roni3470 wrote: I just hope we don't have a dangerous pandemic pop up because you will never get people to mask up or quarantine again!!

I agree. People are so over it. There is serious Covid fatigue everywhere.

part 2, 

Maybe also a look at [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ for the global cases; 2,548,891 for february 11-Friday, trend -18% for now...Reported deaths at 11,626 (number will see further corrections during the day...) trend +0,3%

Cases expected to go up again within a few weeks because of BA.2/2+ (etc.)...

A look at DemarK [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=DNK&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=DNK&dark=true BA.2 now at 47% of all sequences last 60 days...BA.1.1 only made it to 5%, BA.1 40% (so Omicron 92%+ in DK...BA.3 so far very limited, if any). 

South Korean cases +116% so what is happening there ? [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true BA.1.1 (16%) replacing BA.1 (5%)...deaths in South Korea +11% may still be related to Delta (AY.69, 38% and AY.122 40% last 60 days sequencing)...Also "Deltacron"????

Japan cases +12%, deaths +121% [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=JPN&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=JPN&dark=true BA.1.1 at 70% of all Japan sequences last 60 days...BA.1 at 12%, even BA.2 allready at 2%...Omicron replacing AY.29 Delta...at least part of increase in Japan deaths may be related-still-to Delta...however 878 deaths last 7 days, 397 the week before may not fit in that pattern...

What is Australia doing ? [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=AUS&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=AUS&dark=true BA.1 at 74% last 60 days...BA.1.1. (at 6%) was replaced by BA.1, it looks like even BA.2 (1%) did not have much chance against the (Australian) version of BA.1....(BA.1-AUS ?)...AY.39.1 was a major Felta-factor before Omicron showed up ...still 15% of Australia last 60 days sequences...Australian cases -8%, deaths -24%...still 943 Australian deaths last two weeks...

Florian Krammer

@florian_krammer

·

17h

7) Another subgenus is formed by the sarbecoviruses. This includes SARS CoV from 2003, which in my opinion almost caused a pandemic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002%E2%80%932004_SARS_outbreak…). It also includes SARS-CoV-2.  Now, I added the original SARS-CoV-2 as well as the Omicron variant in the tree.

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DJ, [url]https://twitter.com/florian_krammer/status/1492128514631471105/photo/1[/url] or https://twitter.com/florian_krammer/status/1492128514631471105/photo/1 putting human-cold virus. MERS, and SARS 1 and 2 at a position in the Corona-family picture...(Good job !!!) A major question on how different "Omicron" is compared to earlier CoViD-19 variants (and a possible mice-development link)...will we-maybe-have to see Omicron as a sort of SARS-3 ???? Still full of surprises ? 

The thread [url]https://twitter.com/florian_krammer/status/1492128514631471105[/url] or https://twitter.com/florian_krammer/status/1492128514631471105 on the Corona-family...also discussing the different sort of possible vaccines...and the time it may take...years...DJ-I still have hope nasal-spray vaccines may do a better job soon..I expect that kind of vaccines this year...but who am I ? Mot an expert at all !

I was wrong in expecting Omicron cases going much further up...there was no testing capacity for that...but we may have had/still may have (far) over 10 million infections of Omicron per day...So, "Omicron is mild ?"...no much to early to say that...most of all it is much different ! High spread but slow killer....Lots of reports of people with only mild or no symptoms later on getting all kind of other problems allready...Excess deaths may be "the best indicator" for how "mild" Omicron is...we may get some indications next year....[url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-africa/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-africa/ may give a picture of a short-high-peak in cases mid-december...deaths starting to go up slowly in february...A major problem is testing/sequencing in Africa is very, very limited...[url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=ZAF&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=ZAF&dark=true BA.2 now also increasing in SA...allready 16% (BA.1 at 74%, BA.1.1 at 9%...so Omicron in SA 99% of recent-60 days-sequencing...). 

Diego Bassani, PhD@DGBassani·10hLab confirmed COVID-19 hospital admissions (per 100,000 people) in Brazil by age group up to last week of January (week 5). Vaccinate your children. Plot by @marfcgQuote TweetMarcelo F C Gomes@marfcg ·

DJ [url]https://twitter.com/DGBassani/status/1492246704116097035/photo/1[/url] or https://twitter.com/DGBassani/status/1492246704116097035/photo/1 also in Brazil a strong increase of children and young adults (<30 y/o) ending up in hospital...Omicron IS different, earlier variants did not effect children this bad !

Double Individual Speculator@x2IndSpeculator·

7hWow, while the largest increase in deaths during 2020 was in 55+ cohorts, the two-year percentage increases in deaths were in fact largest in the 25-54-year-old age groups. 

Almost 50% increase in deaths 2021 vs. 2019 in the 35-44 cohort. 

Now, that's shocking, yet most don't care.

Quote TweetBill McBride@calculatedrisk · 9hLawler: Deaths by Age https://calculatedriskblog.com/2022/02/lawler-deaths-by-age.html…

DJ [url]https://twitter.com/calculatedrisk/status/1492257789757968384/photo/1[/url] or https://twitter.com/calculatedrisk/status/1492257789757968384/photo/1 

There have been earlier reports (from a.o. life-insurance companies) on how also deaths increased in younger age groups...US deaths age 35-44 +50% comparing 2019 with 2021...

"Long CoViD" ; 

Resia Pretorius@resiapretorius·Feb 10In fact we have shown microclots in acute covid in 2020 already.  They just never go away in longcovid @dbkell 

https://cardiab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12933-020-01165-7

DJ (Pretorius is a very South African name)...maybe Omicron may indicate ; "Long CoViD is CoViD !!!"...there is an acute phase and a chronic phase...but it may be the same "monster"!

There is some discussion on a fourth vaccination/booster...yes it looks like it may-again-offer some extra protection but at what costs ? Is not the way "society" deals with this pandemic the main problem ? If governments simply deny any major problem "boosters" may help only very limited...

(Let me go on on [url]http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2022/02/accelerating-loss-of-global-snow-and-ice-cover.html[/url] or http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2022/02/accelerating-loss-of-global-snow-and-ice-cover.html and how "politics" ignore it...The Thwaites Glacier contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 65 cm (25.59 inches) if it were to completely collapse.

DJ, (Ant)Arctic sea ice is eroded by warmer ocean water, glaciers are "moving" faster-in lots of places (Greenland, Himalaya, Antarctica...Alps)...Ocean/Sea water temperature also going up=expanding...for that matter we may see a 1 meter see level rise maybe as soon as 2030...But it is "not 100% certain" so still not much serious action...Global temperature may allready be above 2C+...3c+ may bring "end of much agriculture, famine, major water issues...Denialism, going for short term economic gains...penny wise-pound foolish...)

So-where does this put us in this pandemic ? Maybe only a few persons-protected by their genes/chromosomes may escape from catching CoViD this year...in my non-expert view...And I do not know if I should envy them ....(maybe I may be even be part of that group, somehow unable to get the infection...)...Some very rich may "hide" is "safe shelters"...Omicron may be moving towards being able to infect a host over and over again...doing a lot of damage with a fast decreasing health care system to "limit damage"...

YES-vaccines may have their risks, I am "an older man" willing to take those risks...so also a next booster...Because the alternative could be worse...Of course I will hang on to my "social bubble", masks etc, avoiding crowds...In fact a lot of people will stick to that...Again-I would love to see this pandemic to be over, today if it would work like that...but it does not work that way...

So I am NOT optimistic....but love to be wrong !

End of part 2

DJ, 

Let me start with the international situation;

Ukraine; [url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/4-days-russian-duma-to-reconsider-recognizing-luhansk-and-donetsk-as-independent[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/4-days-russian-duma-to-reconsider-recognizing-luhansk-and-donetsk-as-independent Most likely Russia tomorrow-monday february 14-will recognize Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states. 

The "Kiev-regime" is unwilling to further proceed with the UN-Minsk peaceplan it earlier accepted in talks between Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia. Again-it is the u.s. breaking another international/UN agreement supporting Kiev lack of realism...(in words NATO may still be on the u.s. side, political clown bojo may mean it...). 

Recognizing Luhansk and Donetsk by the Russian parliament "duma"could open the door for Russian military presence inside those area's. But I think Putin will wait to see how "the world" reacts. China, Iran may follow Russia in recognizing an "independent status"...maybe also Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua will...

No doubt there have been talks with countries like Turkey, Pakistan, India...if they would recognize Luhansk and Donetsk (for practical reasons-to enforce an ending to the Ukraine conflict) it may corner the u.s. further.

I do not expect France, Germany, Italy to accept Luhansk, Donetsk as independent states but they may decide also not to condemn it...since it is Ukraine/Kiev breaking a UN-accepted plan...only being able to do so by u.s. foreign policy insanity...

Another-new-incident [url]https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/us-sends-nuclear-submarine-to-harass-russia-near-japan.html[/url] or https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/us-sends-nuclear-submarine-to-harass-russia-near-japan.html  and [url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/u-s-submarine-allegedly-detected-inside-russian-territorial-waters[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/u-s-submarine-allegedly-detected-inside-russian-territorial-waters may push many Asian countries towards Russia and China....

It looks like the u.s. now has problems with the international accepted border between Russia and Japan...Would the u.s. accept Japanese other "world war two" claims ? 

Also calling for de-escalation while Russia has troops inside Russia, it is NATO transporting military goods inside non-NATO Ukraine, does not make the u.s. position any stronger. 

Germany, most of the EU, needs Russian energy, welcomes trade with China. Most EU-leaders see the present u.s. made crisis as an attack on Eur-Asian plans, the Euro as global currency (replacing the u.s.$). I also think most EU-leaders see the u.s. foreign policy, breaking all kind of international agreements over and over again as the main reason for the present-and other (Iran) crises...

By not willing to accept in international order of agreements, only going for "u.s. exceptionalism", the u.s. is-de facto-putting itself outside a "global order" European leaders any longer can defend. 

DJ-The last decades showed me the u.s.-in fact-is seeing the EU, Euro, as an enemy...not an ally. If European leaders still would go for NATO, u.s. slavery, they would ruin European economy, the Euro...their carreers...and for what ? 

So I expect the EU (France, Germany, Italy in a leading role) to "try to buy time", "kick cans down the road" again pushing for diplomacy...A major problem is the u.s. may not offer that time...

February 14 acceptence by Russia of Luhansk and Donetsk may "push" Ukraine extremists for military action-counting on u.s. military help...(Even Kiev may recognize NATO is "very divided"...Poland, Baltic states want Chinese investments...not war with no clear goal against Russia...Turkey may be on the Russian side...maybe have their own plans for the Turkish borders with Iraq and Syria...)

Like the u.s. submarine in Russian waters (with only the u.s. accepting a Japanese claim on it...this will have a price !) and very likely Russia using "military means" (=anti submarine WEAPONS !) any u.s. military action against Russian interests in Ukraine may see a Russian military response. 

If the u.s. wants (more) war, it can get more war...

I believe Russia/the Soviet Union did see 20% of its population getting killed in world war two. China [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties puts it at 13,7% of all Soviet population getting killed, China close to 4%...in these numbers...

Both Russia and China HATE war....most Europeans HATE war...It looks like for the u.s. wars are a way of making profits...

DJ, As I did write earlier present (lack of) u.s. foreign policy may push even the EU away from the u.s......(After losing the Philippines, Pakistan, Turkey a.o. as ally)...

Further u.s. unwillingness "to reconsider its steps" (accept Iran-deal, INF-treaty [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate-Range_Nuclear_Forces_Treaty[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate-Range_Nuclear_Forces_Treaty etc.) and end its idea's of "exceptionalsim"; the u.s. above ANY international law, may even bring problems with Canada, Mexico...

At present several "leaders" have "nostalgia" for the days they "ruled the world. Erdogan is pushing for pan-Turkism...trying to get more Turkish influence in Asia, Africa. It is getting balanced by other countries in the region...

Macron wants to win the april presidential France elections...may have "dreams" but knows diplomacy may bring more then war...

In "England" you have "bojo" (no further words for him...)

Putin is not the one pushing for restoring the Soviet Union...The [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Russian_Federation#Popular_support_and_electoral_results[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Russian_Federation#Popular_support_and_electoral_results is...Putin's United Russia is in competition with the Communist Party...

China "make trade not war" strategy...China has enough problems keeping China united...Taiwan-in Bejing's opinion (and for diplomatic reasons for many countries) is part of "a China"...(The island of "Formosa" [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Taiwan[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Taiwan could be seen as the most Northern Island of the Philippines...China wants to be a "major player" in the Pacific but knows countries like India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia also have a role...and some of them have oil...

DJ, Since around 1990-end of "cold war" it is the u.s. that failed to define a constructive role in a new global order...Maybe because it had no competitors at the same level any longer...so the "u.s. went out of balance"...In that view, the u.s. may find a new balance...

Just like there is "room to maneuver"between "capitalism" and the role a State can play it would be more then welcome if the u.s. can "find a balance"...

End of a sunday part 1, we live in "interesting times"...[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv2UJ9EJ3rg[/url] or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv2UJ9EJ3rg Alexander Mercouris on US/UK in panic...good info

Mondaymorning, february 14, outside it must be near 10C /50F...it is supposed to be winter...Valentinesday, roses price +20% compared to 2021 (a very Dutch remark...)

[url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table ; new reported tested cases for sunday, february 13...1,496,023 trend -20%, deaths at 5,733 trend -4%...

A look at some countries;

Russia reporting 197,949 new cases, trend +23%, 706 deaths +3%

Germany 108,216 new cases, +3%, 47 deaths +23%

France 86,562 new cases -44%, 107 deaths +20%

Turkey 73,787 new cases -6%, 276 deaths +21%

Japan 67,506 new cases +0,2% 143 deaths +79%

NL ends up at #6...in part indicating weekend numbers may not give a very good picture of trends...

For that matter, In the list cases per million NL is at #12; 333,474 cases = 33,5% of the population would have tested positive if there were no reinfections..DenmarK is at #7, 38,1% , Israel at 9 with 36,7%....The US is in the cases per million at #41 23,7%...Brazil at #83 12,8%...maybe not the best list to find out how hard a country-so far-has been hit by this pandemic...

This also, maybe even more, goes for the "deaths per million-list...Peru still at #1 with 6,181 (cases per million 10,2%)...Brazil at #15 2.969 dpm, USA at #18 with 2,823 dpm..

-Denialism is the new "dominant strategy".....so, politics did decide this pandemic is over.....

[url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data indicating BA.2 is taking over from BA.1/BA.1.1 -for politics-is "a minor detail", in reality this pandemic is only getting worse with more reinfections, higher number of people getting infected...So "politics" is going for less testing, hospitals "no longer have (=should stop) reporting CoViD deaths"....

