New COVID-19 Variant Identified in Humboldt County
Press release from Humboldt County Joint Information Center:
A never-before-seen COVID-19 variant has been identified in Humboldt County, but Public Health officials say current evidence suggests it was contained to a single outbreak and there is no indication it has spread to the broader community.
In late January, Humboldt County Public Health submitted dozens of samples from individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 at the Granada Rehabilitation and Wellness Facility, along with dozens of random samples from the Humboldt County Public Health Lab (PHL), for routine genomic surveillance. Genomic sequencing of the samples was conducted by Chan Zuckerberg Biohub (CZ Biohub), a nonprofit medical research organization that has been responsible for about 45% of the genomic surveillance in California.
CZ Biohub determined that 16 of those samples had the same mutation of the virus’s spike protein at the N501Y position, which is common among other COVID-19 variants, and Public Health linked all 16 back to the Granada facility. Lab studies suggest that this mutation makes the virus “sticky” or easier for the virus to attach to a cell’s receptors, which could result in a higher rate of transmission.
Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said that it appears the mutation occurred within the Granada facility as the virus spread among staff and residents. “There is no evidence to suggest that this variant was brought in from outside of Granada, and data provided by CZ Biohub indicates that it has not been seen elsewhere in Humboldt County,” he said. “The good news is there has been no evidence either through genetic testing or contact investigations to indicate the variant spread into the broader community.”
Senior Biosecurity Fellow at CZ Biohub Dr. Patrick Ayscue said, “Mutation is a natural feature of viruses, so it is not unexpected that we will see variants occasionally arise in outbreaks.” Dr. Ayscue went on to say, “What is pretty remarkable here is Humboldt County Public Health was in a position to identify a new and potentially dangerous variant, contain it and successfully stop it before it had the opportunity to spread more broadly. It’s really a credit to the hard work of local public health and their partners.”
The Humboldt County PHL has been collaborating with CZ Biohub since June 2020, and the nonprofit has sequenced more than 650 samples from Humboldt County, accounting for approximately 22% of total cases. PHL Laboratory Manager Dr. Jeremy Corrigan said, “After we package and send the samples, our teams work together to analyze the sequencing data and identify any variants of concern. Sequencing also provides a measure of quality control because we can monitor for mutations that could impact the effectiveness of the PCR test we utilize,” referring to the polymerase chain reaction test used by the PHL. Dr. Corrigan noted that these kinds of partnerships are a great opportunity to leverage expertise and resources to better understand local COVID-19 conditions.
Dr. Hoffman described the outbreak at Granada as heartbreaking for residents, their families and caregivers as well as the community at large. Identifying this variant, he said, offers a better understanding of why the virus was able to spread through the facility so quickly. “Genomic sequencing is a tool we’ll continue to use to help us monitor for and contain variants before they become a problem,” he said.
With variants of concern on the rise around the world and here in California, Dr. Hoffman said, prevention measures are vital to keeping the spread of COVID-19 in check. “Please continue to wear a mask when in public, maintain physical distance and wash your hands regularly.”
Read more about CZ Biohub’s genomic sequencing at czbiohub.org.
For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting [email protected] or calling 707-441-5000.
Local COVID-19 vaccine information: humboldtgov.org/vaccineinfo
Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/dashboard
Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19
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Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert###
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So a variant that doesn’t spread very well apparently. Less contagious variant, but we don’t dare say that. Lets say Grenada did a fabulous job of containing this deadlier variant, but couldn’t keep covid out of the facility. St Lukes, no covid deaths at that facility. Grenada has had how many deaths ? But contained this deadly variant.
The article says this variant has a higher rate of transmission, not lower. So it can spread easier, not harder. It just hasn’t due to proper containment there.
Considering it infected one person there is no way they can know if it is “more” or “less” transmissible.
Correct that to 16 people in a single outbreak… still too small of a sample to know if it is more or less contagious.
