Genomics researchers at Stanford University have confirmed California’s first two cases of the South African coronavirus variant in Alameda and Santa Clara counties, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.
The 501Y.V2 variant is one of several recent mutations of the virus, most of which involve changes to its spike protein — the part of the virus that enables it to enter human cells — that may make it more contagious and slightly more resistant to vaccines.
“The issue of mutations is top of mind, not only here in the state of California, across this nation, but increasingly around the globe,” Newsom said Wednesday during a briefing in Fresno County.
The state has also confirmed 159 cases of the COVID-19 variant that originated in the United Kingdom and 1,203 cases of the two variants that originated on the West Coast, according to Newsom.
What has been disappointing these 10 plus months of this, is the apparently total lack of education effort on part of those we put our trust in as to virus particle size and different mask styles and effectiveness of composition.
IF they want us wearing masks, limit travel, avoiding group situations, then educate as to exact hazards. Enough of the sound bite press release proclamations and then they wander off, until their next one.
‘How Mardi Gras Patient Zero led to 50K infection’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9245999/New-Orleans-2020-Mardi-Gras-celebration-led-50-000-COVID-19-cases-study-finds.html
‘All the world’s Covid virus would fit in half a COKE CAN’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9244973/COVID-maths-All-virus-world-fit-coke-can.html
“… coronavirus is about 0.12 microns in diameter and N95 (masks) protect down to 0.1 microns, with 95% efficiency, …”
Most articles out there talk in terms of “percent”, while neglecting to mention particle size cloth masks are capable of stopping.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9080597/Cloth-masks-NOT-stop-spread-COVID-19-without-social-distancing.html
Liberals at state level have a habit of being really light on education and heavy on punitive penalties for not following their, easy way for them, drive by press releases.
They spent $31,013,416.87 to get marijuana Prop 64 passed,
why not that same dedication and interest level, going into educating Californians about Covid ? ? ? ?
@Original G—I enjoyed reading your commentary! But why would the powers that be in this state want to educate their electorate? And the cost of Prop 64 to keep people dumb and dumber, a drop in the bucket..
Sancho Panza, … The people of California deserve so very much more than they are getting. With a little luck the recall might scare the rest of them into doing their jobs responsibly.
Had an electrical engineer fresh out of school, years back on an upgrade project. Was only a $280,000 project, but he was so incredibly lacking in problem solving, initiative and common sense I ended up suggesting he run for public office so he wouldn’t starve to death.
I recall early on other people pointing out the size of the virus vs the size of the partials that N95 mask filter. Those people were castigated mercilessly for pointing that out.
Call me a cynic but I believe those 95% efficiencies rating for N95 masks are like EPA fuel rating. Under the most ideal optimal conditions. Not as most people wear them if they wear N95 mask as all.
Now the CDC is recommending doubling up on masks but only because of the “new” strain. I think the Daily Mail article is right on the money and the new strain is just cover for updating what they knew already about mask efficiency and our innate need to socialize.
Government always feels like it has to show that it is doing something to justify it’s existence. Something decisive, and not something passive like education. Yes it will run some PSAs but it won’t share hard data or how it is being used.
Government just cannot admit it is powerless to prevent the spread of a virus. It doesn’t want to educate. Education leads to questions. Questions can be uncomfortable and answers can be inconvenient.
Janus, … What’s sad and unfortunate is what short sighted DEMs running CA did away with.
In 2006 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the state would invest hundreds of millions of dollars in a powerful set of medical weapons to deploy in the case of large-scale emergencies and natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires and pandemics.”
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-27/coronavirus-california-mobile-hospitals-ventilators
The rational forward looking Governor Schwarzenegger set up a mobile hospitals program along with stockpiling of 50 million N95 masks, 2,400 portable ventilators along with 21,000 additional patient beds in ready to set up kit form in a warehouse up in Sacramento.
“They were ready to roll whenever disaster struck California: three 200-bed mobile hospitals that could be deployed to the scene of a crisis on flatbed trucks and provide advanced medical care to the injured and sick within 72 hours.
Each hospital would be the size of a football field, with a surgery ward, intensive care unit and X-ray equipment. Medical response teams would also have access to a massive stockpile of emergency supplies: 50 million N95 respirators, 2,400 portable ventilators and kits to set up 21,000 additional patient beds wherever they were needed.