A few developments;

-[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/recombination/uk-second-deltacron-recombinant-announced-ba-1-1-collides-with-ay-119-2/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/recombination/uk-second-deltacron-recombinant-announced-ba-1-1-collides-with-ay-119-2/ ; 

A second Deltacron recombinant variant derived from the Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 strains was announced by the UK earlier this week. The new variant is a recombination of Delta AY.119.2 and the Omicron variant BA.1.1.  These are both unusual sub-lineages in themselves, so a recombination between the two is quite a surprising development.

DJ, The earlier Deltacron ;"Tom Peacock@PeacockFlu · Feb 12Replying to @MickieThePoet @RufusSG and @BallouxFrancoisyeah they're real but extremely small clusters and... are kind of boring for recombinants? have the ORF1ab from Delta and the rest of genome (Spike, N, etc) from BA.1. There is no known phenotype assocaited with mutations in the ORF1ab of Delta currently."

So this second Deltacron story may be related to the one detected in the US...lots of possibilities for recombinations of-all sorts of (sub)variants of Delta and Omicron...Even if the AY.119.2 mix with BA.1.1 turns out to be of "limited risk" maybe the problem is in what other recombinations may (allready) be around...what can these recombinations bring in a worst case scenario...

DJ, for that matter it is interesting to watch the number of reinfections and/or breakthrough 9in vaccinated) cases...

"shay fleishon@shay_fleishon·11hShould we be concerned? Hard to say (but probably not).

Recombination is just another tool in the evolutionary toolbox of the virus. Like mutations that accumulate in a chronic infection, reverse zoonosis or even genetic drift from transmission in the community.

-

Recombination is not the combination of mutations from both parents. Each variant contributes a part, but the complementary part disappears. For example, the unsuccessful BA.3 is a recombinant of BA.1 and BA.2 (which are causing the main part of the pandemic right now)."

So also experts are keeping an eye on it....DJ-To put it in my "primitive non-expert terms"; recombination is (just) a mega-mutation"...and most mutations make a virus/variant "weaker" (=less able to infect a.o.) not "stronger"...mutations are at random...a virus does not plan or think...

-[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/evolution/uk-sage-four-scenarios-for-the-evolution-of-the-pandemic/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/evolution/uk-sage-four-scenarios-for-the-evolution-of-the-pandemic/ ; 

UK SAGE have recently published a document outlining four different scenarios for the evolution of the pandemic in Britain. The scenarios cover the next 12-18 months, and range from a reasonable best case scenario to the worst case scenario. The suicidal policy of herd immunity has finally been abandoned.

DJ link [url]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academics-viral-evolution-scenarios-10-february-2022[/url] or https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academics-viral-evolution-scenarios-10-february-2022 

"Corona Heads Up@CoronaHeadsUpHerd Immunity is just a fancy phrase for Genocide. Britain will be hit even harder than Italy because of it. "

https://newscientist.com/article/2237385-why-is-the-uk-approach-to-coronavirus-so-different-to-other-countries/…

May be a good description of how most countries failed to act...In my opinion "zero-Covid" was the only realistic strategy...(the nytimes-garbage calling China's policy of zero-CoViD nazism is only showing the nytimes total lack of brains...). 

End of part 1

DJ, 

Recent news-link; [url]https://www.winknews.com/2022/02/13/doctor-says-a-new-covid-19-variant-could-be-coming-in-the-next-few-months/[/url] or https://www.winknews.com/2022/02/13/doctor-says-a-new-covid-19-variant-could-be-coming-in-the-next-few-months/ ;

One doctor says it is not yet time to let your guard down when it comes to COVID-19. While cases appear to be slowing down again, they say we could be looking at another dominant variant soon, and another surge.

Based on the history of the virus, Doctor James Taylor said that, unfortunately, we could expect another variant in three to four months.

There is a plus to this though. While the omicron variant was more contagious, Taylor said it caused less lung damage and wasn’t as deadly.

He thinks the virus will continue to fade over the next few years until it is similar to something like the seasonal flu.

DJ, Why would a corona-virus start behaving like a flu-virus ? [url]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sage-105-minutes-coronavirus-covid-19-response-10-february-2022/sage-105-minutes-coronavirus-covid-19-response-10-february-2022#covid-19-scenarios[/url] or https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sage-105-minutes-coronavirus-covid-19-response-10-february-2022/sage-105-minutes-coronavirus-covid-19-response-10-february-2022#covid-19-scenarios ;  There are a range of possible futures for the course of the pandemic. SAGE considered 4 scenarios describing plausible outcomes in the next 12 to 18 months and in the longer term (with the 2 central scenarios considered the most likely).

The emergence of new variants and a resultant wave of infections can occur very quickly, potentially within just several weeks. The ability to rapidly detect and characterise new variants and to scale up necessary responses (such as TTI and vaccinations) quickly will be very important. Considerations for future response preparedness and surveillance infrastructure should take this into account.

makes more sense to me... Lets face it..."we" ran out of tools...Most of all by keep repeating "it is mild", "we have to live with it"....without even asking (ourselves) what we have to live with...

Several extra millions of CoViD-deaths per year is okay ? 

Virus-evolution suddenly did stop...realy ? 

[url]https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/13/weekly-covid-hospitalizations-highest-point-52-days-60200-new-infections[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/13/weekly-covid-hospitalizations-highest-point-52-days-60200-new-infections  resulting into [url]https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/14/cabinet-expected-drop-coronavirus-measures-feb-25-report[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/14/cabinet-expected-drop-coronavirus-measures-feb-25-report ...has nothing to do with elections march 16 in NL ????

[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/coronavirus/preprint-evidence-of-widespread-data-tampering-in-covid-19-records/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/coronavirus/preprint-evidence-of-widespread-data-tampering-in-covid-19-records/ ;

“Screening all countries in the WHO dataset for evidence of underdispersion yields 21 country with statistically significant underdispersion. Most of the countries in this list are known, based on the excess mortality data, to strongly undercount Covid deaths“

We believe that the most likely explanation for observed underdispersion patterns is deliberate data tampering, when a country or a region did not report the same values as were in fact internally obtained. Such tampering may not necessarily have malicious intent (e.g. if somebody was ‘re-distributing’ the values across days), but, together with the evidence of underreporting coming from excess mortality, is strongly suggestive of it.”

Preprint: Underdispersion in the reported Covid-19 case and death numbers may suggest data manipulations

** 21 countries?   In our experience, Covid-19 data tampering is almost universal… **

DJ; USA deaths per million of population at 2,832...India dpm at 363...!!! If you look at Brazil, deaths per million of population is at 2,972....India population is 1,401,976,446 this would translate into 4,166,674 CoViD deaths in India...Not the reported 509,388 ....Do we want to be blind ? 

[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/variants/deltacron/australia-possible-queensland-deltacron-cluster-identified/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/variants/deltacron/australia-possible-queensland-deltacron-cluster-identified/ ; 

Apart from the UK another "Deltacron" Delta / Omicron recombination variant has been found in Australia.

Just like the one monitored by UKHSA this one also show recombination in the Orf1ab polyprotein but also an additional Spike mutation: I1081V

https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/437

DJ, After the stone-age, the iron-age do we now enter the age-pf-stupidity ??? [url]http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2022/02/accelerating-loss-of-global-snow-and-ice-cover.html[/url] or http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2022/02/accelerating-loss-of-global-snow-and-ice-cover.html "O I do love global warming, save heating costs for the house that much"...flat earth stupidity !

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-study-identifies-human-proteins-targeted-by-covid-19-induced-autoantibodies-and-also-alarmingly-discovers-male-fertility-is-greatly-at-risk[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-study-identifies-human-proteins-targeted-by-covid-19-induced-autoantibodies-and-also-alarmingly-discovers-male-fertility-is-greatly-at-risk 

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/spanish-researchers-claim-sars-cov-2-causes-dysfunction-of-vagus-nerve,-resulting-in-a-variety-of-conditions-associated-with-long-covid[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/spanish-researchers-claim-sars-cov-2-causes-dysfunction-of-vagus-nerve,-resulting-in-a-variety-of-conditions-associated-with-long-covid 

Ignoring the damage the virus will do long term is the wrong choice...

[url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-africa/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-africa/ BA.1 Omicron peak in cases in South Africa mid december with deaths only now going up...Omicron is "slow" not mild ! Using "4 weeks after a positive test" because other variants did see people die within four weeks is ignorent and misleading...not science !!!

"Based on following weather for THREE months; june, july, august the cold in december realy was a surprise for us"...totally stupid pseudo-science !!!

"Maybe you can't fix stupid, still I will not accept stupid"!!!

Starting wars is also not a solution...

[url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data BA.2 is still increasing in Germany...but will it replace BOTH BA.1 AND BA.1.1 BA.1.1 seems to be going up again...BA.3 at same low level as some Delta-subvariants...both still around...

We know restrictions, masks, social distancing did limit numbers...We know there is a lot of virus out there...NOT mild ! So dropping those restrictions-because we are all tired of this pandemic-is pushing us in the wrong way....

End of a very angry, bitter part 1...

Viruses injects their viral genetic material into our cells as they are intracellular

  They take over our protein making mechanisms and produce millions more of themselves.  They are little Ninjas. Its amazing to think that our genomic DNA is littered with viral gene codes.  

This virus is strange as once in our body  it  can inoculate such a wide range of our cell types.   Our immune systems are complex  with great tricks and resilience.   I agree though that the balance between our immune system attacking a pathogen and repairing our tissue is a fine line.  If it activates repair mechanisms too soon we are nourishing and protecting the virus within us, but activate too late or too fast we get cytokine storm etc.

 Lets hope people that did get cellular damaged from virus can be limited and repairable.

Thanks for all the information you post.  Havent heard of the cousin MERS for a while.  

HZ x

That's terrible at least over here in UK you get 500.00 to cover your 10 day isolation.  

We are doing away with the need to isolate soon.  I think the government are keen for people to get omicron as much milder, get protection for next variants 

HZ x

DJ,

Here in NL most people still get (most of) their salaries if they can not work because of a lockdown, positive test etc. Some sectors now see a lot of their workforce working in other places with better pay...So this pandemic-here in NL-did "shake up" the labor market...[url]https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/15/record-number-vacancies-staff-shortages-netherlands-grow[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/15/record-number-vacancies-staff-shortages-netherlands-grow and [url]https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/15/dutch-economy-saw-strongest-growth-two-decades[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/15/dutch-economy-saw-strongest-growth-two-decades ...NL economy is "booming"...

But in healthcare (in the public sector in general) we have "very major problems in NL"...."Importing" health care workers from around the globe can not undo the damage "privatizing in healthcare" has done...More money went to healthcare but people doing most of the work did not see their income increase...Most of the extra money went to "managers, ICT, high-tech, specialists etc...So healthcare but also other public sectors, education, police, culture is in a crisis...

[url]https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/14/netherlands-ready-another-pandemic[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/14/netherlands-ready-another-pandemic ; Andre Rouvoet, chairman of health service umbrella organization GGD GHOR Nederland, agrees that more professionals need to be trained in infectious disease control. According to the GGDs, the current number of doctors trained in this field must be doubled. The Netherlands also needs more data specialists. But the GGDs don't have the money to train these professionals.

DJ Aging is also an extra problem in the public sector in NL....There have been (as far as I know limited) plans to "outsource" some forms of healthcare outside NL...Dutch patients going to Portugal (I believe was the plan) for longer care...

This-of course-is not only a NL problem....If you go for "neo-liberal policies" so "for profit" healthcare (or the public sector) has its limits...Maybe that is one of the reasons some countries are doing "not very well" in this pandemic...

[url]https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/15/netherlands-announces-plan-end-covid-restrictions-feb-25[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/15/netherlands-announces-plan-end-covid-restrictions-feb-25 NL is just another country dropping most-close to all-restrictions....[url]https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/15/dutch-virologist-warns-total-relaxation-coronavirus-measures[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/15/dutch-virologist-warns-total-relaxation-coronavirus-measures ; Keeping measures like working from home shouldn’t be too difficult because many people have grown to like this new way of working, she said. “This is a measure that is relatively simple, which is supported and which is effective.” She had a similar approach to face masks because “it is now so well established among people: when it is very busy, you put on a face mask. Why not?” 

DJ, You do not have a legal right in NL to demand you do your job from home, or even to use a mask in the workplace...Since finding workers is a major problem you may have-however-some basis to negotiate....But at schools, in care, I think there are very major problems....

T H I S   P A N D E M I C   I S   G E T T I N G   W O R S E   !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-japanese-study-alarmingly-reveals-that-omicron-ba-2-variant-is-a-major-health-threat-as-it-is-more-fusogenic,-pathogenic-and-causes-severe-ou[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-japanese-study-alarmingly-reveals-that-omicron-ba-2-variant-is-a-major-health-threat-as-it-is-more-fusogenic,-pathogenic-and-causes-severe-ou 

[url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data 

DJ, BA.2 is growing and showing to be a major problem....[url]https://twitter.com/JosetteSchoenma[/url] or https://twitter.com/JosetteSchoenma is one of the (I believe she is a) virologists following BA.2....Lena Schimmel following the rise of BA.2 in Germany....The only reason why BA.2 (and in fact BA.2+ in DenmarK)  still is named "Omicron" may be political..."Omicron would be the last variant of concern ending the pandemic"...but BA.1 was followed by BA.1.1 in lots of places still increasing...BA.2 also increasing...In DenmarK BA.2 was replaced by BA.2+...after BA.2 did get dominant last month...

After a "succesfull mediacampain" some "dark economic powers" managed to get the denialist view of this pandemic; "it is mild, we have/can live with it" dominant...No doubt the same "dark powers" denying climate change (it is 12c here in NL, TWO !!! named storms on their way coming days..."Dudley" and "Eunice") have been succesfull in getting "fake science" being used as a basis for a fake pandemic strategy...

Let me be very clear; GENOCIDE IS A CRIME NOT A STRATEGY !!!!!!

"Public pressure" is also given as a reason for lifting restrictions, many mass protests, in many countries (who organized them, who funded them ???) and terrible government communications on this pandemic eroded any public support for a realistic pandemic strategy....

I would love this pandemic to be over...but it is not !!!

[url]https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335v1[/url] or https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335v1 ; Statistical analysis shows that the effective reproduction number of BA.2 is 1.4-fold higher than that of BA.1. Neutralisation experiments show that the vaccine-induced humoral immunity fails to function against BA.2 like BA.1, and notably, the antigenicity of BA.2 is different from BA.1. Cell culture experiments show that BA.2 is more replicative in human nasal epithelial cells and more fusogenic than BA.1. Furthermore, infection experiments using hamsters show that BA.2 is more pathogenic than BA.1. Our multiscale investigations suggest that the risk of BA.2 for global health is potentially higher than that of BA.1.