I really doubt that this new variant was contained within the Granada Rest Home. Too many staff members coming and going, which surely allowed it to escape. It is more important than ever to wear two masks when you go out. Failure to follow the Covid rules is just letting the virus have free range on all of us. It is to the point now in the country to follow all the rules or buy yourself a cemetery plot!
I agree, triple mask people, triple mask now before its too late.
“Failure to follow the Covid rules is just letting the virus have free range on all of us.”
That’s funny Martin. 😆
(you’re being sarcastic right?)
Are you actually serious?
“… buy yourself a cemetery plot!”
Fear monger much?
You realize the double and triple masking was the result of a bet to see how many masks the powers that be can make you wear? It’s a measure of how willing you are to follow ‘The Man’. John at the CDC said 4 and Bill said 3 while Andy said 2. Still waiting to see who has to buy beers
Wonderful y’all can stay locked down and masked forever… there’s always going to be a new flu strain, better yet just keep injecting yourself with poisons/ stay home behind closed doors>>> I’m sure death will never find you that way
Yogini: If everyone wore masks for one month it would all be over and lockdown could end. But people like you spouting discredited nonsense from months ago will keep it going for years..
There lots of attempts to reason why masking “should” work, but there is no evidence that masking actually works in the real world.
https://rationalground.com/after-nine-months-we-still-know-masks-dont-work/
Rational Ground doesn’t have a great record on reporting factually. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/rational-ground/
WHO and CDC both recommend masking.
Who fact checks the fact checkers?
Media Bias Fact Check: Incompetent or Dishonest?
By James D Agresti
April 24, 2017
As Just Facts grows in prominence and reputation, an increasing number of scholars, major organizations, and eminent people have cited and recognized the quality work of Just Facts. With this higher profile, Just Facts has also been subject to deceitful attacks. A recent example of such comes from “Media Bias Fact Check,” an “independent media outlet” that claims to be “dedicated to educating the public on media bias and deceptive news practices.”
https://www.justfactsdaily.com/media-bias-fact-check-incompetent-or-dishonest
And:
The Columbia Journalism Review describes Media Bias/Fact Check as an amateur attempt at categorizing media bias and Van Zandt as an “armchair media analyst.”[2] The Poynter Institute notes, “Media Bias/Fact Check is a widely cited source for news stories and even studies about misinformation, despite the fact that its method is in no way scientific.”[4] Alexandra Kitty, in a 2018 book on journalism, described MBFC as an apparent “amateur/civic outfit” and wrote that its founder’s only qualification was a degree in communications.[3]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Bias/Fact_Check
Kym, I must point out that the cdc and doctor fauci, have also recommended reopening schools immediately. If you can listen to the science about masking then should you not also listen to the science of reopening schools? Just curious if you support the science, or the politics, of reopening schools considering that the teachers unions are Biden’s buddy, or do you blame trump for the schools staying closed ?
I am cautiously in support of opening schools following the recommendations for space, cleaning, etc.
Here’s more information on the requirements https://www.npr.org/2021/02/19/969467560/if-schools-follow-cdc-guidance-bidens-reopening-goals-could-be-hard-to-reach
Both the WHO and CDC have had multiple failures with suggested actions with the ‘rona. They should receive more scrutiny than any organizations making suggestions.
How about scientists from Standford? https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/06/stanford-scientists-contribute-to-who-mask-guidelines.html
Or how about what the PNAS (National Academy of Sciences) Evidence Review of Face Masks efficacy against COVID-19 conclusion
“The available evidence suggests that near-universal adoption of nonmedical masks when out in public, in combination with complementary public health measures, could successfully reduce Re to below 1, thereby reducing community spread if such measures are sustained.” https://www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2014564118
Or…we could follow the advice of a media organization that is factually challenged.
All these efforts to justify mask mandates use controlled, laboratory settings. Real world variables make a huge difference in this dynamic problem. Look at Nepal, Sweden and Africa: why have these places suffered less with less restrictive government policies?
Exactly . Real world variables like touching your sopping wet mask and then touching everything around you which other people touch too.
The problem is the lack of transparency here.
Masks have been studied for years. All of a sudden now “studies” show they do something?