Pat Brown’s DUMB son, Gov. moonbeam did away with those hospitals, equipment was given away, sold off or junked. Just how liberals, with their immense egos and Hubris, think, they hadn’t been used so we didn’t need them.
Both those masks an portable hospitals with their ICU’s and ventilators would come in handy today but DEMs didn’t want to pay money for upkeep and storage so they shut program down and got rid of it all.
“The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.”
— Ronald Reagan
Schwarzenegger saw the need, stepped up and gave us a chance DEMs dismantled it all to save money. Yet the still wanted to build their high speed train to nowhere.
DEM incompetence usually only costs CA residents their tax dollars.
This time it’s costing lives.
The liberal media and politicians won’t call it the Wuhan Virus but do name the variants by locale. Conservatives were called xenophobes and racist if they referenced Wuhan or China.
If you’re conservative, don’t get suckered into their lexicon. Just stick to the point and don’t let them distract you any longer.
Be AFRAID! Be VERY afraid!
Do we track all the flu variants? For those of you that say this is not the flu (it isn’t, but similar),
How bout the different variants of Ebola?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580494/
the Swine Flu variants?
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/variant.htm#:~:text=Swine%20flu%20viruses%20do%20not,and%20not%20people%20have%20occurred.
Sorry, really not buying the hype of all the variants being pushed to us … how many more variants have their been that have not been uniquely identified?
Good points. There’s so much fearmongering in the coverage of these variants. This is important for virologists, epidemiologists, and vaccine developers to study. Not really clear that it has much significance for the public, except that news orgs can use it to keep some scary headlines going at a time when the news is otherwise good and getting better.
How many people, inundated with these hand-wringing stories about variants, realize that none of these variants are known to be more deadly or dangerous than the established type? And that the vaccines being tested, even if they don’t completely prevent infection with a new variant, do apparently prevent hospitalization and death?! This last point is so important and it is barely ever mentioned in coverage. If you have had Covid before, or have been vaccinated, the South African variant might still give you a cold. Wow, terrifying.
Much Covid coverage would improve if it calibrated things not towards some fantasy of “zero Covid” or perfect herd immunity, but towards something realistic: turning Covid-19 from a major cause of serious illness and death into just another respiratory virus. Something that can still make you sick, and cause a few more deaths overall, but nothing justifying the upending of society.
.
If Claycord can refer the variant as “South African COVID”, then it is permissible to call the COVID-19 as the “China COVID”, right?
.
… we’re waiting for the fake “outrage” rhetoric from CNN, the DNC, and left-wingers.
I prefer “CCP Wuhan Death Flu” so as to cover most bases.
Well, that settles it. We’re doomed
Exthera Medical’s blood therapy cures all variants of COVID-19. They are located right here in Martinez.
https://www.extheramedical.com/
@Jefferson…. Shysters.
How does a blood filter remove the COVID-19 virus from the lungs, which is where it does the most damage?
Expect more of the same, Biden is allowing refugees and illegals into the country without being tested for COVID.
Oh god. Just stop. Enough of this already!!! Seriously give it up, stop trying to keep people caged up and in boxes fearing for their life constantly. Now it’s the almighty South African variant huh? It’s time to stop dragging this on. Be careful and cautious, wash your hands, wear a mask in close proximity of others, but my god people need to stop feeding into this. It’s here to stay, but let’s still LIVE. Wake up people and turn off the news and enjoy life as much as you can. Covid or no covid, we all could have our final day at any moment.
Brian , you are so right . I have limited my news watching to 15 minutes a day .I enjoy life so much more and no more stress from the fear and propaganda the news media spews out. I tell people to try it for just a week then see how you feel about life .No late night shows either except for James Corden .
It’s not the China Virus, it’s the Communist China Virus.
Important to keep that in mind.
“CCP Virus” for short.
What happened to the REGULAR FLU??
If you claim that social scam distancing, Tinfoil Masks and hand washing eradicated it = YOU ARE A FOOL.
…and we got these variants because? Yeah, because everyone followed the stay at home rule. Muahahahahah!!!!
We got these variants because viruses mutate and have been since the inception of the planet. We cannot control a virus as the need for annual flu vaccinations would suggest, destroying our economy and listening to the fear mongers is another story entirely…