Here we go again — yet another round of COVID-19 panic porn is afoot in the U.S.
With media reports of a COVID-19 surge resulting in rising hospitalizations falling flat, there is now a report of a scary new variant alarming scientists.
The new highly-mutated BA.2.86 COVID variant is causing global alarm over its rapid transmission and a second American has contracted the variant, according to the Daily Mail.
More from the British newspaper:
The positive case was detected in an asymptomatic patient in Virginia who was tested August 10 after returning to the US from Japan.
Scientists identified the case in a database that contains test samples from a small number of travelers entering the US. Independent experts told DailyMail.com they believe the new strain is spreading more widely and in more US states.
The new variant, also spotted in Michigan last week, is causing concern because it stems from an ‘earlier branch’ of the coronavirus, so it differs from the variants targeted by current vaccines.
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With cases of the virus that originated in Wuhan, China rising some are quick to resort to the same mitigation efforts that proved to be futile the last go-round.
Hollywood studio Lionsgate, which is known for the horror franchise “Saw” and “The Hunger Games,” was quick to beat everyone to the punch, reinstating a mask mandate, as was Morris Brown College, a private liberal arts school in Atlanta, which is requiring students and employees to wear face masks in hallways and lecture halls for two weeks due to “reports of positive cases among students,” the Daily Mail reported.
COVID rates are reportedly up for the fifth week in a row, but the article noted that they are still “at near-historic lows.” At the same time, doctors are saying symptoms are milder now than at any previous point.
As for the BA.2.86 COVID variant, seven strains have been identified in five countries, according to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA Commissioner who now sits on the board of Pfizer:
Pfizer board member and former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says he’s ‘pretty concerned’ about new COVID variant BA.2.86
Source: Face the Nation (YouTube) pic.twitter.com/DeLAdJEWd5— Wittgenstein (@backtolife_2023) August 22, 2023
In addition to the U.S., the new scary strain has been detected in Israel, Denmark, and the U.K. — it has not been detected in Japan.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story from “X,” formerly known as Twitter:
It’s been difinitively linked to 7 cases around the world and that makes it the dominant variant????
What are we talking about?
— The Sports Trader (@johntodora) August 23, 2023
Masks and boosters won’t stop this one either
— Big Tom Callahan (@CallahanAutoCo) August 23, 2023
The CDC announced Thursday it is tracking a newly discovered COVID-19 strain called: BA.2.86.
Only three cases of the variant have been spotted worldwide, yet the WHO rapidly escalated BA.2.86 classification to “variant under monitoring”, which is viewed as highly uncommon.…
— Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) August 19, 2023
Of course it has to be before Nov. 2024. So they can Mail Out all those Ballots again!
— jo rouston (@jo_rouston) August 19, 2023
— Lord Of The Pepe (@LordOfThePepes) August 19, 2023
It should be called election 2024 variant
— J Hans (@blackhawkce457) August 20, 2023
The WHO, CDC, Biden Admin are fear mongering a new COVID variant BA.2.86 after highly mutated strain reported in Michigan.
Sources in DHS and Emergency Management (my field) are already preparing for lockdowns and restrictions.
Look at todays headlines. It’s a coordinated… pic.twitter.com/VZASyPIB1S
— Ryan Cunningham (@rycunni) August 18, 2023
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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