Again, just coincidence I’m sure.
So Standford vs JAMA network. Take your pick I suppose.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762694?fbclid=IwAR2RE-c4V-fhUodui0JQRbiHRcgEJuDKG_21N4oL5zAfciQfWCyHAsetJmo
This study isn’t about efficacy. It’s about the inherent dangers of mask-wearing:
https://pdmj.org/papers/masks_false_safety_and_real_dangers_part3/. (part 1 and 2 are avaiable with a little switch of the 3)
Which I thought was just good ole common sense.
(drink your own piss thingy)
Ullr, not sure if this source passes the “fact checkers” check but has similar graphs (not Fla though) of states and countries:
https://swprs.org/covid-masks-review/
Seems pretty reputable. And they dig into the “studies” in favor of masking to show their flaws.
Good link, thanks.
These charts are really simple with public data on hospitalizations, positive tests and/or deaths with a policy timeline overlayed. It’s not compiling data that isn’t readily available to anyone.
Who makes these acronyms?
PNAS sounds like an organization of dicks.
These mutations shouldn’t be a surprise. Dr. Ge and Dr. Shi of the Wuhan Institute of Virology were studying viral gain of function with Dr. Baric at the University of North Carolina back in 2014. They were crossing covid viruses to make new ones so they could study how the viruses mutate and get stronger. They also found that the 2002 sars outbreak had over 16 mutations by the end of it too.
Mutations happen constantly in most organisms. In most individuals in fact. The vast majority are neither harmful nor significant. A very few contain an element that increases survivability for the organism.
There is a balance too. If an organism has a mutation that increases its ability to reproduce than that mutation gains traction on the organism that doesn’t have it. But if an organism has a mutation that makes it more deadly, that may give it less traction as it kills off its host before the host can spread the mutated organism to many new hosts. The ideal organism is one that mutates to make the host into a good spreader by infecting them without killing them off. So mutations may be less viralent. Mutation itself is not necessarily bad news. It maybe that a successful mutation is more infective but less debilitating too.
Exactly Guest.
As far as gain-of-function: This was to basically make a virus deadly (or more deadly).
Became “outlawed” in the u.s, supposedly. Not so in China. With u.s support of course.
This is where “bioweapon” comes into play. (and Ft Detrick)
I just used your fact checker https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/rational-ground/
to check my link and it passed the check with flying colors yet I can’t post it.
Quote
LEAST BIASED These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes)….
Read More
End Quote
It gives world statistics. Whats wrong with that?
Neither does the New York Times.
The WHO is in china’s back pocket and the CDC has flip flopped so many times on policy, and a lot of hit has been due to political pressure, they are less than credible.
“Simply wearing a mask may not be enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 without social distancing.” https://phys.org/news/2020-12-masks-covid-distancing.html
One mask is not enough Ice, didn’t you watch the Redwood news, you need to quadruple mask now.
ughm considering WE ALL have been wearing masks for a yr i feel your a little off par on your BOLD statement.
i for one am excited for the vaccines. i’m really looking forward to the 5G kicking in.
What does influenza have to do with this?
It’s cuz Covid deniers are saying this is all nothing more than the flu. I know, sounds ridiculous, but there you are.
It’s because liberal attackers need to find someone to blame for failure of their irrational but beloved simple solutions. So they simply called anyone who doesn’t subscribe to the same nonsense as a “denier” . A climate “denier”, a covid “denier”, a racism “denier”, etc which absolves them from having to acknowledge the flaws in their own beliefs by consigning any questioning, no matter how thoughtful, to their favorite stereotype trash can.
Bullshit. And you just came up with that dandy proclamation so you don’t have to acknowledge the flaws, racism, and climate change denial in the QGOP.
Works both ways, Guest…
How about that? It does work both ways…
“It’s the economy stupid”.
👍
Okay.. so how is anyone supposed to take your statements seriously Guest when they also “Deny” being “in denial”. Lol.
Deny..deny..deny..
Is one in denial? Nope.. deny that too..
