New Covid variant has been identified and is already spreading in 25 states

1153 points by DryDeer775 19 hours ago on reddit | 85 comments

RubyRaven907 | 18 hours ago

Oh good

pinkyepsilon | 7 hours ago

2020 Part 6, here we come!

Druken_sincerity | 3 hours ago

Now with the double of inflation. Second time is always bigger

Trimshot | 2 hours ago

I mean the world won’t survive another worldwide pandemic if it happens now; We’re barely skirting societal collapse as it is.

Deferty | 18 hours ago

This title insinuates that Covid hasn’t been already constantly mutating and affecting people the last 5 years.

pegothejerk | 16 hours ago

This variant, BA.3.2, hasn’t had a similar mutating strain spreading around the US since Jan 2024. It’s the first since then to have a similar mutation that evades immune detection and vaccines wont likely have their usual effectiveness. It is different, the article and linked journal inside the article explain how.

qyasogk | 16 hours ago

Well it’s a good thing no one is taking vaccines anymore.

cyanescens_burn | 15 hours ago

I do because I work in a high risk environment and I don’t want long covid brain fog, chronic fatigue, and whatever else. Symptoms like that could end up causing me to lose my job. I need to stay sharp to do well at work. I live in a HCoL city, and if I had to take a less cognitively demanding gig would struggle to stay housed here.

sunkistandsudafed3 | 8 hours ago

I'm absolutely pro vaccine and worked in healthcare throughout the pandemic. I would still encourage people to get it if available to them, less of my patients died after vaccination and generally did better during the infections, but I feel the need to make it clear that it is not a magic bullet against long covid. It might reduce the risk but some of us still develop it despite vaccination.

killerdeer69 | 13 hours ago

Long term brain fog is a symptom of covid? That explains a lot... I'm still experiencing that and I had covid over a year ago.

OrangeJr36 | 6 hours ago

How did you not know this? It's been wildly discussed since 2020

sleptpastnoon | 6 hours ago

the brain fog

OrangeJr36 | 5 hours ago

Fair point!

killerdeer69 | 5 hours ago

It's like Silent Hill up here, man.

Kobethegoat420 | 5 hours ago

Brain fog.

linguistikate | 5 hours ago

Unfortunately the vaccine doesn’t necessarily prevent long Covid

pit_of_despair666 | 13 hours ago

I have those symptoms from hormonal changes we ladies start going through in our 40's.

Hypnotist30 | 2 hours ago

I had covid in 23. It wasn't terrible in the short term, but I definitely wouldn't recommend trying it. The congestion lasted about 7 days & I had a fever and bad fatigue for 4 of them. It was another 2 weeks before I actually felt better & I still got sinus headaches off and on for another 3 or 4 months. My vaccine was current at that time.

pegothejerk | 16 hours ago

I mean, I got mine in fall. But yeah, people around here have largely blown it off.

IBeDumbAndSlow | 15 hours ago

Insurance doesn't cover it for me anymore

dushamp | 15 hours ago

??? The local Walgreens does it for free withought anything more than your name and an appointment

IBeDumbAndSlow | 15 hours ago

Oh damn. I didn't know that, thank you!

Tank_Girl_Gritty_235 | 4 hours ago

My Walgreens makes you pay but they give you a gift certificate for the same value

Keji70gsm | 12 hours ago

They're either not covered, out of touch with how important it is, or stupid.

Roonwogsamduff | 14 hours ago

thought they are illegal now?

tsardonicpseudonomi | 3 hours ago

After the government stopped making healthcare accessible with regard to COVID vaccinations I'd expect that the herd immunity shattered. They became out of reach for the poor.

Hot-Persimmon756 | 15 hours ago

This has been a particularly bad “flu” season… but I suspect it’s really a flu/covid season as people I know have been down and out several times this past Fall and Winter.

HighOnGoofballs | 9 hours ago

There was (is?) a flu variant this year all over, I got it myself. Still haven’t caught covid yet somehow

n0madking | 15 hours ago

How many times can you get this shit before it destroys your brain and lungs?

S-192 | 15 hours ago

It no longer does the kind of damage to the lungs that we saw with the Alpha and Beta variants. If you develop complications like pneumonia you certainly can have that happen, but that's the same story with the flu and others.

Brain damage is not clear. I've not heard of anything like that with COVID again--since Alpha/Beta.

The main risk with this, assuming you're not very young or very old and at risk of aforementioned complications, is the threat of long COVID. And we still don't fully understand it, so there's that.