DJ, DenmarK (DK) cases +4%, 294,498 last 7 days...the week before 283,511...so around 578,000 cases on a population of just over 5,8 million in DK testing positive...DK deaths +35%, last 7 days 212, the week before 157...369 deaths in 2 weeks...[url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=DNK&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=DNK&dark=true BA.2 now 52% of all DK sequences over last 60 days...(There is still not an official BA.2+/BA.2.1 variant with some extra mutations...). 

see also [url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/coronavirus/denmark-new-ba-2-subvariant-with-h78y-in-orf3a-rises-to-24-of-all-cases/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/coronavirus/denmark-new-ba-2-subvariant-with-h78y-in-orf3a-rises-to-24-of-all-cases/ 

[url]https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/441[/url] or https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/441 (see also discussion at [url]https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/422[/url] or https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/422 )...

"Deltacron" several forms of recombinations of Delta with Omicron are showing up around the globe (so far Cyprus-could have been "only" coinfection ?, UK, US, Australia). A widespread idea is BA.2(+) will become the next major variant (of concern...it is worse then BA.1/BA.1.1)...but in some places maybe Deltacron may pick that role ????

A look at [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table showing South Korea has [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true still BA.1.1 resulting in an increase of cases of +75%, deaths +61%...

South Africa cases +9%,  19,255 last 7 days, 17,707 positive tests the week before, deaths +14% N.B. !!!!!! 1,142 last 7 days, 1,001 the week before (2,143 deaths based on 37,000 cases is not realistic...) [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=ZAF&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=ZAF&dark=true is showing BA.1 being replaced by BA.2....peak for BA.1 cases was mid december...so IF YOU GO FOR FAKE SCIENCE !!!!!- after 4 weeks (including christmas/new year) "BA.1 was mild in S.A." is a pseudo-science...peak of BA.1 deaths may be start to show now..two months later !!!!

Reopening a lot of countries is based on fake science and ignoring knowledge we do have on new sub-variants/recombinations... At 'best' it would be "criminal stupidity" , at worst it is putting "the economy" above millions of human lives....Genocide is a crime...

End of a bitter part 1...again I am NOT an expert, just trying to make sense of it all...a "helicopterview at best"...

DJ, part 3 a look at some other sources; [url]https://covid.joinzoe.com/data[/url] or https://covid.joinzoe.com/data is giving a different picture then UK.gov ...UK cases would going down -28%, deaths -36% The ZOE-tracker app indicating 2,688,134 UK Covid cases per february 14....A month ago it was 2,7 million...since then cases went down-then up again...trend is flattening now but still very high...So the "official" UK 46,186 cases reported for february 15, 234 UK deaths "leaves room for questions"......[url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/ ; NOTE from the UK government [source: cases > about]: "The way cases are reported in England changed on 21 May 2021. Reported cases are sometimes removed if subsequent tests are negative. This happens when cases identified through a positive rapid lateral flow test are followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests within 3 days that are all negative. These cases are removed daily from 21 May 2021. Because of this, the number of newly-reported cases may not be the same as the difference between the total number of reported cases from one day to the next. The number of newly-reported cases in England and the UK is adjusted to take this into account, but the numbers for regions and local authorities are not adjusted. This means that for regions and local authorities, this figure does not show the actual number of new cases reported on that date." [source]

DJ, I do not trust the bojo-regime....So most likely ZOE numbers may be more realistic...[url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=GBR&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=GBR&dark=true also indicating BA.2 replacing BA.1.1 that was replacing BA.1....that would result in numbers going up...not down !

[url]https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/covid-peaks-for-second-time-this-year[/url] or https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/covid-peaks-for-second-time-this-year ; 

February 11, 2022

DJ; Wise words from Tim Spector, however if "politics" claim "there is no pandemic-act "normal" the legal position for many to limit risks (at school, work, public transport) is limited...

-[url]https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps/[/url] or https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps/ may also give info on European excess deaths...High excess deaths, latest numbers may indicate number of deaths decreasing however "corrected for delay in registration" could see other numbers....Line for excess mortality is-for 2022-above the 2020 line but below the 2021 line...Early 2021 had the (UK) Alpha variant resulting in high number of deaths...

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/warning-the-omicron-is-evolving-rapidly-and-big-pharma-is-providing-opportunities-for-it-to-do-so-new-york-study-shows-ba-1-1-and-ba-2-evolved-as-such[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/warning-the-omicron-is-evolving-rapidly-and-big-pharma-is-providing-opportunities-for-it-to-do-so-new-york-study-shows-ba-1-1-and-ba-2-evolved-as-such (long read)....Claiming at least 3 other Omicron sub-variants are widespread (besides the 4 known/recognized ones; BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 and BA.3) and "several other small subvariants" are spreading so far more limited...DJ-Delta has over 210 sub-variants...given the massive number of Omicron cases there must be much more mutations resulting in (local/regional) new sub-variants...

Thailand Medical News also is claiming anti-viral drugs are resulting in mutated variants....[url]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35016195/[/url] or https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35016195/ (etc) as link...[url]https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.07.479306v1[/url] or https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.07.479306v1 ; Polyclonal sera from patients infected by wild-type SARS-CoV-2 or recipients of current mRNA vaccines showed a substantial loss in neutralizing activity against both BA.1+R346K and BA.2, with drops comparable to that already reported for BA.1^2,3,5,6.

 These findings indicate that these three sublineages of Omicron are antigenically equidistant from the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and thus similarly threaten the efficacies of current vaccines. BA.2 also exhibited marked resistance to 17 of 19 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies tested, including S309 (sotrovimab)⁷, which had retained appreciable activity against BA.1 and BA.1+R346K^2–4,6. 

This new finding shows that no presently approved or authorized monoclonal antibody therapy could adequately cover all sublineages of the Omicron variant.

DJ, study needs peer review...practice also will show what therapies can offer...Another link [url]https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.08.21266069v2[/url] or https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.08.21266069v2 ; Whole genome sequencing identified a mutation, E802D, in the nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which was not present in pre-treatment specimens. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the mutation conferred a ∼6-fold increase in remdesivir IC50 but resulted in a fitness cost in the absence of remdesivir. Sustained clinical and virologic response was achieved after treatment with casirivimab-imdevimab. Although the fitness cost observed in vitro may limit the risk posed by E802D, this case illustrates the importance of monitoring for remdesivir resistance and the potential benefit of combinatorial therapies in immunocompromised patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

DJ With also [url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-japanese-study-alarmingly-reveals-that-omicron-ba-2-variant-is-a-major-health-threat-as-it-is-more-fusogenic,-pathogenic-and-causes-severe-ou[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-japanese-study-alarmingly-reveals-that-omicron-ba-2-variant-is-a-major-health-threat-as-it-is-more-fusogenic,-pathogenic-and-causes-severe-ou tcomes! / [url]https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335v1[/url] or https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335v1 ; 

Abstract

Soon after the emergence and global spread of a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron lineage, BA.1, another Omicron lineage, BA.2, has initiated outcompeting BA.1. Statistical analysis shows that the effective reproduction number of BA.2 is 1.4-fold higher than that of BA.1. Neutralisation experiments show that the vaccine-induced humoral immunity fails to function against BA.2 like BA.1, and notably, the antigenicity of BA.2 is different from BA.1. Cell culture experiments show that BA.2 is more replicative in human nasal epithelial cells and more fusogenic than BA.1. Furthermore, infection experiments using hamsters show that BA.2 is more pathogenic than BA.1. Our multiscale investigations suggest that the risk of BA.2 for global health is potentially higher than that of BA.1.

I think maybe more restrictions would be justified...since both vaccines and medications show less effect against a (1,4x the BA.1) more infectious variant bringing more severe disease...But "we know what is happening; restrictions are getting dropped"....

[url]https://twitter.com/x2IndSpeculator/status/1493728705528614915[/url] or https://twitter.com/x2IndSpeculator/status/1493728705528614915 discussing the same BA.2 study; 

"Not yet #Delta (more like ancestral), but certainly closer than BA.1. That's all the "mildness" we got from #SARS2; at least a little higher mortality is to be expected from BA.2.

https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335v1"

from his thread; Here are BA.2 results in the words of the authors from the Sato Lab. Great study. Terrible news. 

At least double the lethality compared to BA.1 is to be expected.

DJ...Deltacron;

Cornelius Roemer@CorneliusRoemer·16hLook at that beautiful logistic fit to the growth of BA.1.1 as a share of all BA.1*

That's what a growth advantage looks like. Here it's about 5% per day. That's about twice as much as AY.4.2's advantage over AY.4, and a third of the advantage of Delta over Alpha. 3/1430

-

Gabriel Hébert-Mild™ ⓥ@Gab_H_R·21hCo-infection with SARS-COV-2 Omicron and Delta Variants Revealed by Genomic Surveillance.

DJ It is incorrect to think ALL Delta-subvariants will be gone soon....[url]https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.13.22270755v1[/url] or https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.13.22270755v1 ; 

DJ-We may  yet have to find out how "Deltacron" will develop further...like with other mutations, recombinations may most often result in weaker (sub)variants...but the risk is increasing some Deltacron-variants may have the "right genes" for major problems...

On vaccines [url]https://www.science.org/content/article/rare-cases-coronavirus-vaccines-may-cause-long-covid-symptoms[/url] or https://www.science.org/content/article/rare-cases-coronavirus-vaccines-may-cause-long-covid-symptoms ; 

Dressen had never had COVID-19. But that November, she’d received a dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine as a volunteer in a clinical trial. By that evening, her vision blurred and sound became distorted—“I felt like I had two seashells on my ears,” she says. Her symptoms rapidly worsened and multiplied, ultimately including heart rate fluctuations, severe muscle weakness, and what she describes as debilitating internal electric shocks.

A doctor diagnosed her with anxiety. Her husband, Brian Dressen, a chemist, began to comb the scientific literature, desperate to help his wife, a former rock climber who now spent most of her time in a darkened room, unable to brush her teeth or tolerate her young children’s touch.

As time passed, the Dressens found other people who had experienced serious, long-lasting health problems after a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of the manufacturer. By January 2021, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began to hear about such reports and sought to learn more, bringing Brianne Dressen and other affected people to the agency’s headquarters for testing and sometimes treatment.

DJ; You have to take these kind of stories serious ! Vaccines never are "100% safe for all"...In practice limiting contacts, masks -the Non Pharma Interventions did show very good results in 2020...but to early reopening did restart the pandemic...

End of part 3

Part 2, 

[url]https://www.aol.com/news/warning-u-covid-rates-soar-183342110.html?soc_src=aolapp[/url] or https://www.aol.com/news/warning-u-covid-rates-soar-183342110.html?soc_src=aolapp ;

“This marks the transition to a new era for all of us, because Denmark will once again be an open society, completely open,” said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “We dare to believe that we are now through the critical phase."

Since then, however, Denmark has continued to record more COVID-19 cases per capita than nearly anywhere else in the world, and both COVID hospitalizations and deaths have shot up by about a third.

Looking at DK-numbers; cases trend may be 0,1%...283,181 cases last 7 days, week before 283,360 cases still means over 566,000 new cases in the last two weeks in a country with just over 5,8 million in population...close to 10% !!!! of its population testing positive...(and you may not go for a test if it is not giving any problems...). In deaths 158 last week +36%, last 7 days 215 deaths...373 deaths in 2 weeks. 

DenmarK may be a good indication for what other, well vaccinated, countries can expect. 

Israel is another country I follow, cases -46% ; last 7 days 175,730...week before 325,907...population 9,3 million...so close to 2% of the population testing positive in the last 7 days is "good news" ?!...Israel deaths -15% 410 last week, 350 last 7 days...(760 in 2 weeks...930=0,01% of the Israel population...)...[url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=ISR[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=ISR is BA.1.1 "fighting" BA.2 ??? [url]https://www.timesofisrael.com/health-ministry-recommends-lifting-most-covid-travel-restrictions/[/url] or https://www.timesofisrael.com/health-ministry-recommends-lifting-most-covid-travel-restrictions/ at these extreme levels ?????

South Korea then, cases +71%, 421,603 last 7 days, 246,938 the week before, close to 670,000 cases last 2 weeks on a population of 51,3 million.... Deaths +66%, 156 to 259.

Yon Hap [url]https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220217002852320?section=business/health[/url] or https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220217002852320?section=business/health ; 

DJ [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true most BA.1.1 ? AY.69 also a factor ? No BA.2 yet ? 

-"Yaneer Bar-Yam@yaneerbaryam·Feb 15Do we want to accept 200-250,000 deaths "at baseline"  (i.e. even if something worse doesn't happen) in the US, which would also mean millions of long covid long term sufferers (also conservative estimate)?"

What is a "new acceptable normal" ? The "old normal" resulting in climate collapse, this pandemic...[url]http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2022/02/greenhouse-gas-levels-keep-rising-at-accelerating-speed.html[/url] or http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2022/02/greenhouse-gas-levels-keep-rising-at-accelerating-speed.html ...the "old normal" is a dead end street...we can NOT survive that road...

[url]https://twitter.com/K_G_Andersen/status/1491807696193949696[/url] or https://twitter.com/K_G_Andersen/status/1491807696193949696 ; 

"Endemic Delusion".Used to describe the delusional belief that the pandemic is over and that we can get back to 2019 life by suppressing the fact that we need to keep innovating and fight the virus.

Best exemplified by Denmark

[url]https://twitter.com/K_G_Andersen/status/1491807696193949696/photo/1[/url] or https://twitter.com/K_G_Andersen/status/1491807696193949696/photo/1 DJ, Again, if we simply stop testing and reporting cases/deaths statistics may "look okay" but simply ignore reality...

DJ-In my two years of doing scenario's I did not see the "denial scenario" as a possible scenario...But denialism is the basic strategy in climate change...loads of empty words by talking heads, "Media-Experts-Politics" simply denying a problem...and for what ? Short term gains for a few extreme rich...

There is (again) discussion in NL on party funding. Political parties can keep it a secret (based on privacy of the donor) who is donating money to them...An idea is putting a limit to 10,000€ per donation...problem is that only will bring donations being spread...

The "liberal party vvd" has always been against being open on where their money did come from...Do parties "vote on sponsor-demand" ? No, but how a party votes does influence how much donations they get...So on that level an indirect (corruption) link...

Another link is in "politicians as step in a career", "the right votes gives the best jobs" after the political career...

In some other countries the link between "the rich" and "politics" is more open...the US for that matter can be seen as a "democrazy in wich $$$$ counts more then votes"...

Simply denying climate collapse, pandemics, poverty, polution for financial reasons means democracy has "gone of the rails"...

-To end this part 2; [url]https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/russian-invasion-day.html[/url] or https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/russian-invasion-day.html ...most of the "Russians are coming-hysteria" came from the u.s. and u.k....[url]https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/the-big-white-house-plans-behind-its-russian-invasion-scam.html[/url] or https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/the-big-white-house-plans-behind-its-russian-invasion-scam.html describing the NATO goal as "Keeping the Russians out, the u.s. in, and the Germans down" a more modern translation of NATO (u.s./u.k.) goal is stopping EurAsian trade (with Russia, Iran, China), saving the u.s.$, and limit Germany, France, Italy etc. going their own way...