Inhaled too many dust balls under my bed. You know that over a third of the military has refused vaccinations. Many healthcare workers also refusing. Media will stop reporting this eventually. Massive experiment going on with these emergency approved vaccines. Being a lab rat is now in.
Finally Humboldt will be known worldwide for something other than our excellent weed. Puff on!
Now I’m wondering if the vaccine can be vaped. That would make humboldt famous.
Isreal has a vaccine you can snort!
🕯🌳There was more than one person infected at the care home the article says 16.🖖🖖
More funny-ness:
CZ Biohub. Anyone go to their web site? Know what “CZ” stands for?
So….a lab owned by mark zuckerberg and his wife chan(cz) with support from Stanford.
Anyone else connecting some dots?
And they sure don’t tell you how this “genomic sequencing” is accomplished. Wonder why?
If you guesses cgi, you’d likely be correct.
But alas, no transparency.
Wth, additional funny-ness:
Dr. Stefan Lanka:
“All claims about viruses as pathogens are wrong and are based on easily recognizable, understandable and verifiable misinterpretations …”
There’s something you don’t hear everyday.
(disclaimer: he’s an “anti-vaxxer”, “HIV=AIDS denier”, “expert”)
https://wissenschafftplus.de/uploads/article/Dismantling-the-Virus-Theory.pdf. (2015)
Yes good point! It’s important that we realize major medical institutions are corrupted by billionaire donors and government funding.
Zuckerburg is on tape telling executives to be wary of the long term side effects of the “vaccine,” because it alters DNA. But truth standards on Facebook don’t allow people to claim that the “vaccine” changes DNA. Ha! Zuckerberg would be banned on Facebook.
Yep. Seems Gates is involved also in CZ Biohub. No surprise there.
It also looks like they are the lab “testing” nearly half of Cali.
No conflict of interest or anything.
Their little pet is called Vera. Here’s what the webpage says:
“A scalable, flexible, and low-cost template for population surveillance.”
Nothing to see here folks!
https://med.stanford.edu/vera.html
More coincidences: Event 201
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201/about
Same basic players. Scroll down a bit and there you have “dark winter”. The link isn’t working quite right but hey, it’s our old friends at Johns Hopkins.
If you click on “resources” at the top of the page then scroll down to “communication in a….”.
Well, that just spells it out clearly. Only one narrative will be allowed. Can’t have any “disinformation”.
Btw, this little “exercise” was dealing with a coronavirus pandemic (Oct 2019)
That date just keeps popping up.
Ah well….just coincidences.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/this-is-the-psychological-side-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-that-were-ignoring/
Lockdown is the world’s biggest psychological experiment – and we will pay the price
In short, and perhaps unsurprisingly, people who are quarantined are very likely to develop a wide range of symptoms of psychological stress and disorder, including low mood, insomnia, stress, anxiety, anger, irritability, emotional exhaustion, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Low mood and irritability specifically stand out as being very common, the study notes.
In general, we know at-risk groups for long-term mental health issues will be the healthcare workers who are on the frontline, young people under 30 and children, the elderly and those in precarious situations, for example, owing to mental illness, disability and poverty.
🕯🌳All of the above symptoms show on this blog.And I think CZ is short for “cuz”.🖖🖖
Covid-420?
If any of you mask-skeptical armchair internet Covid experts EVER need surgery you must insist that the surgeon and nurses absolutely do not wear masks or gloves. You can tell them that you would rather not live in fear and you don’t want their freedoms infringed upon.
Germs and virus are no match for your vitamin infused lack of fear so also ask them to not bother with scrubbing up beforehand.
When you go to the dentist, tell your hygienist that their masks and gloves are confining and an infringement on their freedoms so they don’t need to bother. It’s ok to go from one patient to the next without washing their hands, you have super-human lack of fear. Fear is for Sheeple. Masks and gloves are for the weak.
I dare you .
They wear masks so they don’t accidently spit into you’re open body not to prevent you from getting a cold. A good surgeon wouldn’t be a at work with a cold.
Yeah sure ,
Ever heard of PPE Protocol?