But the days of mass scale lung scarring and stuff are behind us it seems. To become more contagious a disease must become weaker. Typical pathogenesis. This is no exception. But that doesn't mean it's to be taken lightly, before anyone says anything to that.

DanoPinyon | 15 hours ago

It's cumulative damage to bodily systems, especially the immune system. The reason so many are sick so often.

Hugs154 | 14 hours ago

There’s no actual evidence of this. No other viral illnesses work like this. Don’t fall for fearmongering.

ikonoclasm | 13 hours ago

Technically measles does since it attacks your memory B and T cells.

Hugs154 | 13 hours ago

That’s true, but that’s not “cumulative damage” from multiple infections like this person is claiming, that just kinda happens with measles. And you can’t get measles twice except in very extreme circumstances.

DanoPinyon | 14 hours ago

Thanks for th' laff at your expense!

Hugs154 | 14 hours ago

Provide some peer reviewed studies, in humans (not in mice or in vitro), showing what you said is true then!

DanoPinyon | 20 minutes ago

>Provide some peer reviewed studies, in humans (not in mice or in vitro), showing what you said is true then! u/Hugs154

I mean golly gee, it's a choice after 7 years to not know what a widespread infectious, damaging disease does to human bodies. Sure, humans are lazy and the brain isn't optimized for long-term thinking, but we can overcome that. Well, some do, others have brain damage and can no longer figure it out even when spelled out for them. More resources for me, though, and that's good!

[Edit: fatfanger]

FrakNutz | 2 hours ago

I had COVID 4 or 5 times, I forget now. Fully immunized as soon as it was available and got paxlovid quickly each time.

Each time it affected me differently, but I was never hospitalized. One of them I got really stupid, like not being able to come up with the names of common objects, and I realized after all my bouts that I can't read a book, especially for fun, and retain it the same way anymore, and I used to be a speed reader. I forget what I just read. Learning takes longer, different methods, and more effort. I don't see things in my mind anymore, it's all just grey when I used to have vivid visualization. I'm still good at troubleshooting and association of stuff I knew before but it's harder for me to integrate new knowledge or to articulate some old knowledge. I have to go through instructions carefully and more slowly and repeatedly to stand a chance.

I also believe my lung capacity or efficiency is decreased, I get out of breath much faster and easier.

Thisismyusername89 | 58 minutes ago

I was just going to reply with pretty much the same thing. I know I’m a bit older than when it first hit but I know I’m not the same anymore. Got hit 2 times with it so far and it’s changed my lungs. My memory as well went into decline, too big and too rapid to call it “getting older”. I don’t care what the professionals say, I know my body well & I know covid caused some serious damage to it. 😕

Upbeat-Hearing4222 | 5 hours ago

Forever, its not a flu strain or chickenpox where you get likely lifelong immunity. Some viruses do that, some don't. Most common cold viruses don't let you become immune, but generally their evolutionary pressure sheds lethality for infection rate.

That one COVID was so bad because it jumped from bats to humans so successfully and at high infection rate, but carried with it abnormally high lethality for a COVID strain.

It's not uncommon for a strain that just crossed over to a new species to have higher lethality, but it is uncommon for it to be that infectious that fast.

_redacteduser | 13 hours ago

I got it 4x the first time, I’m already fucked.

willyoumassagemykale | 5 hours ago

5 for me 😭 and I get my vaccines!

xxYourLastBreathxx | 8 hours ago

just get more vaccines!!

IndigoStef | 12 hours ago

Whatever flu I just had sure felt like Covid despite testing negative twice. Lost me sense of smell, got congested and then had a deep barking cough, sweating constantly but no fever, started to feel better and then got mush worse, body aches, headaches, and two weeks of missed work. I’m still using an inhaler and catching my breath if i overexert myself. (And I’m vaccinated and boosted every October for Covid and Flu)

lolkobolko | 7 hours ago

Well i never take vaccines and i am never sick. Try it sometime... also you should avoid people recently vaccinated due to shedding

angryChick3ns | 6 hours ago

Wtf

lolkobolko | 5 hours ago

Well its not a well known fact but its real, you can google about vaccine shedding. Even covid vaccines shed but i didn't find any papers on it... guess they hiding this info like how they hide the fact that people who died from the covid vaccines were put in unvaccinated category hence it looks like covid vaccine "lowers all cause mortality" which is not possible

Level_Macaroon2533 | 5 hours ago

I hear you i was at the park the other day watching some "birds" charge up on the power lines and I could see an aura on this woman from a mile away - recent measles vaccine shedding.

lolkobolko | 4 hours ago

Perhaps the spike proteins in your brain hurt you as your comment makes zero sense

justdrowsin | an hour ago

Yeah! I never wear a seatbelts and I haven't died in a car accident. Facts! I don't buy fire insurance for my home, and it's never burnt down! Winning! I'm fat and I don't eat healthy food, and I'm still alive! Just can't argue with my logic!