Brexit means the u.k. now did loose its role in the EU, bojo made it into an EU/u.k. conflict....The u.s. may have become the major oil-producer...u.s. energy (LNG) is 2 to 3 times more expensive then Russian (or Middle East/Africa) energy...wich can be paid for in € Euro's ! 

Both the u.s and u.k. do not come with "better offers" for the EU, instead push for war with Russia, Iran, China...so now the EU is "trying to find a new balance"....with very likely major companies pushing for the EurAsian market...Some "right wing/liberal groups" now pushing for "rebalancing" EU ties both with the u.s./u.k. and Russia, Iran, China...EurAsia...

In words an EU "political elite" may be still defending NATO, ties with the u.s., in deeds it is impossible to ignore the 4 billion+ consumers in a booming Asian economy...

DJ, The u.s. and u.k. should start communication, stop confrontation if they want to keep any influence in Europe...

"The times, they are changing" ...

End of part 2

More info on Russia/Ukraine [url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/ukraine-explodes-into-battle-both-sides-engaging[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/ukraine-explodes-into-battle-both-sides-engaging (not all his info/story is correct I think...) .

[url]https://community.defconwarningsystem.com/threads/ukraine-military-events.15715/page-18[/url] or https://community.defconwarningsystem.com/threads/ukraine-military-events.15715/page-18 

[url]https://liveuamap.com/[/url] or https://liveuamap.com/ 

[url]https://southfront.org/breaking-decisive-night-for-eastern-ukraine-videos-photos/[/url] or https://southfront.org/breaking-decisive-night-for-eastern-ukraine-videos-photos/ 

[url]https://thesaker.is/escalation-in-the-donbass-open-thread-continued/[/url] or https://thesaker.is/escalation-in-the-donbass-open-thread-continued/ (to get a bit of a balanced view...)

DJ-My view/opinion; 

The u.s/u.k. regimes are not getting the war they want...However there is a red line for PutIN (LenIN, StalIN...all IN-ending...NApoleon/NAzi?NAto all NA beginning...history playing a joke ?)) Still Russia has the means to stop the ukraine(and "other") forces if they invade Donbass/Luhansk...also Russia will react if the ukraine-regime or its supporters (a.o. neo-nazi scum, IS...limited) start a genocide on Russians in ukraine...("militia" doing the dirty work so kiev can deny a role in these crimes). 

But BOTH !!!! ukraine and Russia want to avoid-best they can-a major war...;

-It would be the end of ukraine

-Russia would do bussiness with Asia...no longer with Europe...Russia, Iran, China want to include the EU in an EurAsian market..(us/uk try to stop that)

-Turkey can be a "major ???"...it did sell/send drones to ukraine, has its own goals...but also needs Russian energy/tourism working with Iran to "limit the Kurds"...be part of TIP, Turkey-Iran-Pakistan cooperation...also part of a new silk road...However Erdogan trying to use NATO for his Turkish/new-Ottoman dreams...)

goals;

-us/uk stop EurAsian integration, resque us$, keep us/uk in some sort of global dominant role...

-Russia, with Iran, China want EurAsian integration, end of us/other sanctions, end of NATO moving east

-EU...divided...still the Euro/€ replacing the $ as global currency "would be tempting" (allthough it would give Europe much less control over that Euro...), also the 4 billion people living in Asia, (China, India on their way to become the dominant global economies) are interesting for European (and South Korea) companies...

most likely outcome;

-Since on new members NATO has to be united there will-allready-for now-be a stop on NATO moving east

-Like Turkey, kept out of the EU basically because of its religion (stupid choice !) Ukraine may seek a "working relationship" with Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India...resulting in a growth of a "third group of nations" out of the East-West conflict...

-Both the us/uk have to-URGENTLY !!!!!-rethink their position and strategy; communication works better then confrontation ! The days the $ as payment for global energy is over...only the us is sticking to that illusion...

-The uk may "break up" reunification of Ireland, Scotland (also) joining the EU...

-The EU has to "reorganize" its own foreign policy, (including its own army...in some form)...may seek cooperation with TIP to balance with Russia, China...

-Russia-Iran-China (RIC) "strategic partnership" is the outcome of western confrontation policy...Russia is a major energy exporter, China #1 energy importer...Going for payment in Euro's is because both countries like to have good relations with Europe...(Special Drawing Rights-like, a "basket of currencies" could/should be an alternative for both the $ and the € (Euro)...an end of confrontation-pushing RIC towards eachother-may "be the end of RIC" ...

DJ-Since most wars are energy related, climate collapse is major, we ALL have to find ways to do much more with much less energy (also meat consumption has to decrease, major part of climate related problems...)

I hope we will not see a major escalation/confrontation...we may not survive a World War 3 ! 

-Pandemic [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table ;

Reported cases; 2,019,829 trend -21%, 11,227 deaths -8%

Germany, Russia, Brazil, US, South Korea make the top 5 for new cases...South Korea reporting an increase of cases of +66%, deaths +82%

A few other countries; NL had over 1 million cases last two weeks with limited testing...on a population of 17,5 million we had 10% -something like that number-getting infected...NL deaths +90% last 7 days 91, week before 48...in official numbers cases -35%...but testing in NL always has been a problem...BA.2 is increasing...but with limited testing and even worse sequencing we may not realy know...

DenmarK cases -7%...still over 10% of all Danes testing positive last two weeks...Deaths +39%, last 7 days 230, 166 weeh before on population of 5,8 million...

In between is Germany, cases now -7%...1,257,539 last 7 days, the week before it was 1,353,684...so at least 2,6 million Germans testing positive the last two weeks on a German population of 84,2 million...putting infections on 3% of all Germans is an under estimate...Deaths +11% close to 2,400 in last two weeks...[url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data BA.2 replacing BA.1 in Germany, BA.1.1 is still the most spread subvariant...BA.3 still "background" <1%.

In general, cases worldwide may go down...part of it by not testing, part of it because they came from very extreme numbers...17,3 million new cases reported last week, 13,6 last 7 days...

South Africa cases -*5, deaths +8%...BA.1 peaked in SA mid-december...deaths still going up after two months...(but not high within 4 weeks after testing positive...so "it is mild")..

The total insanity of lifting restrictions with BA.2 (and lots of subvariants of Omicron) increasing will further worsen this pandemic. Starting more wars will increase further suffering and limit healthcare...

End of part 1

DJ, 

International situation; [url]https://thesaker.is/russian-options-in-the-ldnr-my-personal-take/[/url] or https://thesaker.is/russian-options-in-the-ldnr-my-personal-take/ and [url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/fighting-in-ukraine-worst-in-years[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/fighting-in-ukraine-worst-in-years 

DJ, The picture I (not an expert, not neutral or objective...) get is; 

-pro-Kiev-junta forces are involved in large scale attacks on Luhansk and Donetsk, however this does not mean the ukraine government did order those attacks (or able to stop them...). Earlier "some elements" did make their "own choices", fight their own wars...

-Russian parliament did ask Putin to recognize Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states. This step may be a reason for the escalation...As far as I know Putin still has to decide on this request...and will do so after international meetings/contacts a.o. with u.s. representatives next week

-There is an UN-Minsk peaceplan (involving talks with Germany, France, Russia, Ukraine)...the present Ukraine regime is not willing to accept this plan

-us/uk may be providing military aid enabling the present escalation from some pro-Kiev elements (weapons, info/intel)

-Russia has the option to go to "R2P", Responsibility To Protect Russians inside Ukraine, however "the west (most us/uk) " will see this as "Russian agression/invasion"

-us/uk goal is to stop EU-trade with Russia, Iran, China...

DJ-I would welcome if some major European countries would make clear;

-NATO will not move further East

-The EU and the world needs Russian energy or face a major recession

-The EU NOT getting Russian energy will mean more Russian energy going to "Asia"

-Basic point, with 4 billion people in Asia, Asian countries becoming more dominant in a global "market" confrontation may not be the best way to "save the West"...

DJ, lots of propagande from all sides...so it may be hard to get a realistic picture of the present situation. (So far limited damage in the video's from the conflict zone...also sometimes pictures of damage are used by both sides, some of the pictures/images may be older or even from other wars...also in "main stream madia" claiming to be objective and neutral...). 

-This pandemic, [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table ;

1,936,620 new cases reported, trend -21%, 10,431 deaths reported, trend -8%

An indication of real numbers a.o. in [url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/us-cdc-says-more-than-a-million-excess-deaths-attributable-to-sars-cov-2-infection,-implying-more-than-2-million-americans-have-died-from-covid-19-so-[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/us-cdc-says-more-than-a-million-excess-deaths-attributable-to-sars-cov-2-infection,-implying-more-than-2-million-americans-have-died-from-covid-19-so- far!....

"Media,Experts,Politics" (MEP) made a choice "we have to live/die with this virus"...it "is only mild"...ignoring science...

[url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data indicating BA.2 in Germany more and more moving towards becoming the dominant form. However [url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/variants/deltacron/europe-potential-deltacron-recombinants-in-denmark-france-netherlands/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/variants/deltacron/europe-potential-deltacron-recombinants-in-denmark-france-netherlands/ could become a major factor as well...

"If you do not test, you will not know".....

DJ, just an opinion, people with brains wear masks.....

So try not to get infected ! Even if governments fail-again-to do a decent job !

Ending all kinds of organizations to deal with this pandemic (from testing to statistics) during the pandemic is unwise in two ways, short term you do not know what is happenin, longer term you may not be able to restart such infrastructure again fast enough when the next wave comes in....

I did see many storms..."storm immunity"...

End of part 1...

Part 2, 

Recombinations; [url]https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/445[/url] or https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/445 ; 

Recombinant between: AY.4 (or one of AY.4 sublineages) & BA.1
Earliest sequence: 2022/01/07 (UK-England)
Most recent sequence: 2022/2/10 (UK-England)
Countries circulating: UK-England (30 sequences)

Likely breakpoint: between 5387 and 6511 (NSP3), which is interestingly quite different from other potential Delta/Omicron recombinant lineages.

and [url]https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/446[/url] or https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/446 ; 

Recombinant between: AY.x (my guess is AY.44, based on Nuc mutation A4015G) & BA.1.1
Earliest sequence: 2021/12/24 (US-MA)
Most recent sequence: 2022/1/18 (US-UT)
Countries circulating: US, MA and UT (6 sequences)

Likely breakpoint: between 5585 and 6511 (NSP3), which is different from other potential Delta/Omicron recombinant lineages

see a.o. also [url]https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/444[/url] or https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/444 (AY.4/BA.1 in DK, France, NL), 

[url]https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/441[/url] or https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/441 (UK AY.4?BA.1) [url]https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/422[/url] or https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/422 is linked to it...

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_recombination#RNA_virus_recombination[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_recombination#RNA_virus_recombination ; 

Numerous RNA viruses are capable of genetic recombination when at least two viral genomes are present in the same host cell.^[16][17] Recombination is largely responsible for RNA virus diversity and immune evasion.^[18] RNA recombination appears to be a major driving force in determining genome architecture and the course of viral evolution among picornaviridae ((+)ssRNA) (e.g. poliovirus).^[19] In the retroviridae ((+)ssRNA)(e.g. HIV), damage in the RNA genome appears to be avoided during reverse transcription by strand switching, a form of recombination.^[20][21]

Recombination also occurs in the reoviridae (dsRNA)(e.g. reovirus), orthomyxoviridae ((-)ssRNA)(e.g. influenza virus)^[21] and coronaviridae ((+)ssRNA) (e.g. SARS).^[22][23]

Recombination in RNA viruses appears to be an adaptation for coping with genome damage.^[16] Switching between template strands during genome replication, referred to as copy-choice recombination, was originally proposed to explain the positive correlation of recombination events over short distances in organisms with a DNA genome (see first Figure, SDSA pathway).^[24]

Recombination can occur infrequently between animal viruses of the same species but of divergent lineages. The resulting recombinant viruses may sometimes cause an outbreak of infection in humans.^[22]

Especially in coronaviruses, recombination may also occur even among distantly related evolutionary groups (subgenera), due to their characteristic transcription mechanism, that involves subgenomic mRNAs that are formed by template switching.^[25][23]

When replicating its (+)ssRNA genome, the poliovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is able to carry out recombination. Recombination appears to occur by a copy choice mechanism in which the RdRp switches (+)ssRNA templates during negative strand synthesis.^[26] Recombination by RdRp strand switching also occurs in the (+)ssRNA plant carmoviruses and tombusviruses.^[27]

Recombination appears to be a major driving force in determining genetic variability within coronaviruses, as well as the ability of coronavirus species to jump from one host to another and, infrequently, for the emergence of novel species, although the mechanism of recombination in is unclear.^[22] During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, such a recombination event was suggested to have been a critical step in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect humans.^[28] SARS-CoV-2's entire receptor binding motif appeared, based on preliminary observations, to have been introduced through recombination from coronaviruses of pangolins.^[29] However, more comprehensive analyses later refuted this suggestion and showed that SARS-CoV-2 likely evolved solely within bats and with little or no recombination.^[30][31]

DJ, Do I understand all of it ? NO ! But what I make up out of this recombination story is that it further may increase risks. It can undo "wrong mutations" help the virus to "survive mistakes". But it may also enable the virus to jump to other hosts...could even be the reason why we have this pandemic...

So not only more contacts=more spread=more mutations=growing chance of new variants. Also more contacts=increase risk of recombination=making more risk of the virus spreading in...say hamsters....

[url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=HKG&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=HKG&dark=true AY.127 hamster-Delta may be causing a hospitalcrisis in Hong Kong. BA.2 is increasing...but "still young"...

DJ, western anti-China propaganda is linking the hospital crisis with "Omicron" and "bad China"...not very helpfull...A look at AY.127 [url]https://outbreak.info/situation-reports?pango=AY.127&loc=IND&loc=GBR&loc=USA&selected[/url] or https://outbreak.info/situation-reports?pango=AY.127&loc=IND&loc=GBR&loc=USA&selected may indicate Chad (Africa) had 9 out of 32 sequences being AY.127...Pakistan 156 out of 1,645...the hamsters were transported from NL via Pakistan to Hong Kong...81 out of 4,998 HK-sequences have AY.127. NL has 165 out of 98,467 sequences positive for AY.127...

Also a look at AY.127.1 showing up in 16 countries, not in NL, Pakistan or Hong Kong...

work in progres...well end part 2... 

Usk, thanks for asking...I did work with local history...that stopped because of this pandemic. Also had other interests/jobs...so a lot stopped because of corona...

Would love to see this pandemic being over...but for now I think sharing info and opinions may be helpfull.