Or maintaining a sterile field?
Didn’t think so.
Because comparing the gymnastics actual medical providers go through in the implementation of masks , to an everyday goober yanking a rag out of his pocket makes me go yeah, sure.
New Covid-19 variant self-identifies as a flu virus!
Masks don’t stop virus particles. Fauci said on tape in a 60minutes interview a year ago, we shouldn’t wear masks in an outbreak.
A lot has happened and has been Updated in a year. Get new lines and criticism, rinse repeat repeat repeat. Tiresome and useless blather EVERYDAY. Learn something new.
I’m over it.
Having a SOGGY real-world mask burning tonight.
I’m not ill.
Nor do I live with, or care for an ill family member.
Those are the factors that might prompt an individual to mask.
Listen carefully.
“Asymptomatic spread” is a big half truth.
Because, in the most intimate settings (close quarters, or a family compound where one or more person is ACTIVELY sick) it is *remotely* possible to be asymptomatically ill.
That’s it.
It’s not every random person next to you in the store that’s going to give you the fiiiiik’n c’rona.
So goddamn dumb! And paranoid af!
People have scared the joy of life right out of themselves
Omg whats next ?
Hemapoopalitis .
10masks and a butt plug.
Why do you have to come here every day to announce your stance on masks? Just do what the hell you want, no one cares. No one cares if you burn your masks. What a bunch of whiny wimps on these Covid threads. Every, Day. Same comments every time there’s a Covid update. Don’t you guys get tired of your whining, I sure do. Bunch of crybabies. Get some intestinal fortitude . No one cares!!
Find something constructive to do, you bore the crap out of me.
Intestinal fortitude is actually what the brainiacs are proposing.
Literally fortifying yourself, your gut.
We don’t have an immune system we ARE an immune system.
Remember, He who doesn’t care, yet bothers to comment and sling some shade,
Exposure does not equal infection. Your body has lots of defenses that you can bolster thru your daily habits.
Be well .
Yeseye…
Reaction to ignorance and apathy is justified when the solution becomes worse than the problem.
Yes.
I haven’t had the flu in….25 years?
Good friends who get the flu jab almost religiously come down with it every other year or so.
And covid really kicked their bums.
Oh gee, throwing shade got you down? That’s all that pretty much goes on here in case you didn’t notice. Yes, have the guts to do what you’re going to do about the Covid situation without coming here every friggin day repeating the same shit day after day after day. Every thread about Covid, same people repeat the same thing. I could write the whole thread with everyone’s comments beforehand because they’ve said the same thing every day for a year.
Get my drift? So yeah, when someone declares that they’re going to burn their mask I’m like seriously, who cares, we’ve heard this shit for a year, give it a rest and just carry on….
You do know that you’re not required to read the comments?
Or post one.
Problem solved.
Why do some of you make up a new name for every comment?
They don’t. Kym reprimands posters who use two different names in a single thread. Didn’t we go over this already? Can you help them out trb?
Yes they do, just use a different email address, duh. It’s been going on for a long time here and on Loco but you go ahead and pretend it doesn’t happen.
I wonder about the people that vehemently deny that it happens because it’s a fact that it does.
But like I said before, the worlds a stage , some people like playacting to up the agreements of their opinions . It’s an insecurity thing.
Food insecurity
Housing insecurity
Job insecurity
Relationship insecurity
Neo feudal serfs will quickly learn how history repeats.
The purpose, of those you seek to ridicule, is to help people recognize the dangers of our system that is at war with the American people.
There is no other way to describe the current state of affairs.
“You are either with us, or you are with the terrorists “
Deny. Deny. Deny… Or maybe there’s just more people who disagree with you in this area than you think? Or maybe you’re TRB? Or geist? Maybe it’s real because YOU participate is such foolish games? Kym has already stated that she checks IP addresses. Keep on sipping that paranoid delusion punch. Must be more than enough to go around. MMMMMMM….. delicious!
Didn’t you suggest I was a “conspiracy theorist” a while back?
Mirrors please.