Coronavirus (COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2) outbreak discussion

Knobby22 · 9 February 2022

moXJO said:
Does anyone know someone with long covid?

Yes, the person I mentioned previously in her 40s who has massive lung damage (Delta unvaccinated).
And one of the 20 year old lads at the local rowing club is still suffering the effects 6 weeks later (caught New Years) and hasn't been able to get back into it (stuffing my son's quad!). Not sure what variant or vaccination status but hopefully he is coming good and it is medium Covid!

Realistically though, not many caught the Delta or earlier variants in Australia so there can't be too many of them. Not sure about Omicron.

moXJO · 9 February 2022

Just dropping this here so I can reference back (I'm bound to forget them otherwise). Neither have enough data to really back anything yet. Not recommending any

AXA1125 for fatigue.

Paxlovid seen reported cures from long covid.

BC 007

macca · 9 February 2022

moXJO said:
Just dropping this here so I can reference back (I'm bound to forget them otherwise). Neither have enough data to really back anything yet. Not recommending any

AXA1125 for fatigue.

Paxlovid seen reported cures from long covid.

BC 007

Hey Mo,

We could have some fun with this,

unless these are approved by Big Pharma and MSM you are leading with your chin.

I have read a number of research articles about "things" that assist long Covid and also the after effects of the mRna vaccines but no point on putting them here.

Is it a coincidence that Covid and the Vax have the same after effects, guess not as they both have the spike protein

Humid · 9 February 2022

macca said:
Hey Mo,

We could have some fun with this,

unless these are approved by Big Pharma and MSM you are leading with your chin.

I have read a number of research articles about "things" that assist long Covid and also the after effects of the mRna vaccines but no point on putting them here.

Is it a coincidence that Covid and the Vax have the same after effects, guess not as they both have the spike protein

Probably funnier if he hadn't been vaxed with mRNA

rederob · 9 February 2022

macca said:
Is it a coincidence that Covid and the Vax have the same after effects, guess not as they both have the spike protein

Given it's not true, the answer is clear.
Where do you get your misinformation?

basilio · 9 February 2022

basilio said:
Arguments against the compulsory fitting of winter tires in Canada

I refuse to put on winter tires because:
• It’s my car, my choice, my freedom.
• The effectiveness of winter tires is not proven, except by studies carried out by the manufacturers (like I’m supposed to trust them).
• My neighbor Bob had an accident even after putting on winter tires.
• Some drivers are already on their 3rd set of tires, which proves their ineffectiveness.
• We do not know what the tires are made of.
• The tire manufacturers scare us with winter just to enrich themselves.
• In fact, I read on the internet that the tire giants invented snow and spread it at night when you sleep.
• If I have winter tires, the government can track me in the snow.
Educate yourself, open your eyes, stop being sheep!
This year, I say no to winter tires!

What a dumb, ignorant set of "arguments". It takes very little to recognise the illogicality and irrelevance of the points being made.

For two years people have been ranting about hidden computer chips, "personal freedoms and Rights to Choose", totally made up scare campaigns on vaccine caused deaths and equally deceitful stories on how COVID doesn't really kill that many people.

Somewhere in there I agree there are some good questions that deserve to be asked. But in the overwhelming main, the anti vaxxer, "COVID is a hoax"movement is well represented by the analogy of the Winter tires argument.

And yes it is a satirical piece. I'm not aware of any particular organisation campaigning against compulsory fitting of winter tires. Yet..

basilio · 9 February 2022

IFocus said:
That paper kills its just the flu narrative massive study cohort wise

Indeed it does. There has been more than a few stories highlighting the impact of long COVID on hundreds of thousands of people who, in a number of cases, only seemed to cop a mild dose. The ongoing pressure on health services can't be underestimated.

And the desire to avoid infection as far as possible in the first place makes even more sense.