For that matter, international background of this pandemic is also interesting-even if-ever-this pandemic ends...

Alexander Mercouris giving a lot of info on [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zut_kqXMLg[/url] or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zut_kqXMLg Both Russia and Ukraine have all reason to "limit escalation". In my opinion (but also a comment; I find it very strange that the US etc. 'predicted' a war breakout this week, and suddenly things start to escalate. Sounds very coincidental. ) the only "party" in this conflict with a clear goal is the us/uk; stop EurAsian integration...The uk has had no problems in the past with "conflicts on the continent" as long as there was a "balance of power" and "Brittania could rule te waves"....

[url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/breaking-newly-discovered-document-in-uk-proves-nato-promised-russia-no-eastward-expansion[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/breaking-newly-discovered-document-in-uk-proves-nato-promised-russia-no-eastward-expansion ;

The minutes of a March 6, 1991 meeting in Bonn between political directors of the foreign ministries of the US, UK, France, and Germany contain multiple references to “2+4” talks on German unification in which the Western officials made it “clear” to the Soviet Union that NATO would not push into territory east of Germany. 

“We made it clear to the Soviet Union – in the 2+4 talks, as well as in other negotiations – that we do not intend to benefit from the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe,” the document quotes US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Canada Raymond Seitz.

“NATO should not expand to the east, either officially or unofficially,” Seitz added. 

A British representative also mentions the existence of a “general agreement” that membership of NATO for eastern European countries is “unacceptable.”

“We had made it clear during the 2+4 negotiations that we would not extend NATO beyond the Elbe [sic],” said West German diplomat Juergen Hrobog. “We could not therefore offer Poland and others membership in NATO.”

-

Hal Turner Editorial Opinion

I am actually very glad this document was found; and that it was found in the British National Archives, which makes its authenticity unquestionable.

I lived through the collapse of the Soviet Union.   I recall vividly we, the American people,  were told that there were elements inside the collapsing Soviet Union that, rather than collapse and disintegrate, wanted to take it to "the ultimate war" where winner takes all.  However, then-General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev did not want to go that route.  

None of us wanted to go that route.  It would have been madness to do so.

Gorbachev made clear that the only way he could quell those elements within the Soviet Union was to get absolute assurance that NATO would not further encroach to the east.   Absent that assurance, Gorbachev felt he could be overthrown and the world hurled into global, thermonuclear war.

Men of good will still existed back in those days.   Men from the US, UK, France, and then West Germany.   And those men of good will, acting with dignity and common sense, gave those assurances to Gorbachev's government.  Put simply, we promised.

Our word has to mean something.  Our word is our bond.   

If our word is no good, then nothing, and none of us, is safe.

The case has now been proved, with factual, empirical, government evidence, that the West did, in fact, promise that NATO would not expand one inch eastward.

We made a grievous error admitting countries from eastern Europe into NATO and that grievous error must now be remedied.

Our integrity . . . the trust placed in our word . . . is at stake.

We cannot go back on our word. Period. Full stop.

[url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/bulletin-moscow-publishes-map-of-bomb-shelters-to-their-citizens[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/bulletin-moscow-publishes-map-of-bomb-shelters-to-their-citizens 

[url]https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/russia-is-pressing-for-more-concessions-while-donbas-heats-up.html[/url] or https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/russia-is-pressing-for-more-concessions-while-donbas-heats-up.html ; 

Russia Is Pressing For More Concessions While Donbas Heats Up

Over the years Joe Biden has said a lot of nonsense. This though might top it all.

Biden Says Putin Has Chosen ‘Catastrophic’ War Over Diplomacy

Speaking from the Roosevelt Room in the White House, Mr. Biden said “we have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week, in the coming days,” adding that “we believe that they will target Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people.”

Asked whether he thinks that Mr. Putin is still wavering about whether to invade, Mr. Biden said, “I’m convinced he’s made the decision.” Later, he added that his impression of Mr. Putin’s intentions is based on “a significant intelligence capability.”

Russia will not attack the Ukraine and will not target Kiev unless Russia itself is attacked in significant ways.

DJ; Another question I have is how do "we" (US.UK,NL etc) end up with the political leaders we end up with....In my opinion poor leadership is a main reason for this pandemic. 

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-corpse-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-virus-for-28-times-six-weeks-after-death-indicating-long-term-viral-persistence[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-corpse-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-virus-for-28-times-six-weeks-after-death-indicating-long-term-viral-persistence  and [url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/coronavirus/man-tests-positive-for-covid-28-times-in-6-weeks-after-death/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/coronavirus/man-tests-positive-for-covid-28-times-in-6-weeks-after-death/ ; 

The body of a Ukrainian man who died from drowning in Italy tested positive for Covid-19 as many as 28 times in the six weeks after his death.

Over a period of 41 days, 28 tests were carried out on the corpse, and they all turned out to be positive. The man’s body was kept at 4C in the morgue at Chieti Hospital inside a sealed waterproof bag.

Independent.co.uk press report

The present case shows the persistency of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 viral genome in nasopharyngeal swabs performed on a drowned Caucasian man, aged 41 years old, who was completely asymptomatic when he was alive, up to 41 days after death. Specific real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (TaqMan 2019-nCoV Assay Kit v2; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Italy and Realquality RQ-SARS-CoV-2, AB Analytical) was used to evaluate the swabs.

Preprint: Long persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 swab positivity in a drowned corpse: a case report

DJ, As far as I know most of the pandemic the idea was "the death do not spread". Certainly in countries with a lot of physical contact with a person that died this may have caused further spread. Should CoViD-deaths be cremated to get rid of the virus ? 

I hope they both get better, they seem friendly persons to me...

I think we may see NPI return within months...otherwise this pandemic will totally be out of control. 

Yaneer Bar-Yam

@yaneerbaryam

·

13h

Look at the triangle on the upper right. This is another way to see the difference between Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.2 Compare with the difference between Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and the Original variant. Omicron BA.2 should have its own greek letter.

Quote Tweet

Yaneer Bar-Yam

@yaneerbaryam

 · Feb 17

Study: Evidence of major differences between Omicron BA.2 and BA.1: BA.2 has 1. Higher R 1.4X (growing around the world) 2. More vaccine evading 3. Resistant to BA.1 induced immunity. 4. Higher severity (pathogenicity): More rapid and more extensive lung damage in hamsters 1/

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DJ, main reason why BA.2 is named Omicron (still) may be political...There must be many more Omicron subvariants then the still only official BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 and BA.3...(BA.2 may have several sublineages...a.o. based on data from DK and Germany). 

Josette Schoenmakers

@JosetteSchoenma

 · Feb 17

DJ [url]https://files.ssi.dk/covid19/tendensrapport/rapport/ugentlige-tendenser-covid19-andre-luftvejs-uge7-2022-5l9s[/url] or https://files.ssi.dk/covid19/tendensrapport/rapport/ugentlige-tendenser-covid19-andre-luftvejs-uge7-2022-5l9s also in English...regional differences. 

Maybe to end this part 3, a good US politician in my opinion [url]https://twitter.com/tulsigabbard[/url] or https://twitter.com/tulsigabbard ; "Tulsi Gabbard 🌺@TulsiGabbard·5hWhat are we trying to achieve in Ukraine? How will it benefit the American people? And at what cost? The Biden Admin has never answered these questions. Inflation and cost of living will drastically increase, Russia will retaliate, and no one knows where it will all end."

She did see war...unlike most politicians...

[url]https://www.estofex.org/[/url] or https://www.estofex.org/ ; Third named storm in a week "Franklin";

Storm Forecast
Valid: Sun 20 Feb 2022 06:00 to Mon 21 Feb 2022 06:00 UTC
Issued: Sat 19 Feb 2022 22:07
Forecaster: GROENEMEIJER

A level 3 was issued across western and south-western Scotland, northeastern England, and northern parts of the island of Ireland mainly for severe wind gusts.

A level 2 was issued across large parts of England, Wales, the island of Ireland, the Benelux, and across far northern France and western parts of Germany for severe wind gusts and to a lesser extent for tornadoes.

End of part 3

DJ;

The Steep Cost of Sanctions For Europe and Russia

The impact on Ukraine is enormous. In “The Economic Effect of Hybrid Wars”, a study by professors Julia Bluszcz and Marica Valente, they show that “causal effects are estimated by computing the yearly difference in GDP per capita between Ukraine and its synthetic counterpart after the eruption of the war. Results indicate that Ukraine’s foregone GDP per capita due to the Donbass war amounts to 15.1% on average in years 2013-2017 and, respectively, 5.23% ($460.26), 9.18% ($832.96), 19.63% ($1,823.78), 19.80% ($1,893.38), 21.67% ($2,184.13) in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017”.

The US using Ukraine as a proxy to alienate relations between RF and EU is proving expensive and imposing significant costs on Ukraine. This drives Ukraine demands for increased outside funding. The conflict also drives citizens to abandon Ukraine for better prospects elsewhere ultimate starving Ukraine of human capital necessary for any economic recovery.

These "conflict costs" are also imposed on the US. The high costs of the Vietnam war resulted in US stagflation and ultimately forced the US to abandon the gold standard. But this in turn created an opportunity for US to engage in MMT and unsustainable levels of "Quantitative Easing" (AKA "money printing"). The US faces similar problems with respect to the outcome of the current conflict:

The Ukraine crisis arrives as well in the middle of an evident slowdown of the largest economies after the placebo effect of massive stimulus plans. These risks add to a scenario where many economies are moving even closer to stagflation, and the ramifications will likely last longer than the conflict itself.

SOURCE:
https://www.dlacalle.com/en/the-steep-cost-of-sanctions-for-europe-and-russia/

The political disasters of bojo and biden are destroying the "West"....A look at how the uk and us are doing in this pandemic;

The U.S. so far did see 80,087,617 of its population test positive out of the 334,2 of it's population [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table (=using US including overseas area's, others may have a list including US Samoa etc...) 239,655 positive test/cases per million  (=24%). 

The U.K. had 18,605,752 cases, 271,738 cases per million (=27,2%). 

Looking at cases per million/% for some other countries;

Germany 16,2%

France 34%

NL 35,4%

Part of the story is if testing was available, was er a willingness to get tested. France just had very high numbers, NL still has...US had 2,8 test per person (2,8million per million of population), UK had 6,9, Germany 1,2, France 3,7, NL just like Germany 1,2...

US had 2,871 deaths per million (dpm)

UK 2,345

Germany 1,447

France 2,085

NL 1,249

US and UK have more deaths per million-based on these statistics. NL did exclude most CoViD-deaths in care centers...Belgium had 2,563 dpm, the real NL number may be much closer to that of Belgium. 

Sunday is limited testing and reporting so 1,286,084 cases,-21%  5,455 deaths -10% weekly trend. real number of cases must be much higher [url]https://covid.joinzoe.com/data#levels-over-time[/url] or https://covid.joinzoe.com/data#levels-over-time may be more realistic (for the UK).

In Germany [url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data BA.2 is replacing BA.1 however BA.1.1 still the major Omicron subvariant.

In reality there are much more Omicron variants then the four now being named (with BA.3 a recombination of BA.1 and BA.2). Another BA.1/BA.2 recombination was detected in DenmarK

[url]https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/447[/url] or https://github.com/cov-lineages/pango-designation/issues/447 ; 

Recombinant between: BA.1 & BA.2
Earliest sequence: 2022/01/11 (Denmark)
Most recent sequence: 2022/2/14 (Denmark)
Countries circulating: Denmark (53 sequences)

Likely breakpoint: between 5927 and 6511 (NSP3).

DJ, Denmark cases -22%, deaths +30%. BA.2 did get dominant in DK early january. Since then a new BA.2 subvariant showed up (why is it not named BA.2.1 ? In DK,NL, France there allready may be a BA.2.2...also not renamed...this DK (other) recombination of BA.1 and BA.2 could/should be named BA.4 ????

Possible new mutation in BA.2 growing as proportion of all BA.2 in Denmark. ORF1a:M85del (NSP1:M85del) around 10% of sequences in Denmark. https://cov-spectrum.org/explore/Denmark/AllSamples/Past6M/variants?pangoLineage=BA.2*&aaMutations1=ORF1a%3AM85-&pangoLineage1=BA.2*&analysisMode=CompareToBaseline…

DJ, So this new DK recombination of BA.1 and BA.2 may be something to watch. [url]https://twitter.com/JosetteSchoenma[/url] or https://twitter.com/JosetteSchoenma doing a lot of work on Omicron variants. 

[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/coronavirus/denmark-new-ba-2-subvariant-with-h78y-in-orf3a-rises-to-24-of-all-cases/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/coronavirus/denmark-new-ba-2-subvariant-with-h78y-in-orf3a-rises-to-24-of-all-cases/ also publishing links to DK updates...

DK may be several weeks ahead of most countries with BA.2 and further developments. What is happening in DK with BA.2 may be of interest for most places...BA.2 should NOT be having the name Omicron...I did expect it would be renamed end of last month. It is more different from BA.1 then Alpha was different from Delta...

Both the new subvariants detected not being named (BA.2.1, BA.2.2 etc) and still using "Omicron" for BA.2 is "strange"....

But maybe fitting in the "the show must go on" story now dominant...

Eric Feigl-Ding@DrEricDing · 7h📍Why is @CDCgov still dragging its feet & not yet redefining “fully vaccinated” as ‘with booster’? It’s obvious original 2-shots (or 1 J&J) isn’t enough anymore—3x hospitalizations vs boosted among elderly. C’mon @CDCDirector. #GetBoosted

HT @DrWilliamKu

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#covidnet-hospitalizations-vaccination…Show this thread

DJ, BA.2 still has to become a major factor in the US [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=USA[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=USA BA.1.1 still gaining somewhat over BA.1 ? So how much boosters do help against BA.2 (subvariants) is not shown in the CDC numbers...and showing to be limited in DK. 

End of part 1

DJ, 

[url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/overnight-ukraine-shells-homes-burns-infant-to-death[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/overnight-ukraine-shells-homes-burns-infant-to-death DJ; Hal Turner close to a nervous breakdown over this us/uk made "crisis"....

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cueDvVBwLig[/url] or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cueDvVBwLig Alexander Mercouris providing a lot of info...a.o. us embassy now in a Lviv in western Ukraine. If "action speaks louder then words" western "leaders" are "dumping the Ukraine"....pulling out most military and diplomats...

DJ, Zelensky was welcomed at the Munich security top...his comments on Ukraine going nuclear were less welcome...My opinion; the "west/us" plan for Ukraine since 2013-to pull it into EU/NATO has become a total disaster...just like Afghanistan was a western complete fiasco. 

In Afghanistan the taliban now is back in power, Ukraine may see "a regime" able to "find a new balance" between the EU, Russia, China, Turkey...Ukraine not only will NOT become a NATO (or EU) member it may need all the help it can get to keep "some sort of economy"....including getting money-from Russia-for oil/gas transport to the EU....

