Covid Delta Plus could be even more infectious than Delta

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Originally published at: Covid Delta Plus could be even more infectious than Delta | Boing Boing

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These naming conventions are like trying to keep iPhone models straight.

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Recently I was mildly intrigued by the possibility of getting a calculator that runs python. Mildly, until I realized that every other aspect dates the machine.

Every appendage to that name apparently means something. “Plus”. “CE.” “-T” “Python Edition”.

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yessss! please don’t let it be ‘+’. even ‘b’ or ‘2’ would be preferable. (affording many more sub types without the need of covid_Δ+++++)

i demand a wise and centralized department of giving reasonable names to an unspecified number of things and their subtypes! uh…: CDGRUNT/2b+++ (“Oh for a modern day Dewey or Linnaeus”)

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Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

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Has anyone seen an estimate for how many COVID-viruses are “alive” at any given time? The number must be astronomical, so no wonder there are mutations.

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I think it may be Delta-AY.1

This Reuters article

directs us to this technical briefing

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England
Technical briefing 15 11 June 2021

If I’m wrong, I can only blame bad journalistic practices. Interested parties should be able to use a single unambiguous name to find all of the data on the virus, and “Delta Plus” hides this data for the sake of being cute.

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Get your Covid Delta Plus Premium Max Vax Pass subscription today!

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There is an estimate that the total mass of virus on the planet right now is about 10 kg.

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Yeesh, I got the impression Delta was already pushing the limits of transmissibility, being many times more transmissible than the standard.

Each infected person carries between one billion and 100 billion viral particles, so multiply that by the number of infected people at any given time…

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I paid the extra $20 for the Delta Comfort Plus seat on this plane. I demand my complimentary drink ventilator!

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I mean really, what do people think the “plus” in the name meant, that it was less effective? Marketing needs to step up their game to prevent the confusion.

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“But wait! There’s more!”

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Delta-AyYiYi

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Oh, Fuck!

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Funny how they say “it may be more contagious than regular Delta” but then when you dig down to actual articles with actual data says that they have only found 197 cases world wide…

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At this rate, we’re on our way to Samsung naming conventions

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Please avoid “surprised” headlines like this. Of course the next variant will be more infectious, because the less infectious ones will die out and never be sequenced. Poor copying of RNA viruses means that every infection produces something new, and a few are worse. The way out is to increase immunity enough that there are fewer, shorter-lasting infections and thus fewer new variants.

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Good point. Furthermore, the more successful viruses get less deadly with each mutation because not killing the host is a beneficial adaptation.

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Personally I’m holding out for Sars Covid // SE 30

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