Long Covid study finds abnormality in lungs that could explain breathlessness

Findings raise possibility Covid may cause microscopic damage not detected by normal tests

www.theguardian.com

‘The scariest thing’: the children living with long Covid

Though still rare, the numbers of kids across the US reporting symptoms long after infection are increasing, doctors say

www.theguardian.com

MSN

www.msn.com

qldfrog · 9 February 2022

in case you have the slightest faith in mankind left;
Our Great Leader Paluchet declared this week that Sign in was not mandatory anymore this week;
After 3 weeks of admitting that their QR code was not used for any tracing or medical purpose anymore
So in a way a nice good news

At Big W yesterday, the shop had added big custom made signs with a big cross saying: Sign in NOT mandatory
within 20CM of their old QR code..
Great and ........you still had a queue of people fiddling with their phone to check in...
Dumb sure but worse, in a way, these poor buggers are thinking better safe than sorry and deeply believe that by signin in they are safer
After all, they have been told so for 2y..
3y of brain washing and the sheeple risk withdrawal symptoms if they can not be tracked even when their government is not doing anything covid related with their data.
I would bet a fortune you have some people sleeping with their masks on or wearing it alone at home, they already wear them alone in their car,
BTW, not the surgical nappies anymore, the duffy duck style lately as if this would make a difference ROL
This is hopeless..
And they vote..

qldfrog · 9 February 2022

nearly all the people I know got omicron, probably got it too, but unsure as we had no RAT available then.
Now we have some and with a flight out overseas and PCR test in a week, I am shaking in my boots that I could be positive..
the irony...

wayneL · 9 February 2022

qldfrog said:
in case you have the slightest faith in mankind left;
Our Great Leader Paluchet declared this week that Sign in was not mandatory anymore this week;
After 3 weeks of admitting that their QR code was not used for any tracing or medical purpose anymore
So in a way a nice good news

At Big W yesterday, the shop had added big custom made signs with a big cross saying: Sign in NOT mandatory
within 20CM of their old QR code..
Great and ........you still had a queue of people fiddling with their phone to check in...
Dumb sure but worse, in a way, these poor buggers are thinking better safe than sorry and deeply believe that by signin in they are safer
After all, they have been told so for 2y..
3y of brain washing and the sheeple risk withdrawal symptoms if they can not be tracked even when their government is not doing anything covid related with their data.
I would bet a fortune you have some people sleeping with their masks on or wearing it alone at home, they already wear them alone in their car,
BTW, not the surgical nappies anymore, the duffy duck style lately as if this would make a difference ROL
This is hopeless..
And they vote..

I deleted my app about 8 months ago and have only ever been asked to sign in twice since then.

I walked into Woolies about 4 days ago without a mask, I had completely forgot and I was already halfway through my shopping by the time I noticed other people wearing them and remembered... Haven't worn a mask since and nobody has batted an eyelid.

Not at Karen in sight.

DB008 · 9 February 2022

This is interesting

Danish data offers hope the COVID-19 pandemic is ending,

but experts warn it's not quite over yet

He believes Denmark, which last week removed most restrictions, could offer an insight into what the COVID endemic that is likely to follow the pandemic might look like.

He says that in Denmark, the CFR (death rate) from the dominant BA.2 strain is less than 0.05 per cent — or 1 in 2,000.

Mr Mackie says this is similar to the global death rate from influenza, which is estimated to kill between 0.05 and 0.1 per cent of those infected.

However, he adds that it is likely the fatality rate from Omicron BA.2 is lower still, because all people who die within 30 days of a positive test are recorded as a COVID-19 death.

"A University of Copenhagen study calculated that up to 40 per cent of the deaths recorded in the latest week in Denmark were people who died with COVID-19 rather than people who died because of COVID-19," he noted.

"If we make this adjustment, the CFR for BA.2 falls from 0.045 per cent to 0.027 per cent."

At this level, while Mr Mackie believes COVID-19 will still result in millions of extra hospitalisations around the world each year, he thinks governments are more likely to invest in their healthcare systems to respond than to impose restrictions on individual behaviour.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-09/denmark-covid-19-pandemic-becomes-endemic/100814004

0.027%

And for people under the age of 50 with no underlying medical conditions, l bet it would be even lower.

.

moXJO · 9 February 2022

basilio said:
What a dumb, ignorant set of "arguments". It takes very little to recognise the illogicality and irrelevance of the points being made.