Germany gets (I believe it was) 50% of its gas, 40% of its oil from Russia...there is no real alternative for that without increasing energy prices, going for hyperinflation...

"The Donbass region" is now mass evacuating...DJ-my opinion; let Ukraine shoot missiles, granates etc into an almost empty region...that damage can be repaired...Ukraine may not be able to go on a full scale offensive....it did get a lot of western weapons...may get lots of intel...but when it comes to the fighting it is on its own...

DJ-So-again-I do NOT expect Russia to "invade Ukraine"! They never planned to do so...Ukraine is bankrupt...There also is no need to do so...Ukraine-in fact-has "no friends"....

Putin/Russia (and its allies) would like NATO brought back to before 1997 limits...so for that matter Russia etc. still did not reach it goals yet...However "NATO is braindead" [url]https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/11/07/emmanuel-macron-warns-europe-nato-is-becoming-brain-dead[/url] or https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/11/07/emmanuel-macron-warns-europe-nato-is-becoming-brain-dead but some "leaders" are to blind/stupid to see....

One of many factors leading to this-in fact-EU-US crisis is the Euro being used as replacement for the US$...One of many possible mistakes may be the EU "giving control" out of hands...If Russia, China many other countries would start using the Euro (for international trade)  the value of that currency is out of the ECB hands...Using the US$ for energy trade gave away the "power over the US$" to major energy producers (Russia, OPEC) and consumers (China, EU)....and their interest may not be the interest of the US (or with the Euro the EU).

Will Ukraine become "another Afghanistan" ? DJ-I think the only way to avoid such a scenario would be "the west" backing Ukraine...but the level of corruption and bankruptcy made Ukraine into allmost a failed state...Even most Ukraine politicians "did flee for the coming Russian invasion"....taking all their stolen money with them...

The West is totally bankrupt...maybe that is "why we have to live with the pandemic"; a total lack of leadership....

This pandemic; 

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/thailand-covid-19-surge-this-time-is-going-to-be-devastating-while-everyone-is-focused-on-economic-recovery,-removal-of-restrictions-and-tourism[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/thailand-covid-19-surge-this-time-is-going-to-be-devastating-while-everyone-is-focused-on-economic-recovery,-removal-of-restrictions-and-tourism 

Thailand cases +24%, deaths +30% TMN; Hospitals run out of capacity, testing at limits...so a lot of people get painkillers and are send home. BA.2 now at 18,5% of Thai cases however growing fast with Thailand most likely getting its own BA.2 variant (allready spreading in limited numbers). 

BA.2 is better in evading immunity and even more then BA.1/BA.1.1 a "slow killer"...(with lots of deaths due to hearth, brain, kidney problems-NOT showing up as CoViD deaths...). 

New preprint on SARS-CoV-2 in deer in PA: first detections of alpha and delta, evidence for multiple spill overs from humans, and suggestion of long term circulation of alpha in deer. https://medrxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.02.17.22270679v1…

See also [url]https://twitter.com/bushmanlab/status/1495394475161571328/photo/1[/url] or https://twitter.com/bushmanlab/status/1495394475161571328/photo/1 and [url]https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.17.22270679v1[/url] or https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.17.22270679v1 ;The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic likely began by spillover from bats to humans; today multiple animal species are known to be susceptible to infection. White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus are infected in the United States at substantial levels, raising concerns about the formation of a new animal reservoir and potential of spill-back of new variants into humans1. Here we characterize SARS CoV-2 in deer from Pennsylvania (PA) sampled during fall and winter 2021. Of 93 nasal swab samples analyzed by RT-qPCR, 18 (19.3%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Seven whole-genome sequences were obtained, which were annotated as alpha and delta variants, the first reported observations of these lineages in deer, documenting multiple new jumps from humans to deer. The alpha lineage persisted in deer after its displacement by delta in humans, and deer-derived alpha variants diverged significantly from those in humans, consistent with a distinctive evolutionary trajectory in deer.

DJ; So Alpha and Delta in US/Canada deer....developing in their own way...

DJ, Do I get it correct, 3 BA.3 subtypes, allready 4 BA.2 subvariants...lots of BA.1 subvariants...[url]https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00708-x[/url] or https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00708-x ; A serotype is defined as a variation within a microbial species, distinguished by the humoral immune response. The serotype classification of bacteria or viruses is based on their surface antigens and was established before the availability of other techniques, such as genome sequencing or mass spectrometry. Antibodies generated to one serotype do not usually efficiently protect against another serotype. Serotypes have been described in many viral species and generally correspond to genotypes. A classification by serotype is not unprecedented in the family Coronaviridae, for example, feline coronavirus (FCoV) has two serotypes.

see also [url]https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00708-x/figures/1[/url] or https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00708-x/figures/1 Omicron "serotype 2", other variants "serotype 1"...

End of part 3 ( he there may be even sunshine...)

[url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/russia-deploys-satellite-killer-missiles-in-belarus-as-ukraine-attacks-luhansk-donetsk[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/russia-deploys-satellite-killer-missiles-in-belarus-as-ukraine-attacks-luhansk-donetsk ; 

Russia Officially Recognizes Luhansk and Donetsk as "Independent States."

MORE --   "As for the borders of the DPR and LPR, they are defined by their fundamental documents on sovereignty and confirmed by referenda in 2014. From the point of view of the LNR and the DNR, the territories of the former Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which are now under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, are the occupied territories of the DNR and LNR."  (HT REMARK: He means Occupied by Ukraine!)  

The relevant documents between the Russian Federation and the LDNR (essentially identical to those signed by the Russian Federation with South Ossetia and Abkhazia) will be signed tomorrow, which, after the recognition of the LNR and the DNR, will legalize the deployment of Russian troops in the Donbass.

1: 50 PM EST --  In an effort to prevent this, Ukraine has just declared Martial Law in the entire country.

see also [url]https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/russias-security-council-recommends-to-recognize-the-donbas-republics.html[/url] or https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/02/russias-security-council-recommends-to-recognize-the-donbas-republics.html ; 

Update 19:42 UTC:

It has happened. After a TV speech on the development of the Ukraine since the begin of Soviet communism and after laying out the list of Russian grievances with western aggression Putin signed the official recognition of the Donbas republics as independent states. There are now also cooperation agreements on defense and other issues signed by Putin as well as the heads of the Donbas republics.

If the Ukraine continues its war on Donbas Russia will respond with force.

[url]https://thesaker.is/russian-recognizes-the-ldnr-republics-and-sings-treaty-with-them-open-thread/[/url] or https://thesaker.is/russian-recognizes-the-ldnr-republics-and-sings-treaty-with-them-open-thread/ 

DJ...If ukraine (us/uk) want war they can get war....[url]https://consortiumnews.com/2022/02/21/putin-recognizes-donbass-independence-as-violence-soars/[/url] or https://consortiumnews.com/2022/02/21/putin-recognizes-donbass-independence-as-violence-soars/

DJ Further on international background of this pandemic [url]https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-02-22/Wang-Yi-holds-phone-call-with-Blinken-17R99I7L3QA/index.html[/url] or https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-02-22/Wang-Yi-holds-phone-call-with-Blinken-17R99I7L3QA/index.html ; 

China once again urged the U.S. side to take concrete actions to reflect the commitments made by President Joe Biden, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.

Some U.S. officials are advocating a long-term fierce competition with China, which is likely to evolve into a full-blown confrontation between the two countries, he said, referring to the U.S. newly-released Indo-Pacific Strategy.

This is clearly sending the wrong signal of containment against China, he stressed.

There is competition and cooperation between China and the United States. Competition cannot simply define bilateral relations, he added.

Noting that in a few days, it will be the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Communique between China and the U.S., he said that the spirit of the communique is still of great relevance to China-U.S. relations today.

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Communiqu%C3%A9[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Communiqu%C3%A9 ; 

The Joint Communiqué of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, also known as the Shanghai Communiqué (1972), was a diplomatic document issued by the United States of America and the People's Republic of China on February 28,^[1] 1972, on the last day of President Richard Nixon's visit to China.^[2][3][4]

The document pledged that it was in the interest of all nations for the United States and China to work towards the normalization of their relations, and affirmed a mutual interest in détente.

DJ, Ukraine is stepping towards the UN Security Counsel (UNSC)....however some problems;

-Ukraine did not fulfill its obligations in the (UN approved) Minsk agreement...it was supported in not fulfilling its obligations by some western countries...a.o. that was the view of India, Mexico, Brazil, Kenya earlier....

-At present there are five permanent members of the UNSC; most countries can live with the US, Russia and China as permanent members...however why the uk and France are still in that position may be-by now-impossible to defend....India, Brazil, Nigeria, South Africa maybe also Indonesia would like to have such a position...

-The expected outcome of any UNSC talks would be very predictable...uk/us (starting this crisis, in the view of most non-western countries, by pushing NATO east, ignoring Minsk agreement..) will come up with more "Russia/Putin is bad bla-bla"...Russia, China may condemn the uk/us stand...France/Macron (still) trying for diplomacy (Macron needs to show leadership if he wants to get reelected in april French elections...). 

Eventhough "western media", most of them acting embedded in western government politics will  claim :" the world is united against Russia", reality is most countries are wondering why NATO has to move further east...Why that west did not force Ukraine to fulfill its Minsk-agreement obligations...But also why France and even more the UK are permanent UNSC members still...

DJ, I think Putin may wait to see further developments, send maybe a limited military force into Donbass after the Duma agrees with it...A lot of military action can be taken without Russian military in Donbasss (Luhansk/Donetsk P.R.)...so expecting to see maybe two things;

-The "west" breaking up further (five blocs; us/uk warmongers , France pushing for diplomacy, "frontline states" even Poland p.m. did visit Putin...not waiting for a war, Germany, Italy needing Russian energy (urgently !) and then-still in NATO-Turkey going for its own agenda in its own "region" (MENA Middle East, North Africa) just like Russia disappointed in "the West"....)

-The Kiëv regime collapsing, many of the Ukraine elite left the country...taking with them billions of $/€ etc...no real support from "the west"....in fact close to a bankrupt failed state...(with western media blind for the increasing poverty in most of Ukraine...this further escalation further pushing up allready high energy prices...Where does Kiëv think it will get its energy from ? Maybe some Arab Gulf States may be willing to offer help at a high price...oil/gas via tankers not a pipeline from nearby Russia...) [url]https://southfront.org/number-of-shelling-on-ldpr-greatly-increased-before-russia-recognized-states-as-independent-and-almost-stopped-right-after/[/url] or https://southfront.org/number-of-shelling-on-ldpr-greatly-increased-before-russia-recognized-states-as-independent-and-almost-stopped-right-after/ ;However, the situation began to change after Russia signed an international treaty “on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the Russian Federation and the Donetsk People’s Republic” on the evening of February 21, 2022 (Moscow time), a similar treaty was signed at the same time with the Lugansk People’s Republic.

Russia itself did sign recently another energy contract with China...a.o. for a pipeline from West Siberia now used for the EU market....Turkey also a major buyer of Russian energy...with the Turkish economy allready in a major crisis...

DJ-Further escalation may show up in the Middle East...[url]https://southfront.org/tensions-in-southern-syria/[/url] or https://southfront.org/tensions-in-southern-syria/ both Syria and Iraq want U.S. military to "go home"....Russia, Iran and even Turkey (fed up with US-Kurdish links) may "help the US military to find their way home"...(DJ-Since the presence of those US troops is allready against ANY !!! international law there may be NO support for those troops/US stand...maybe even bojo is not that stupid...) [url]https://southfront.org/syria-like-ukraine-is-a-potential-candidate-to-be-the-warzone-between-moscow-and-washington/[/url] or https://southfront.org/syria-like-ukraine-is-a-potential-candidate-to-be-the-warzone-between-moscow-and-washington/ ;

The geographical location of Syria, the Qatari gas pipeline and other factors may be considered the main reasons behind destabilization in it during the last period. However, Syria now is an ally to Moscow, especially after that Hmeimim base has become the largest in the region coinciding with the US, along with SDF, control over northeastern Syria, it will surely turn into an arena of confrontation between Moscow and Washington.

DJ, I do not claim to be neutral...I think this pandemic should be seen against its background. The way "western leaders" are creating the ukraine-crisis is telling a lot about how they deal with this pandemic...simply deny it...[url]https://southfront.org/why-sf-takes-pro-russian-position-in-current-ukrainian-conflict/[/url] or https://southfront.org/why-sf-takes-pro-russian-position-in-current-ukrainian-conflict/ ; 

Even a rudimentary understanding of the situation renders only one possible position concerning what is currently unfolding. We remember very acutely the situation as it unfolded in 2014-2015. At that time the Kiev regime had several moral justifications for its immoral and criminal behavior. The pro-Western regime that came to power via an armed, violent coup and not through democratic means, gave a multitude of promises to the people that encouraged them to hope for an improved socio-economic future and a dismantling of the institutionalized corruption under the Yanukovich clique that had plagued the country for so long.

And what has been the actual outcome after eight years? The utter impoverishment of the vast majority of the population, the systematic collapse of the economy, the destruction of once prosperous and respected industries, and the persecution and even murder of thousands of Ukrainians that refused to bend to the edicts of the newly empowered neo-Nazis who hold sway in every hall of government and greater society have been the legacy of the Maidan.

DJ, "The West/NATO' should stop supporting neo-naziś and fascists (bolsenera...I refuse to write Brazil's disasters name correct...), should stop "moving east", should stop regime change and wars....For tens of millions NATO stands for North Atlantic Terrorist Organization...the us (cia) links with IS and alquaida are not a secret...Western support for Arab Gulf States simply can not mix with standing for "freedom and democracy"...maybe only North Korea may do worse in a "democratic sense"....

Just like the pandemic is an outcome of failing politics so is this Ukraine crisis...lots of parallels....you only have to open your eyes...

End of part 2

DJ, Since insanity is the new normal some info...part 4,

[url]https://www.nord-stream2.com/media-info/facts-myths/[/url] or https://www.nord-stream2.com/media-info/facts-myths/ ; Gas imported through Nord Stream 2 will be delivered to customers throughout Europe, not just to Germany.

The German gas market is already well diversified and infrastructure continues to be developed.

By 2035, the EU will need to import about 120 bcm more gas per year

DJ, Germany wanted Nord Stream-2...in fact NEEDS Russian energy import more then Russia needs energy export to the EU....So [url]https://www.rt.com/russia/550232-germany-suspends-nord-stream/[/url] or https://www.rt.com/russia/550232-germany-suspends-nord-stream/ most likely will hurt the EU more then Russia....

The reason for western sanctions on Russia...

-There were the Minsk peace plan...a UN approved plan wich Ukraine did not fulfill...backed by "the west"...So now Russia is enforcing the Minsk "peace plan"...at least in eastern Ukraine..(with still room for diplomacy...). 

