds and only 235 new cases were counted on December 14, which is the lowest count since May 2020. The Philippines also has over 40 million people fully vaccinated and a lot more people are able to move around in public and support the many struggling businesses as community restrictions have been eased. As of this writing, it remains to be seen if the Omicron variant will somehow cause a spike in the daily average count of new COVID-19 cases.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about these newest developments related to the Omicron variant? If you were injected with a Pfizer-made vaccine, what can you say about the recent study that found the said vaccine to be less responsive to the Omicron variant? What is the one aspect about Omicron that concerns you the most right now?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Cover photo used in this article was sourced from CBN News.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: Omicron-related fear and panic cause several governments to enact mandatory vaccinations

The fear and panic over Omicron is still strong and already several government units reacted heading towards the enactment of mandatory vaccinations, according to a recent CBN News report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the statement published by CBN News. Some parts in boldface…

The World Health Organization admits there has yet to be a single death from the Omicron variant, but that hasn’t stopped some governments–especially in Europe–from using it as another reason to enact mandatory vaccinations.

Here in the U.S., Omicron cases are now confirmed in at least 17 states. 

“We have several dozen cases and we’re following them closely. And we are, every day, hearing about more and more probable cases,” said CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

But so far, Omicron does not seem to be dangerous. Initial studies show it has a similar genetic structure to the common cold, making it more transmissible. But in South Africa, where Omicron first emerged, hospitalizations have not increased significantly.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said, “We really need to be careful before we make any determinations, but thus far the signals are a bit encouraging regarding the severity.”

Peter McGinn of Minnesota tested positive for Omicron after a visit to New York City. 

He had been fully vaccinated and received a booster.

“I felt kinda tired. I felt bad for about a day. I did my absolute best to follow the guidelines, I had my mask on the entire time,” McGinn said.

COVID guidelines and restrictions have become a significant issue in Europe, where some nations are requiring citizens to be vaccinated.  And that has sparked massive and sometimes violent demonstrations across the continent.

At a protest in Brussels, a Belgian woman said, “I don’t agree with the mandatory vaccinations because these vaccines, I don’t think they’re great yet. “

A Spanish protestor in Barcelona said, “The dead from COVID-19 are mostly vaccinated people instead of non-vaccinated. That’s in all hospitals.” Another said, “We don’t want the COVID-19 passport. We want freedom. It’s a human right. We don’t want vaccines, neither for us or our children. This is a genocide.”

Austria has announced it plans to become the first country in Europe to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory.  Germany plans on making vaccinations compulsory for some jobs.

European Union leader Ursula von der Leyen says it’s time for the E.U. to discuss a Europe-wide vaccine mandate.

Posted below is the related news video of CBN News…

Omicron also a factor as mentioned by New York City’s outgoing mayor

In the City of New York, the exiting Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his own vaccine mandate for private employers and vaccine passports on the people (including children) according to a separate CBN News report. De Blasio mentioned the Omicron variant as a new factor as well as the cold weather creating additional challenges on dealing with the Delta variant in the city.

The weird thing about the NYC mandate is that the federal private employer mandate has been put on hold. Kathryn Wylde, the head of the business group Partnership for NYC, questioned the mayor’s authority to impose the local mandate on private employers. The United States Representative of Long Island Lee Zeldin called the mandate a “job-killing, small business-suppressing mandate.”

“When you dangerously combine a far-left, lame-duck politician, who is anti-business, one-dimensional, unaccountable, not bright and has a perpetual ‘I always know best’ attitude,’ you get Bill de Blasio, the Worst Mayor in America,” Zeldin further said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about these newest developments overseas related to the Omicron variant? Do you think that the government units from New York City to Europe panicked or overreacted? If you are physically in New York City or Europe right now, did you witness any protests or riots related to the vaccination mandates? Do you believe that the secular, Left-leaning and liberal news outlets magnified the Omicron variant too much and distorted the details to spread fear and panic?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: Food supply chain program to be launched soon in Las Piñas City

Very soon the City Government of Las Piñas will launch a food supply chain program as a result of signing a key agreement with the Department of Agriculture (DA), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. This development is crucial as everyone is still living under the COVID-19 crisis and the fear of the Omicron variant generated by the mainstream media.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Las Pinas City government signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the launch of the Enhanced Kadiwa Inclusive Food Supply Chain Program to ensure food availability and accessibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said that under the agreement, the DA will provide financial grant assistance to participating eligible organizations and local government units (LGUs) to enhance their capacities in value-adding activities in the food supply chains from aggregation, processing, packing, store, warehousing, and transport to distribution.

Aguilar said the project, under the agreement, shall focus on the implementation of two Kadiwa Stores in the city where the project aims to enable selected market vendors to have funds for the renovation and improvement of the Kadiwa store.

She said the DA shall download funds to the city which shall be granted to the Pagsasarali Talipapa Multi-purpose Cooperative and the Las Piñas Meat Dealers Association of which both organizations will receive P1 million each.

The mayor said that under the agreement, DA’s obligation through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service or AMAS shall provide financial grant to the city in the amount of P2,000,000 to be funded under the Market Development Services of FY 2021 General Appropriation Act 11518.

Vice-Mayor April Aguilar said the DA’s financial grant will be used in the implementation of the “Enhanced Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita Financial Grant Assistance Program” to be released in full accordance with the approved project proposal as well as the work and financial plan contained in the agreement.

“On our side, the city’s obligation is to implement the approved project and shall see to it that it will be in accordance with the approved project objectives, standards, systems, and procedures for project implementation, and the approved Work and Financial Plan contained in the agreement,” Vice-Mayor Aguilar said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this recent development? Is there a Kadiwa store near you?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

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