For two years people have been ranting about hidden computer chips, "personal freedoms and Rights to Choose", totally made up scare campaigns on vaccine caused deaths and equally deceitful stories on how COVID doesn't really kill that many people.

Somewhere in there I agree there are some good questions that deserve to be asked. But in the overwhelming main, the anti vaxxer, "COVID is a hoax"movement is well represented by the analogy of the Winter tires argument.

And yes it is a satirical piece. I'm not aware of any particular organisation campaigning against compulsory fitting of winter tires. Yet..

Who on here has been ranting about "computer chips"?

Whoever wrote it must have previously had covid. Because it read like someone was slightly brain damaged when they banged it out.

DB008 · 10 February 2022

ATAGI recommends change to definition of COVID-19 vaccine status

from 'fully vaccinated' to 'up to date'

Australia's definition of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is set to change, with people aged over 16 years now only considered "up to date" with their vaccinations if they have had their booster shots.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has recommended moving away from the term "fully vaccinated".

ATAGI's new advice was endorsed by the national cabinet at a meeting this afternoon, but will not apply to international travellers arriving in Australia.

"A person is 'up to date' if they have completed all the doses recommended for their age and individual health needs," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

Under the new rules, if it has been longer than six months since someone's last vaccine dose and they are eligible for a booster they will now be considered "overdue".

All Australians aged over 16 years are currently eligible for a booster shot three months after their primary course.

"People under 16 years of age will continue to be considered 'up to date' after completing their primary course of vaccination, while severely immunocompromised people aged five years and older [will] require a third primary dose to remain up to date," Mr Hunt said.

Evidence on natural immunity versus COVID-19 vaccine induced immunity:

Study/report title, author, and year published and interactive url link	Predominant finding on natural immunity
1) Necessity of COVID-19 vaccination in previously infected individuals, Shrestha, 2021	“Cumulative incidence of COVID-19 was examined among 52,238 employees in an American healthcare system. The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection remained almost zero among previously infected unvaccinated subjects, previously infected subjects who were vaccinated, and previously uninfected subjects who were vaccinated, compared with a steady increase in cumulative incidence among previously uninfected subjects who remained unvaccinated. Not one of the 1359 previously infected subjects who remained unvaccinated had a SARS-CoV-2 infection over the duration of the study. Individuals who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection are unlikely to benefit from COVID-19 vaccination…”
2) SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity in cases of COVID-19 and SARS, and uninfected controls, Le Bert, 2020	“Studied T cell responses against the structural (nucleocapsid (N) protein) and non-structural (NSP7 and NSP13 of ORF1) regions of SARS-CoV-2 in individuals convalescing from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (n = 36). In all of these individuals, we found CD4 and CD8 T cells that recognized multiple regions of the N protein…showed that patients (n = 23) who recovered from SARS possess long-lasting memory T cells that are reactive to the N protein of SARS-CoV 17 years after the outbreak of SARS in 2003; these T cells displayed robust cross-reactivity to the N protein of SARS-CoV-2.”
3) Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections,Gazit, 2021	“A retrospective observational study comparing three groups: (1) SARS-CoV-2-naïve individuals who received a two-dose regimen of the BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine, (2) previously infected individuals who have not been vaccinated, and (3) previously infected and single dose vaccinated individuals found para a 13 fold increased risk of breakthrough Delta infections in double vaccinated persons, and a 27 fold increased risk for symptomatic breakthrough infection in the double vaccinated relative to the natural immunity recovered persons…the risk of hospitalization was 8 times higher in the double vaccinated (para)…this analysis demonstrated that natural immunity affords longer lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization due to the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, compared to the BNT162b2 two-dose vaccine-induced immunity.”
4) Highly functional virus-specific cellular immune response in asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, Le Bert, 2021	“Studied SARS-CoV-2–specific T cells in a cohort of asymptomatic (n = 85) and symptomatic (n = 75) COVID-19 patients after seroconversion…thus, asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2–infected individuals are not characterized by weak antiviral immunity; on the contrary, they mount a highly functional virus-specific cellular immune response.”
5) Large-scale study of antibody titer decay following BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine or SARS-CoV-2 infection, Israel, 2021	“A total of 2,653 individuals fully vaccinated by two doses of vaccine during the study period and 4,361 convalescent patients were included. Higher SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titers were observed in vaccinated individuals (median 1581 AU/mL IQR [533.8-5644.6]) after the second vaccination, than in convalescent individuals (median 355.3 AU/mL IQR [141.2-998.7]; p<0.001). In vaccinated subjects, antibody titers decreased by up to 40% each subsequent month while in convalescents they decreased by less than 5% per month…this study demonstrates individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine have different kinetics of antibody levels compared to patients who had been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with higher initial levels but a much faster exponential decrease in the first group”.
6) SARS-CoV-2 re-infection risk in Austria, Pilz, 2021	Researchers recorded “40 tentative re-infections in 14, 840 COVID-19 survivors of the first wave (0.27%) and 253 581 infections in 8, 885, 640 individuals of the remaining general population (2.85%) translating into an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.09 (0.07 to 0.13)…relatively low re-infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in Austria. Protection against SARS-CoV-2 after natural infection is comparable with the highest available estimates on vaccine efficacies.” Additionally, hospitalization in only five out of 14,840 (0.03%) people and death in one out of 14,840 (0.01%) (tentative re-infection).
7) mRNA vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells recognize B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants but differ in longevity and homing properties depending on prior infection status, Neidleman, 2021	“Spike-specific T cells from convalescent vaccinees differed strikingly from those of infection-naïve vaccinees, with phenotypic features suggesting superior long-term persistence and ability to home to the respiratory tract including the nasopharynx. These results provide reassurance that vaccine-elicited T cells respond robustly to the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants, confirm that convalescents may not need a second vaccine dose.”
8) Good news: Mild COVID-19 induces lasting antibody protection, Bhandari, 2021	“Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such cells could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while. The findings, published May 24 in the journal Nature, suggest that mild cases of COVID-19 leave those infected with lasting antibody protection and that repeated bouts of illness are likely to be uncommon.”
9) Robust neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 infection persist for months, Wajnberg, 2021	“Neutralizing antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein persisted for at least 5 months after infection. Although continued monitoring of this cohort will be needed to confirm the longevity and potency of this response, these preliminary results suggest that the chance of reinfection may be lower than is currently feared.”
10) Evolution of Antibody Immunity to SARS-CoV-2, Gaebler, 2020	“Concurrently, neutralizing activity in plasma decreases by five-fold in pseudo-type virus assays. In contrast, the number of RBD-specific memory B cells is unchanged. Memory B cells display clonal turnover after 6.2 months, and the antibodies they express have greater somatic hypermutation, increased potency and resistance to RBD mutations, indicative of continued evolution of the humoral response…we conclude that the memory B cell response to SARS-CoV-2 evolves between 1.3 and 6.2 months after infection in a manner that is consistent with antigen persistence.”