-Just like the west is breaking the Minsk peaceplan (like the us stepped out of the Iran-deal...) also it is NATO moving east-against around 1990 assurances from several western leaders that it would NOT do so....

So "sanctions stopping Russian agression" after Russian [url]https://www.rt.com/russia/550239-donbass-republics-define-borders/[/url] or https://www.rt.com/russia/550239-donbass-republics-define-borders/ action may have stopped Ukraine (western backed) agression....

One of the [url]https://southfront.org/west-remains-divided-on-sanctions-against-russia/[/url] or https://southfront.org/west-remains-divided-on-sanctions-against-russia/ sanctions the west did discuss was kicking Russia out of SWIFT...in reaction Russia, Iran, China etc. may change SWIFT for a Chinese system for international payments....(Most of the west did realize kicking Russia out of SWIFT would hurt their economy more then it would hurt Russia...). 

One of many "sanction problems" the west is facing is that in 2014 (Crimea) they already did put "very destructive sanctions" on Russia when Russia regained control over its only (major) warm water Navy-port in Crimea....Russia was able to undo those sanction by increasing trade with non-western countries and own productions..."The west" is no longer that "super powerfull"...

So far the "only step" Russia did was recognition of Luhansk (Peoples Republic) and Donetsk P.R. and promiss military support if needed...there is "limited proof" (Polish claim) of Russian military inside eastern Ukraine...If Ukraine stopped its agression there may be no further need to send in more Russian troops....However Russia made it very clear that it will NOT;

-accept any agression against people with Russian background (in the Ukraine...most likely also elsewhere...Baltic...)

-accept NATO/US troops in Ukraine, or NATO moving further east...

Russia would like European security talks taking into account also Russian security (a basic UN idea, security for one country should not bring insecurity for another country...)

DJ; From that view most of the non-western world may better understand Russia then they can understand "the west"...

"The West" is not seeing this pandemic as a priority at all....

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/study-confirms-previous-omicron-ba-1-infection-offers-no-protection-against-ba-2-variant-those-saying-omicron-is-like-a-vaccine-are-spreading-fake-new[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/study-confirms-previous-omicron-ba-1-infection-offers-no-protection-against-ba-2-variant-those-saying-omicron-is-like-a-vaccine-are-spreading-fake-new s DK/Australia study indicating BA.1 infection does NOT provide immunity against BA.2 (DJ-In fact BA.2 should not be named Omicron...Omicron itself maybe could be seen as SARS-3...)

[url]https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.19.22271112v1[/url] or https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.19.22271112v1 ; Omicron carries numerous mutations in key regions and is associated with increased transmissibility and immune escape. The variant has recently been divided into four subvariants with substantial genomic differences, in particular between Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. With the surge of Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2, a large number of reinfections from earlier cases has been observed, raising the question of whether BA.2 specifically can escape the natural immunity acquired shortly after a BA.1 infection. To investigate this, we selected a subset of samples from more than 1,8 million cases of infections in the period from November 22, 2021, until February 11, 2022. Here, individuals with two positive samples, more than 20 and less than 60 days apart, were selected. From a total of 187 reinfection cases, we identified 47 instances of BA.2 reinfections shortly after a BA.1 infection, mostly in young unvaccinated individuals with mild disease not resulting in hospitalization or death. In conclusion, we provide evidence that Omicron BA.2 reinfections do occur shortly after BA.1 infections but are rare.

DJ The Thailand Medical News mentioning the study was far from perfect...leaves out unwelcome info...[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-scientist-warns-that-new-omicron-sublineage-ba-2-will-cause-new-surge-and-reinfections-globally-as-previous-omicron-infection-may-offer-no-pr[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-scientist-warns-that-new-omicron-sublineage-ba-2-will-cause-new-surge-and-reinfections-globally-as-previous-omicron-infection-may-offer-no-pr otection !

DJ; A look at [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/weekly-trends/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/weekly-trends/ indicating 40 countries see cases still increasing, 68 countries have numbers of deaths increasing..

Last week the world did see over 15 million new cases, 73,160 deaths. The last 7 days "only" over 12 million cases were reported, and "just" 65,924 deaths...cases -20% (yesterday it was -21%...) deaths -10%

Hong Kong reporting an increase of cases +291%, Myanmar (SE Asia..lots of bats with lots of corona virus...) +103%, Vietnam +55%, Cambodia +46%, Thailand +22%, Indonesia +28%, Malaysia +36%...DJ, I hate to see cases going up in SE Asia because it could mean another coronavirus could be spreading...

South Korea cases +81% [url]https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220222002553320?section=business/health[/url] or https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220222002553320?section=business/health ;

DJ [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true most of South Korean cases are BA.1.1 (37% of 60 days sequencing) with BA.1 "only" 8%...AY.122 (29%) and AY.69 (24%) also around but latest info over 1 month (january 19) old...

Maybe it is just me, but I find the "new normal" very abnormal....

[url]https://twitter.com/theosanderson/status/1495465212325277696/photo/1[/url] or https://twitter.com/theosanderson/status/1495465212325277696/photo/1 on the increaso BA.2 in the UK as far as can be monitored since free testing will be history per april 1, testing itself is discouraged by the "bojo-clownsclub" (with access to UK nuclear weapons...dangerous clowns...) 

DJ...we may have to fall back to other kinds of statistics to give numbers on the damage caused by this pandemic....Again it will most be the poor who suffer, also most of the poor are in "countries we keep poor"....

[url]https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/health/new-covid-variant-ba2-could-be-worse-than-predecessors-for-public-health-study-warns/news-story/7238ae227328835a86d655c06b962cd3[/url] or https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/health/new-covid-variant-ba2-could-be-worse-than-predecessors-for-public-health-study-warns/news-story/7238ae227328835a86d655c06b962cd3 ; 

Eric Feigl-Ding, a Harvard-trained epidemiologist who was among the first researchers to sound the alarm about the seriousness of Covid-19, wrote that the subvariant — BA.2 — is “seriously bad news”.

“Even the World Health Organisation is getting very concerned about BA.2 variant outcompeting and displacing old Omicron,” he wrote on social media.

End of part 4...

Let me start with music; [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNIZofPB8ZM[/url] or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNIZofPB8ZM The Police - Don't stand so close to me...(from Vlad to Joe...)

DJ, NATO moving east-for the moment-is stopped. If the "West" only makes all kind of agreements just to ignore them there is no point in talking to that West....

What could we expect? 

-Organization of Central and South American States (OCSAS) ? Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua all recognized the "Donbas new peoples republics"....Working more closer under the protection of RIC (Russia-Iran-China) ? Including military cooperation...close to the US border so the US may start realizing how that feels ? 

-Russia, Iran, Turkey dealing with "seperatist Kurds" in Iraq and Syria...(trying to break up those countries for Western interests...)

-"Yugoslavia-model" for Ukraine...split up in a Russian...and maybe a small-"western" part...(why is it okay for the West to try to break up countries, if other countries do so it is "agression"?)

-Global energy deals most no longer in US$...maybe still Euro's ? (But with China the main energy consumer it would be unwise to replace the "petro-$" with a "petro-€", it would make the EU very dependent economically of "energy deals"...)

-Energy prices will go that high it is worthwhile to use it more clever. [url]https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/small-frackers-race-drill-opec-and-big-oil-majors-see-no-need-pump-faster[/url] or https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/small-frackers-race-drill-opec-and-big-oil-majors-see-no-need-pump-faster (for "Big oil" higher prices = more profit...).

-Economic recession (at least for the West) and hyperinflation around the corner...

Russia will try to avoid major war...so will the West if they have any brains...RIC is the new global power...We may not like it but we may have to face it, deal with it...The "changing proces" just started...most poor countries were kept poor by "the West" so may need to at least see some investments-with a cost...instead of no investments at all...

(War...Looking how Iraq, Afghanistan ended I think any "politician" in the US should think...and keep thinking...before even considering a war with Russia, Iran, China etc. "The West" has no chance...confrontation policies were a total disaster !)

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI678QCZ1kU[/url] or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI678QCZ1kU Alexander Mercouris (AM); "Changing forever the geopolitical balance in Europe"...

DJ, From Panama to Kuwait...more recent Kosovo, splitting up Cyprus (1974)...breaking up Yugoslavia...The "West" created countries at will...because of the importance of a (Panama) Canal or for oil....(On the other side Putin's claims on Ukraine as "not a real state" in my opinion also is non-sense...One major point however the west may be missing is the "riot" in the Orthodox Church with Ukraine Orthodoxy splitting up...so this conflict-in part-is also a religious one...) 

DJ, Western sanctions...(for stopping NATO moving east, enforce some form of the Minsk (UN) Peace Plan in Ukraine...the West backed Kiev in ignoring that agreement...) on energy are very serious...for the West (and not only the EU !). Russia is working on pipelines towards (western) China...

Again, since the US$ is that linked to energy...and Russia (a.o.) now "dumping that $' the US will have a very serious problem as well...So far "biden's foreign policy successes include both Afghanistan and Ukraine...more (Iraq, Syria) to follow"...Again, US foreign policy based on exceptionalism, confrontation...is damaging, destroying the US.

Russian claim for (R2P) "intervention" was 'to stop a war" (so not to start one...). Stop Ukraine attacks on the Don-Delta region...But if Ukraine keeps fighting Russia may "become more active" in stopping that agression, protecting people with a Russian background...(a warning for ALL former USSR countries...). So if the us/uk keep pushing th Kiëv puppet zelensky for war...okay...war they can get...

DJ underlining that the agression is coming from "the west' (us, uk...). But keeping a door open for diplomacy as well...If the EU wants trade with China, avoid crazy energy prices, have access to raw materials a.o. for micro-chips; talk ! Otherwise there are "other partners" (not only China...part of the industry moving to South Asia, Africa...). 

Alexander Mercouris expects Ukraine to break up in a slow proces; DJ I think Ukraine became a failed state and is allready ar breaking point...(Catholics in the West with links-most with Poland [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galicia_(Eastern_Europe)[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galicia_(Eastern_Europe) - DJ I think most countries are "artificial" to a certain level...and it may be wise to show some flexibility...the EU could play a role in that...) The proces of "nation building" was hijacked (by the west)...In USSR days the seperate states where "encouraged" to become "multi cultural" to "create" a "new Soviet citizen"...In many ways Russian and Ukraine history is linked and mixed...(goes back to the vikings moving east over a 1000 years ago...).

AM expecting it may take some years before there will be a new balance...DJ, Again I disagree...it may go much faster because of the role China(trade) can play...This is a "battle of Europe" between the us/uk and RIC...Germany, the EU, will have a very hard time without Russian energy, trade with China...

If "we" here in Europe, give in to the us/uk we may face being marginalized for us/uk interests...EurAsian integration can go on without the EU...but it will be the EU paying a very high price for it..(a.o. WE-in the eu-would have to keep the us-petro$ alive...an illusion the us should have replaced with better idea's...destroying the Euro...). 

AM is 'very polite" on "western leaders" leading the west to the abyss...lacking any real idea's or vision...

DJ-That lack of vision also is showing in the "other crisis", the present pandemic...with a few weeks of cases going down...often at least in part because of less testing, resulting in "the pandemic is over" non-sense...[url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data BA.2 in Germany slowly increasing, like it does in many other countries...still a lot of countries giving up restrictions because "we have to live with several extra thousends of deaths per day-virus" insanity...

[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/health/revaccination/uk-fourth-vaccination-for-over-75s-within-weeks/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/health/revaccination/uk-fourth-vaccination-for-over-75s-within-weeks/ ; 

A fourth Covid vaccine dose should be offered to all adults over-75 and the most vulnerable over-12s this spring, the UK’s vaccines advisory body has said.

Those now being offered a second booster this spring, to be administered six months after their previous dose, are:

• adults aged 75 years and over
• residents in a care home for older adults
• individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed

An autumn booster programme, aimed at a wider group of people, is also planned later this year.

BBC.co.uk report

DJ Vaccines/boosters "will end this pandemic"magic...

A look at [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#main_table showing a global 1,632,295 new cases being reported-trend -17% (a few days back it was -21%) deaths as far as being reported/related; 8,829 trend -8%..

Highest cases; 

1, Germany 158,507 trend -8%, 329 deaths +21%

2. Russia 135,172 trend -12%, 796 deaths +10%

3. Brazil 101,285 trend -23%, 839 deaths -4%

4. South Korea 99,550 trend +83%, deaths 58 +43%

5. France 97,382 trend -37%, deaths 285 -14%

DJ I think the main reason why the us and uk are no longer it this list is because they "decreased" testing and reporting...For the UK [url]https://covid.joinzoe.com/data#levels-over-time[/url] or https://covid.joinzoe.com/data#levels-over-time may give a more realistic number then the uk.gov "statistics"... In total 38 countries reporting an increase of cases. 

DJ, Amsterdam may be ahead of most of the rest of NL...but like also German statistics indicate BA.2 is replacing BA.1 (including the BA.1.1). 

bojo-pandemic "strategy"...stupid leaders give stupid results...this pandemic is the outcome of political insanity...killing millions !

On "Hong Kong Hamster Delta" [url]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35135441/[/url] or https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35135441/ and [url]https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4017393[/url] or https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4017393 ;

Findings: Over 50% of individually tested Syrian hamsters in the pet shop (8/16) and warehouse (7/12) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection in RT-PCR or serological tests. None of dwarf hamsters (n=77), rabbits (n=246), Guinea pigs (n=66), chinchilla (n=116) and mice (n=2) were confirmed positive in RT-PCR tests. SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes deduced from human and hamster cases in this incident all belong to Delta variant of concern (AY.127) that had not been circulating locally prior. These sequences are highly similar, but distinct. The viral genomes obtained from hamsters are phylogenetically related with some sequence heterogeneity and phylogenetic dating suggest infection in these hamsters occurred around 21 November 2021. Two separate transmission events to humans are documented, one leading to onward household spread.

Interpretation: Pet hamsters can be naturally infected in “real-life” settings. The virus can circulate within hamsters and lead to human infections. Both genetic and epidemiological results strongly suggest that there were two independent hamster-to-human transmission and that such events can lead to onward human transmission. Importation of infected hamsters was the most likely source of virus infection.

DJ [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=HKG&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=HKG&dark=true HK had a major outbreak of AY.127 Delta variant...now being replaced by BA.2 high speed (58% of all last 60 days HK sequences). Hong Kong cases +298% (!!!) 39,904 cases in last 7 days, the week before it was 10,023 cases. HK deaths +918%, last 7 days 112, the week before only 11 deaths...(some of the deaths may be related with BA.2, most however could be linked-I think-with AY.127 Delta...)

