Perhaps we are all unvaxxed now

 "'It is my bad luck that this has happened to me.'  No, you should rather say: 'It is my good luck that, although this has happened to me, I can bear it without pain, neither crushed by the present, nor fearful of the future.'  Because such a thing could have happened to any man, but not every man could have borne it." - Marcus Aurelius

So much for the notion that taking a Pfizer shot makes you a virtuous citizen, and that everyone who isn't certain is an evil and/or stupid orc.  Guess what?  Nature is having the last laugh on you.  You are also now an unvaccinated orc!  Cheers, fellow orcs :)

Since the day after Thanksgiving, the news has been abuzz with the multi-continent detection of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with so many mutations that it might cause its own pandemic right alongside the old one.  The name of the new variant?  B.1.1.529, named after the Greek letter Omicron.

Health authorities are freaking the f*ck out.  In the US, air travel has been suspended from eight suspected source countries in the southern part of Africa.  Nothing amuses me more than closing the barn door after the horses are long gone, and traveling at mach 0.7 to infect the next continent!  It's not as if passengers couldn't get off the jet from Africa and then catch a second flight from an "approved" country anyway, right?  

We now have confirmed cases in Hong Kong, Denmark, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Israel, Italy and the Czech Republic - none of which are banned from traveling to anywhere in the world.  If the authorities were serious about dealing with this new variant, international travel would be halted.  But they are not serious about it, and the half-ass measures they are taking will ensure that this becomes global.   

Because governments refuse to deal with this problem in the early stages - other than token efforts - Omicron will very likely be in your own neighborhood before long.  Rationally it's a good plan to get used to that idea right now.  It's difficult to see a different outcome than the last time we had the chance to stop a pandemic, and did nothing.

The new Omicron variant - if it's not eventually called SARS-CoV-3 - apparently has quite a number of mutations on the spike protein - over 30 of them.  Since the spike protein is the only part of the virus that is targeted by our current shots, this mutation *might* very well be able to avoid the antibodies that the vaccines produce.  It's too early to tell if this is the case, but knowledgeable people are very concerned about it. 

Meanwhile, people who have been infected and recovered will have antibodies to the (E) Envelope, (N) Nucleocapsid and (M) Membrane proteins, in addition to defense against the now-mutated (S) Spike protein.  I will leave readers to make their own conclusions about that.  

 Below is an outstanding in-depth article about what's going on, how it was all so predictable, and how poorly this issue is being handled by our "leaders".   FYI This website is on the right-hand column of the page you are now reading, in the Favorites.  It the second link down, and part of my routine reading.  Highly recommended.

 https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2021/11/probable-vaccine-escaping-covid-variant-sequenced-in-gauteng-south-africa-and-spreading-rapidly-press-underplaying-downside-risk.html

As usual, you are on your own, and nobody in charge is going to help, unless it's much too late.  Also, the usual advice to not become a prepper, filled with overblown paranoia.  Just be a good Boy Scout by following their motto: Always be prepared. 

EDIT 11-28-21

Some good news:  While it appears this new variant, or new strain - whatever it is - may be able to dodge antibodies induced by vaccines, it *may not* be causing very serious illness.  Patients seem to be presenting with different and milder symptoms, according to this doctor who has treated several cases. 

Only time will tell if we are being inundated with fear-mongering propaganda or if this is an actual big deal.  Remain calm, but alert - and stay away from click-bait news articles.  

South Africa's Chief Medical Officer has called the response to the news of Omicron "A storm in a teacup".  That statement comes from someone on the front lines - so bear that in mind when you read breathless news stories about Omicron in the coming days and weeks.