Post by michaelw on Nov 28, 2021 9:35:56 GMT -5
So I'm sure everyone by now has heard about Omicron. I've also seen it labeled as the "South African" variant, as I guess it was identified in South Africa.
South Africa, though, seems kind of irked by this...
www.bbc.com/news/world-59442129
The bolded part is what I think is striking some as unfair. Biden, for example, apparently wants to ban travelers from SA as well as several other nearby countries...
edition.cnn.com/2021/11/26/politics/travel-restrictions-south-africa/index.html
But it does seem a bit weird, IMO. Seems kind of like they're thinking there's some particular problem w/ South Africa, just because the virus was identified there, and ended up with the name "South African" variant.
But to my mind, I don't see why someone from South Africa is any more of a danger than someone coming from anywhere else. The whole idea of travel restrictions that are geography based seems kind of debunked by the very idea of a "global" pandemic, right? Or is there something I'm missing here?
South Africa, though, seems kind of irked by this...
www.bbc.com/news/world-59442129
South Africa has complained it is being punished - instead of applauded - for discovering Omicron, a concerning new variant of Covid-19.
The foreign ministry made the statement as countries around the world restricted travel from southern Africa as details of the spread emerged.
Early evidence suggests Omicron has a higher re-infection risk.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that the new variant was "of concern".
Several cases have now been identified in Europe - two in the UK, two in Germany, one in Belgium and another one in Italy, while a suspected case was found in the Czech Republic.
The foreign ministry made the statement as countries around the world restricted travel from southern Africa as details of the spread emerged.
Early evidence suggests Omicron has a higher re-infection risk.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that the new variant was "of concern".
Several cases have now been identified in Europe - two in the UK, two in Germany, one in Belgium and another one in Italy, while a suspected case was found in the Czech Republic.
The bolded part is what I think is striking some as unfair. Biden, for example, apparently wants to ban travelers from SA as well as several other nearby countries...
edition.cnn.com/2021/11/26/politics/travel-restrictions-south-africa/index.html
But it does seem a bit weird, IMO. Seems kind of like they're thinking there's some particular problem w/ South Africa, just because the virus was identified there, and ended up with the name "South African" variant.
But to my mind, I don't see why someone from South Africa is any more of a danger than someone coming from anywhere else. The whole idea of travel restrictions that are geography based seems kind of debunked by the very idea of a "global" pandemic, right? Or is there something I'm missing here?