![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goldtadise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/PIROLA.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe terrifying new Omicron variant appears to be named after a giant asteroid, 1082 Pirola. It\u2019s going to slam right into us! Panic!<\/p>\n
Or, the name is a combination of the Greek letters Pi and Rho, as officially claimed. Which technically would be \u201cPiRho,\u201d but whatever, we\u2019re dealing with experts here, so you have to cut them some slack.<\/p>\n
Anyway, the latest horrifying scariant inconveniently evolved from the \u201cBA\u201d line of covid, and has the official designation BA.2.86. The story breathlessly reported it has \u201cmore than 30 mutations\u201d in its spike protein, as if the fact viruses evolve were supposed to be significant somehow.<\/p>\n
Wait, I get it. Pirola is a giant mutated asteroid! That\u2019s even worse than a Kraken. It\u2019s like a flying Kraken, if the Kraken were 42 miles across. Kraknado.<\/p>\n
The fearsome new variant\u2019s genetic lineage is significant because the highly-touted new and improved booster shots, announced only this week, projected to be available later this month, are already obsolete. They were developed to target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which doesn\u2019t have the 30 mutations.<\/p>\n
In other words, the brand new boosters or jabs or whatever target a completely different strain from the Pirola variant. Great job experts.<\/p>\n
The Post\u2019s cherry-picked expert said the vaccines will probably still work, maybe, but perhaps not quite as well as intended. \u201cMy guess is that it will also offer an added layer of protection from infection, but it won\u2019t be one hundred percent,\u201d Dr. Roberts says.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a hundred percent. It\u2019s a layer. And, he was just guessing. Science!<\/p>\n
Suppose I offered to sell you a bulletproof vest. But in the fine print, the receipt said protection is not one hundred percent, and we guess it will add a layer of protection. Your first layer was your t-shirt.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s like wearing two t-shirts! Now, how many vests would you like?<\/p>\n
Anyway, here\u2019s how the Post fear-mongered the new variant despite knowing almost nothing about it. It\u2019s the \u2018scary questions\u2019 technique:<\/p>\n
Is the new COVID variant worse?<\/p>\n
The three biggest questions facing medical experts are: How transmissible is Pirola? Will it bypass existing immune defenses? How lethal will it be for those unlucky enough to get infected by it?<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody knows right now, but studies are ongoing,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n
Nobody knows! In other words, they don\u2019t know anything. They don\u2019t even know whether Payola, sorry, Pirola, will catch on or not, at all. \u201cThe big question is if BA.2.86 will have the same exponential growth that Omicron did\u2014in terms of case numbers\u2014or if it will die out, which is certainly what everyone hopes,\u201d Dr. Roberts explained.<\/p>\n
Well, \u2018exponential growth or dying out\u2019 safely covers the entire spectrum of options. If it is exponential growth, it\u2019s a shame all the vaccines people already took won\u2019t protect them from Pirola. A dang shame.<\/p>\n
Omicron is the least dangerous of all the covid variant lines. But never let the facts get in the way of a good covid scare story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FROM J C The New York Post ran the story yesterday headlined, \u201cNew \u2018Pirola\u2019 variant of COVID is spreading fast, has experts concerned.\u201d Experts concerned! What would we do without experts? I mean, seriously. And, of course, the media is … Continue reading