Maybe to end this story more hope coming from DenmarK cases -24% allthough from very high numbers..deaths still +11% (236, last week 212 on a DK population of 5,8 million). BA.2 became dominant in DK mid january, got replaced by BA.2+ variants...so far-with DK restrictions dropped-maybe the "damage is limited" ? But we may need some months to get a more realistic picture..

End of part 1, maybe later today a part 2...

DJ, War is now the main news, "the west" has decided that since the pandemic was around for two years "it is getting boring" so lets ignore it...Stupidity rules...certainly in "the west"...

[url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data showing BA.2 in Germany now dominant...

[url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ global reported cases (with a decrease of testing most likely a major factor) 1,766,918 trend -15%...Deaths as far as being reported 9,784 -11% ...I would love this pandemic to be over...but it is not over because we want it to be over...

#1, Germany reporting 218,431 new cases...-8%, 273 deaths +16%...[url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=DEU&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=DEU&dark=true latest info from february 11...

#2, South Korea now reporting 170,006 new cases-trend +85%, 82 deaths trend +64% [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=KOR&dark=true BA.2 only 1% but latest info from january 26...(allmost a month old !!!). [url]https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220225002252320?section=business/health[/url] or https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220225002252320?section=business/health ; 

#3 Russia reporting 132,998 new cases trend -17%, 762 deaths +6% [url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=RUS&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=RUS&dark=true info a month old...BA.2 was 6% back then...

In total 45 countries reporting an increase of cases. New Zealand +229% for cases...[url]https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=NZL&dark=true[/url] or https://outbreak.info/location-reports?loc=NZL&dark=true at december 7 !!!!! Info more the two months old !!! BA.2 was 14%...

DJ-There is a lot of speculation-limited facts-on how many new subvariants of "Omicron" BA.1 did show up...The other Variant Of Concern BA.2 (still called Omicron as well a.o. by the WHO...) also must have lots of subvariants...but if you decrease testing, you have less to sequense...so basically we do not realy know what kinds of subvariants, recombinations etc are spreading...

[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/health/vaccine/moderna/preprint-msh3-omohlogy-and-potential-recombination-link-to-sars-cov-2-furin-cleavage-site/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/health/vaccine/moderna/preprint-msh3-omohlogy-and-potential-recombination-link-to-sars-cov-2-furin-cleavage-site/ ; 

“A BLAST search revealed that a 19 nucleotide portion of the SARS.Cov2 genome encompassing the furin cleavage site is a 100% complementary match to a codon-optimized proprietary sequence that is the reverse complement of the human mutS homolog (MSH3)”

“A BLAST search for the 12-nucleotide insertion led us to a 100% reverse match in a proprietary sequence (SEQ ID11652, nt 2751-2733) found in the US patent 9,587,003 filed on Feb. 4, 2016”

Preprint: MSH3 Homology and Potential Recombination Link to SARS-CoV-2 Furin Cleavage Site

See also: Scientists find virus contains tiny chunk of DNA that matches sequence patented by Moderna three years before pandemic began Daily Mail Report

DJ...strange news....

The basic idea is BA.2 will become the next dominant variant...but if you do not test & sequence how will we know..."living with the virus" is "living with over 4 million extra deaths" per year...most of them poor..[url]https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/25/netherlands-relaxing-covid-restrictions-today[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/25/netherlands-relaxing-covid-restrictions-today 

DJ-I will keep using a mask in supermarkets etc. limit contacts...I do expect BA.2 will bring an increase of cases soon...

Totall global number of CoViD-deaths as far as being reported 5,948,033 in worldometers...5.691,324 on january 30...so february will have over 300,000 extra deaths..."Omicron is only mild"...but translating this number for all of 2022 will we see another 4 million CoViD deaths getting reported this year ? Be close to 10 million reported CoViD deaths by the end of this year ? 

We may not know because "we" stopped reporting and counting...

Long CoViD is ignored but will be very major...

Making the news -

 "never waste a good crisis"...making money has become priority #1...to an absurd level..."Pandemic for profit-strategy"...insanity !

A lot of twitter now also busy with "the war"...(Ukraine cases -20%, deaths +1% as far as statistics still have any value...). 

End of part 1...maybe if I get some more info I my post a part 2...

DJ, 

A look at saturdaystatistics at [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ reporting 1,306,037 new cases..weekly trend -15%, 6,526 deaths getting reported-trend -16%...

A top 5 now has South Korea (SK) at #1...reporting 166,206 new cases, trend +73%, deaths 112, trend +75%. 

at #2 now Germany reporting 129,360 new cases-trend 9only) -7% [url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data BA.2 becoming dominant in Germany. German deaths at 153, trend +13%.

Russia at #3, 122,955 new cases reported-trend -23%. Russian confirmed, tested, reported deaths at 793, trend +4%

#4 is Vietnam (!) with 77,982 new cases-trend +78%, 88 deaths-trend +12%.

#5 Brazil 72,856 new cases...trend -22%, 722 deaths, trend -13%

DJ-In general the number of tests may be dropping...Asia cases +4%, deaths -1%, Oceania cases +9%, deaths -22% (New Zealand cases +372% ! over 42,000 last 7 days...)

In the list of most cases NL now at 11, the US reporting even less cases then NL at #14...UK at #135 simply not reporting any cases...New Zealand made it to #23 reporting 13,625 new cases on a population of just over 5 million...close to 0,3% of NZ population tested positive yesterday...Israel at #34..reporting 6,254 new cases, 4 deaths...trends cases -44%, deaths -27%...my impression; boosters do limit number of cases...

DenmarK (DK) at #20 with 16,399 cases, trend -32%, and 37 deaths, trend +8%...DK population is 5,8 million (1%=58,000...so allmost 0,3% of DK population tested positive yesterday...). 

February 8 did see a global 13,168 cases...August 25-2021 was the previous (but lower) peak with 11,942 deaths. May 2021 so far as a global peak in deaths was worse. On january 31 there were 5,700,078 CoViD deaths...today-february 27..we are at 5,964,917...so an increase of allmost 265,000 based on the latest worldometer numbers...

March will see another wave of BA.2 cases...most likely by mid-march cases will start rising again worldwide. Many countries dropped most-if not all-restrictions. In more catholic countries we have "carnaval"/schoolbreaks...resulting in more spread. There is discussion on how severe BA.2 may be-same as (most of the) BA.1 subvariants or worse (Japan study)...one of the complications is there may be several BA.2 variants by now...(still [url]https://outbreak.info/situation-reports[/url] or https://outbreak.info/situation-reports only has BA.2 as the only variant). 

[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/reservoir/france-b-1-160-outbreak-may-have-begun-in-mink/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/reservoir/france-b-1-160-outbreak-may-have-begun-in-mink/ ; 

“based on genomic, geographical and temporal coincidences, that the source of the Marseille-4 (B.1.160) epidemic was the mink”.

The Marseille-4 variant (B.1.160) was the most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variant in our geographical area in 2020 and was only outdone by the Alpha (UK, B.1.1.7) variant in 2021. It replaced the Marseille-1 variant in August 2020 and faded away in April 2021. It was first detected in south-west France and in Marseille.

and [url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/zoonosis/preprint-highly-divergent-lineage-of-sars-cov-2-in-deer-with-potential-deer-to-human-transmission/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/science/zoonosis/preprint-highly-divergent-lineage-of-sars-cov-2-in-deer-with-potential-deer-to-human-transmission/ ; 

We identified a new and highly divergent lineage of SARS-CoV-2. This lineage has 76 consensus mutations including 37 previously associated with non-human animal hosts, 23 of which were not previously reported in deer. There were also mutational signatures of host adaptation under neutral selection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed an epidemiologically linked human case from the same geographic region and sampling period. Together, our findings represent the first evidence of a highly divergent lineage of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer and of deer-to-human transmission.

Preprint: Highly divergent white-tailed deer SARS-CoV-2 with potential deer-to-human transmission

DJ, both stories underline the further and growing risks of this pandemic spreading in non-human hosts. Omicron BA.1 was linked with development-partly-in mice. "Hopium" and "denialism" , "living with the virus" is increasing further pandemic risks ! This pandemic-again-is far from over !!! Most likely it may get even much worse...we do NOT use the tools we have;

-limiting spread by reorganizing the way we do things...What is wrong with more working from home, e-learning...decreasing contacts=decreasing spread ! 

-Good information prevents spread

-Masks, limiting social contacts limits spread....

-Keep some level of testing/sequencing going...if you give up those tools we may have to restart later on on a worse basis...

From vaccination-news [url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/oops-new-peer-reviewed-published-study-shows-that-mrna-injections-modifies-human-dna-as-fast-as-six-hours-we-were-told-it-never-gets-into-dna[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/oops-new-peer-reviewed-published-study-shows-that-mrna-injections-modifies-human-dna-as-fast-as-six-hours-we-were-told-it-never-gets-into-dna linking to a [url]https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/44/3/73[/url] or https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/44/3/73 ;

DJ-I do NOT have the knowledge to say what it means...Thailand Medical News makes the claim studies on the vaccines only looked for short term risks...This study will become part of the movement against vaccinations. More info on risks could limit unrest...(for older people long term risks is a different story than for people under 30 or 18...). 

DJ, more intelligent people run more risks for depression etc. 

Kashif Pirzada, MD

@KashPrime

·

7h

The end of this wave is a good opportunity to recharge our collective batteries. But Covid has not vanished. Dismantling our defenses now ignores the certainty that new variants will come at us in future.  We need to be smart about keeping our common spaces safe in the meantime.

2

33

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DJ, we may have a pause...indications are newer variants allready around...so act wisely !

Kawasaki_KR-1@KawasakiKR11·12hPerfect time for dropping what little NPIs that are still used.🙃Quote TweetGabriel Hébert-Mild™ ⓥ@Gab_H_R · 22hWaning Effectiveness of the Third Dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine 😬

Relative protection against infection waned from 53.4% a month after vaccination to 16.5% three months after vaccination.  https://medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.25.22271494v1…2315

Yet another warning ! [url]https://twitter.com/KawasakiKR11/status/1497698957748748288/photo/1[/url] or https://twitter.com/KawasakiKR11/status/1497698957748748288/photo/1 vaccine/booster protection going down fast !

I would love this pandemic to be over...but it is not !

End for today...sun is shining...time to go for a walk !

DJ, 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine (Russia itself claiming it is NOT an "invasion or war"...wordgames) is making up most-if not all-of the "news" on main-stream-media. This "MSM" already switched to "living with the virus'-modus....While a corona-virus is different from a flu-virus...."living with a pandemic", dropping most restrictions is-in my non-expert opinion-"unwise"...

I often end up in a "fool-on-the-hill" position, I am used to it...(may not like it...but it may be the outcome of trying to form ones own opinion-not going for what others say...). 

A short look at yesterdays numbers [url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ with only South Korea and Russia reporting over 100,000 new cases...#3, Germany followed by Vietnam and Turkey...

[url]https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/weekly-trends/[/url] or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/weekly-trends/ some countries reporting high increase of cases (mixed with enough testing to be relevant) New Zealand +425% new cases, the DRC (Congo) may not do good at testing..however an increase of +184% may be something to take notice of...Hong Kong +156%...Vietnam +78%, South Korea +69%, another African country-again with limited testing; Zimbabwe cases +33%. 

Germany cases -7% [url]https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data[/url] or https://github.com/lenaschimmel/desh-data indicating BA.2 now replacing BA.1 (and BA.1.1 if one sees it as different subvariant...). Turkey cases -13%, Russia cases -26%...

[url]https://www.coronaheadsup.com/health/vaccine/pfizer-biontech/preprint-effectiveness-of-the-bnt162b2-vaccine-among-children-5-11-and-12-17-years-in-new-york-after-the-emergence-of-the-omicron-variant/[/url] or https://www.coronaheadsup.com/health/vaccine/pfizer-biontech/preprint-effectiveness-of-the-bnt162b2-vaccine-among-children-5-11-and-12-17-years-in-new-york-after-the-emergence-of-the-omicron-variant/ ;

For children 5-11, VE against cases declined from 65% to 12% by 28-34 days. In the Omicron era, the effectiveness against cases of BNT162b2 declined rapidly for children, particularly those 5-11 years.

However, vaccination of children 5-11 years was protective against severe disease and is recommended. These results highlight the potential need to study alternative vaccine dosing for children and the continued importance layered protections, including mask wearing, to prevent infection and transmission.

Preprint: Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine among children 5-11 and 12-17 years in New York after the emergence of the Omicron variant

DJ, we may have to find out what the right dosage of vaccine may be (children often get 50% of an adult dose...but may be different per country/age...so countries may share experiences...).

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/american-and-indian-scientists-explore-phytochemicals-nimbin-and-epinimbin-from-bark-of-neem-tree-as-prophylactics-and-antivirals-against-sars-cov-2-v[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/american-and-indian-scientists-explore-phytochemicals-nimbin-and-epinimbin-from-bark-of-neem-tree-as-prophylactics-and-antivirals-against-sars-cov-2-v ariants; DL if we can limit the outcome of infections it would enable "living with the virus"...

In general still the idea is BA.2 (sub)variant(s) will become dominant in most (western) countries...there is discussion on how "bad" BA.2 may be. A Japanese study indicated it would be (far) worse then earlier BA.1 (sub)variant(s)...but the picture is "mixed"...

Some claim unvaccinated did get very ill from BA.1 subvariants...(including a lot of children getting ill.)

In the above statistics DRC (Congo), Zimbabwe showed high % of increase of cases...so does Vietnam...one of my questions is what variants are causing those increases...Is it all BA.2 ? or could new variants allready be showing up and being not detected so far ? 

Dr. Deepti Gurdasani@dgurdasani1·10h

ONS data on long COVID out today very concerning

-persistent symptoms *affecting daily life* affect a significant proportion of primary & 2ndary school age children

-clear impact on children's wellbeing 🧵

https://ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/covid19schoolsinfectionsurveyengland/mentalhealthandlongcovidnovembertodecember2021

DJ, Omicron did change the pandemic for children. 

and 

indicating this pandemic may still be far from over. 

The Ukraine war is making this pandemic much worse in many ways (refugees in need of a safe place, perspectives. Energy/food prices going up making logistics harder.)

Eric Feigl-Ding 💙💛@DrEricDing·2h

📈Behold Danish CDC continuing to gaslight epidemiologists like @DGBassani that 🇩🇰’s near vertical death surge is no big deal. Meanwhile—Danish excess mortality ➡️now running very high above “considerable” excess deaths👀. So shameful of SSI social media. https://ssi.dk/sygdomme-beredskab-og-forskning/sygdomsovervaagning/d/overvaagning-af-doedelighed

links; [url]https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1498520975079579648/photo/1[/url] or https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1498520975079579648/photo/1  and [url]https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1498520975079579648/photo/2[/url] or https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1498520975079579648/photo/2 

DJ-We live in a time where insanity is a new normal in to many ways...We can NOT survive this way !

End of part 1 maybe find time later on...