BlastTyrantKM | 17 hours ago

Why do they keep testing for COVID? We wouldn't have any new COVID variants if they stop testing for them /s

NobblyNobody | 13 hours ago

Luckily you've got RFK Jr leading the way, who i'm sure will be right on it.

PhysicalStorm7275 | 15 hours ago

Covid 2 : Electric Boogaloo

Basicly-Inevitable | 18 hours ago

The next pandemic they'll say, "It's just the common Covid! It'll be gone by Christmas! Stop overreacting!"

atwistofcitrus | 13 hours ago

Mask up ppl.

Long Covid is a real bitch - no joke

snakeyfish | 15 hours ago

Not good news. But send another 8billion to Israel

cassatta | 14 hours ago

8 billion at least. The useful idiot has done Putins bidding and destroyed the US from within and done Israel’s bidding to start a war with Iran. Never before has this country seen such a tremendous idiot

xOrion12x | 14 hours ago

Dude their aiming for 200. We apparently obliterated their army, navy, power, oil, country, school girls and everything possible. Why the fuck are WE the ones sending troops to die and taking money that we have never so desperately needed thats OURS, for THEIR fucking war?

GeauxCup | 15 hours ago

I hope the WHO can track it and study it because lord knows no one else will.

Arlitto | 14 hours ago

Honestly? Just wipe me out, please. I'm tired, boss.

SpritaniumRELOADED | 5 hours ago

Incidentally, I had to commit fraud in order to get my COVID vaccine this year

HoldEm__FoldEm | an hour ago

This isn’t news. Covid is just another new sickness like the cold & flu.

It will come around in new variants every year now

Crazycook99 | 16 hours ago

I’m really wondering if that’s what smack the fuck outta me these past two weeks. Still recovering, barely have my appetite back and naps are a constant everyday. I was told it was Flu A, but I doubt the VA Hospital has the proper information

doyouevenfly | 18 hours ago

Good old common COVID

pegothejerk | 16 hours ago

Except it’s not the common COVID, it’s a new variant from a variant we haven’t had a mutation of spreading for over 2 years.

momofyagamer | 16 hours ago

Yeah that means a different type of long covid tail attached to it and enough people already lost their health insurance and are chronically ill from it. (a person who nearly died from it and is still fighting the after effects)

BiffSterling80 | 12 hours ago

Most people i ask are going to pray it away

Eelroots | 11 hours ago

I bet they will stop sampling. Problem solved.

Physical_Dentist2284 | 8 hours ago

Oh boy I can’t wait to get Covid for a third time and now as a bonus I can get it during perimenopause where I already feel like I might be losing my mind. Maybe this next vaccine will work for me. I mean the first two didn’t. Or maybe they did. Maybe if I hadn’t gotten them I would have died. I definitely felt like I could die when I had it. Jesus, why does everything suck right now??

chemistry_coronado | 14 hours ago

Covid is slowly killing everyone. It also can’t produce herd immunity the same a cold or flu does since it damages the immune system.

DreadfulDuder | 14 hours ago

Could you elaborate?

I thought it couldn't produce herd immunity just because it mutates so quickly, but I'm not a Virologist.

darkearwig | 12 hours ago

We cut flu cases down drastically with increased immunizations and masking, we very likely could eliminate it, but there is no social will to do so.

DreadfulDuder | an hour ago

Oh yeah 🤦

Yup, very high adoption rates would be needed.

Thanks!

predat3d | 15 hours ago

Thanks a bunch, Netherlands

MisterWanderer | 11 hours ago

Covid loves spreading when trump is in power. Wonder why it loves him so much.

Shin-kak-nish | 6 hours ago

Love how every time Trump becomes president Covid starts to surge. God is punishing us.

Living-By-The-River | 7 hours ago

If it’s in 25 states, it’s everywhere already.

Luciferousllamas | 7 hours ago

Oh look, the seasonal cold is out again

MARSHALCOGBURN999 | 5 hours ago

Everyone panic. Shut the government down and hazmat up.

Few_Box_1341 | 6 hours ago

Let’s do shots

Strong-Mall-2280 | 17 hours ago

2 weeks to flatten the curve😆

Varathane | 16 hours ago

flattened that Influenza B/Yamagata curve though! Drove it to near extinction.

darkearwig | 12 hours ago

Near? As far as I know, it hasn't been seen in the wild at all since