11) Persistence of neutralizing antibodies a year after SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans, Haveri, 2021	“Assessed the persistence of serum antibodies following WT SARS-CoV-2 infection at 8 and 13 months after diagnosis in 367 individuals…found that NAb against the WT virus persisted in 89% and S-IgG in 97% of subjects for at least 13 months after infection.”
12) Quantifying the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 reinfection over time, Murchu, 2021	“Eleven large cohort studies were identified that estimated the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 reinfection over time, including three that enrolled healthcare workers and two that enrolled residents and staff of elderly care homes. Across studies, the total number of PCR‐positive or antibody‐positive participants at baseline was 615,777, and the maximum duration of follow‐up was more than 10 months in three studies. Reinfection was an uncommon event (absolute rate 0%–1.1%), with no study reporting an increase in the risk of reinfection over time.”
13) Natural immunity to covid is powerful. Policymakers seem afraid to say so, Makary, 2021 The Western Journal-Makary	Makary writes “it’s okay to have an incorrect scientific hypothesis. But when new data proves it wrong, you have to adapt. Unfortunately, many elected leaders and public health officials have held on far too long to the hypothesis that natural immunity offers unreliable protection against covid-19 — a contention that is being rapidly debunked by science. More than 15 studies have demonstrated the power of immunity acquired by previously having the virus. A 700,000-person study from Israel two weeks ago found that those who had experienced prior infections were 27 times less likely to get a second symptomatic covid infection than those who were vaccinated. This affirmed a June Cleveland Clinic study of health-care workers (who are often exposed to the virus), in which none who had previously tested positive for the coronavirus got reinfected. The study authors concluded that “individuals who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection are unlikely to benefit from covid-19 vaccination.” And in May, a Washington University study found that even a mild covid infection resulted in long-lasting immunity.” “The data on natural immunity are now overwhelming,” Makary told the Morning Wire. “It turns out the hypothesis that our public health leaders had that vaccinated immunity is better and stronger than natural immunity was wrong. They got it backwards. And now we’ve got data from Israel showing that natural immunity is 27 times more effective than vaccinated immunity.”
14) SARS-CoV-2 elicits robust adaptive immune responses regardless of disease severity, Nielsen, 2021	“203 recovered SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in Denmark between April 3rd and July 9th 2020, at least 14 days after COVID-19 symptom recovery… report broad serological profiles within the cohort, detecting antibody binding to other human coronaviruses… the viral surface spike protein was identified as the dominant target for both neutralizing antibodies and CD8+ T-cell responses. Overall, the majority of patients had robust adaptive immune responses, regardless of their disease severity.”
15) Protection of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection is similar to that of BNT162b2 vaccine protection: A three-month nationwide experience from Israel, Goldberg, 2021	“Analyze an updated individual-level database of the entire population of Israel to assess the protection efficacy of both prior infection and vaccination in preventing subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization with COVID-19, severe disease, and death due to COVID-19… vaccination was highly effective with overall estimated efficacy for documented infection of 92·8% (CI:[92·6, 93·0]); hospitalization 94·2% (CI:[93·6, 94·7]); severe illness 94·4% (CI:[93·6, 95·0]); and death 93·7% (CI:[92·5, 94·7]). Similarly, the overall estimated level of protection from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection for documented infection is 94·8% (CI: [94·4, 95·1]); hospitalization 94·1% (CI: [91·9, 95·7]); and severe illness 96·4% (CI: [92·5, 98·3])…results question the need to vaccinate previously-infected individuals.”
16) Incidence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 infection among previously infected or vaccinated employees, Kojima, 2021	“Employees were divided into three groups: (1) SARS-CoV-2 naïve and unvaccinated, (2) previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and (3) vaccinated. Person-days were measured from the date of the employee first test and truncated at the end of the observation period. SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as two positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests in a 30-day period… 4313, 254 and 739 employee records for groups 1, 2, and 3…previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 were associated with decreased risk for infection or re-infection with SARS-CoV-2 in a routinely screened workforce. The was no difference in the infection incidence between vaccinated individuals and individuals with previous infection.”
17) Having SARS-CoV-2 once confers much greater immunity than a vaccine—but vaccination remains vital, Wadman, 2021	“Israelis who had an infection were more protected against the Delta coronavirus variant than those who had an already highly effective COVID-19 vaccine…the newly released data show people who once had a SARS-CoV-2 infection were much less likely than never-infected, vaccinated people to get Delta, develop symptoms from it, or become hospitalized with serious COVID-19.”
18) One-year sustained cellular and humoral immunities of COVID-19 convalescents, Zhang, 2021	“A systematic antigen-specific immune evaluation in 101 COVID-19 convalescents; SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies, and also NAb can persist among over 95% COVID-19 convalescents from 6 months to 12 months after disease onset. At least 19/71 (26%) of COVID-19 convalescents (double positive in ELISA and MCLIA) had detectable circulating IgM antibody against SARS-CoV-2 at 12m post-disease onset. Notably, the percentages of convalescents with positive SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses (at least one of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen S1, S2, M and N protein) were 71/76 (93%) and 67/73 (92%) at 6m and 12m, respectively.”
19) Functional SARS-CoV-2-Specific Immune Memory Persists after Mild COVID-19, Rodda, 2021	“Recovered individuals developed SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies, neutralizing plasma, and memory B and memory T cells that persisted for at least 3 months. Our data further reveal that SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG memory B cells increased over time. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2-specific memory lymphocytes exhibited characteristics associated with potent antiviral function: memory T cells secreted cytokines and expanded upon antigen re-encounter, whereas memory B cells expressed receptors capable of neutralizing virus when expressed as monoclonal antibodies. Therefore, mild COVID-19 elicits memory lymphocytes that persist and display functional hallmarks of antiviral immunity.”

DB008 · 10 February 2022

Prevalence and Durability of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Unvaccinated US Adults by History of COVID-19

Feb 3, 2022

In this cross-sectional study of unvaccinated US adults, antibodies were detected in 99% of individuals who reported a positive COVID-19 test result, in 55% who believed they had COVID-19 but were never tested, and in 11% who believed they had never had COVID-19 infection. Anti-RBD levels were observed after a positive COVID-19 test result up to 20 months, extending previous 6-month durability data.5

5. Israel A, Shenhar Y, Green I, et al. Large-scale study of antibody titer decay following BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine or SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Vaccines (Basel). 2021;10(1):64. doi:10.3390/vaccines10010064 PubMed Google Scholar Crossref

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788894?resultClick=1

DB008 · 11 February 2022

Kids in Las Vegas Elementary school

Why they were told to wear masks in the first place with a 99.99% survival rate is beyond me. Then they have been told to get 3 shots, even if they have had Covid-19. WTF...

.

DB008 · 13 February 2022

This was written around the time of Delta

We now know that Omicron is milder than Delta

Vaccinating kids should be optional

The Kids Are Alright

Why now is the time to rethink COVID safety protocols for children — and everyone else.

JULY 12, 2021

It may sound strange, given a year of panic over school closures and reopenings, a year of masking toddlers and closing playgrounds and huddling in pandemic pods, that, according to the CDC, among children the mortality risk from COVID-19 is actually lower than from the flu. The risk of severe disease or hospitalization is about the same.

This is true for the much-worried-over Delta variant. It is also true for all the other variants, and for the original strain. Most remarkably, it has been known to be true since the very earliest days of the pandemic — indeed it was among the very first things we did know about the disease. The preliminary mortality data from China was very clear: To children, COVID-19 represented only a vanishingly tiny threat of death, hospitalization, or severe disease.

Yet for a year and a half we have been largely unwilling to fully believe it. Children now wear masks at little-league games, and at the swimming pool, and when school reopens in the fall they will likely wear masks there, too. But the kids are not at risk themselves, and never were. Now, thanks to vaccines, the vast majority of their parents and grandparents aren’t any longer, either.

But first: the kids. Over the course of the pandemic, 49,000 Americans under the age of 18 have died of all causes, according to the CDC. Only 331 of those deaths have been from COVID — less than half as many as have died of pneumonia. In 2019, more than 2,000 American kids and teenagers died in car crashes; each year, according to some estimates, about a thousand die from drowning.

COVID-19 cases rise every day in Denmark, but the country is confident

it can live without restrictions for now

People in Denmark are enjoying life in a way that might have seemed inconceivable just a few months ago.

Despite having some of the highest rates of infection in the world, they're drinking in crowded bars, hugging their loved ones and ditching their masks.

It's behaviour that has typically been labelled reckless and selfish during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

But now it marks a transition to post-COVID life.

At the beginning of February, the Danish government decided COVID-19 was no longer a "socially critical disease" and it scrapped all restrictions.

Danes aren't even legally required to quarantine.

On an outdoor ice-rink in central Copenhagen, Julie Lindholm and her daughter, Anna, enjoyed their new-found freedoms as they skated with dozens of others on a clear-blue afternoon.

Ms Lindholm said lockdowns and restrictions made her realise how much she took for granted and she was "grateful" they were gone.

"I love it," she said.

"Suddenly we can all be together and go skating without being afraid of each other."

Ms Lindholm said she knew the rest of the world was watching her country's approach closely.

"I understand why people … are worried. I was very worried to begin with," she said.

'But … we all we did as the government told us to do. We all got the vaccine."

While Denmark has been one of the first EU countries to move toward unwinding all COVID-19 restrictions, its attitude towards the virus hasn't always been so relaxed.

A new way of thinking

Denmark was among the first countries in the world to implement a lockdown, in March 2020, amid the rapid spread of COVID-19.

It also invested heavily in genomic sequencing to track new variants like the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, which is now dominant in Denmark and even more transmissible than the original strain.

And when the Omicron variant began spreading rapidly last year, Denmark reimposed restrictions on workplaces, hospitality and schools in December.

But Tyra Grove Krause, the chief epidemiologist at Denmark's State Serum Institute, said it also sparked a major rethink in the country's approach to COVID-19.

"It's not so serious anymore," she told the ABC.

"First of all, we have a very high vaccination coverage in Denmark."

More than 80 per cent of the Danish population has had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while more than 60 per cent of all Danes have received a booster.

"We also have the extensive transmission with the variant that has proven to be less severe, compared to the previous variants," Dr Krause said.

The Omicron wave triggered a massive spike in cases in the country, with Denmark currently recording one of the highest daily rates of COVID-19 in the world.

The latest figures show a daily rate in Denmark of 7,370 cases per 1 million people, according to Our World in Data.

In comparison, Australia's daily case rate is less than 1,000 per 1 million.

Despite the surge in case numbers, the pressure on Denmark's intensive care units has eased.

How Omicron prompted a move to post-COVID life

Dr Krause, who advises the Danish government, said a crucial link had been broken between case numbers and serious illness.

"We see a decoupling of the number of cases and then the number of severely ill patients that need hospital care. That's very clear," Dr Krause said.

"The strategy has, all the way through, been not to put more restrictions on the population than is actually needed to control the epidemic. And right now, the numbers look quite good."

Vaccination Rates (% of pop)	First Shot	Second Shot	Third Shot (Booster)
Australia	85.2%	79.2%	38.5%
Denmark	83.1%	81.2%	61.8%

Vaccination Rates (% of pop)	First Shot	Second Shot	Third Shot (Booster)
Australia	85.2%	79.2%	38.5%
Denmark	83.1%	81.2%	61.8%

Coronavirus (COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2) outbreak discussion

Will the "Corona Virus" turn into a worldwide epidemic or fizzle out?

Yes

No

Bigger than SARS, but not worldwide epidemic (Black Death/bubonic plague)

Undecided

Mmmmmm 2nd breakfast

menace to society

VIVA LA LIBERTAD, CARAJO!

Danish data offers hope the COVID-19 pandemic is ending,​

but experts warn it's not quite over yet​

menace to society

ATAGI recommends change to definition of COVID-19 vaccine status​

from 'fully vaccinated' to 'up to date'​

Evidence on natural immunity versus COVID-19 vaccine induced immunity:​

Prevalence and Durability of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Unvaccinated US Adults by History of COVID-19​

​

The Kids Are Alright ​

Why now is the time to rethink COVID safety protocols for children — and everyone else.​

COVID-19 cases rise every day in Denmark, but the country is confident​

it can live without restrictions for now​

A new way of thinking​

How Omicron prompted a move to post-COVID life​

Mmmmmm 2nd breakfast

COVID-19 cases rise every day in Denmark, but the country is confident​

it can live without restrictions for now​

A new way of thinking​

How Omicron prompted a move to post-COVID life​

You are arguing with a Galah

Danish data offers hope the COVID-19 pandemic is ending,

but experts warn it's not quite over yet

ATAGI recommends change to definition of COVID-19 vaccine status

from 'fully vaccinated' to 'up to date'

Evidence on natural immunity versus COVID-19 vaccine induced immunity:

Prevalence and Durability of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Unvaccinated US Adults by History of COVID-19

The Kids Are Alright

Why now is the time to rethink COVID safety protocols for children — and everyone else.

COVID-19 cases rise every day in Denmark, but the country is confident

it can live without restrictions for now

A new way of thinking

How Omicron prompted a move to post-COVID life

COVID-19 cases rise every day in Denmark, but the country is confident

it can live without restrictions for now

A new way of thinking

How Omicron prompted a move to post-COVID life