Source: JD Rucker

First, a disclaimer. There is no evidence that the “Nu Variant” of Covid-19 which suddenly appeared in South Africa and seems to be spreading rapidly is not a serious concern. By no means do I want to dismiss all the fears that are popping up surrounding it. But here’s the thing. We’ve been lied to throughout the entirety of this pandemic and based on the apparent agenda of the architects of The Great Reset, a fear-inducing new variant of Covid-19 would be exactly what they’d need to ramp up Pandemic Panic Theater to full strength again.

Is the “Nu Variant” a real killer? I don’t know. But I know the fears surrounding the “Delta Variant” as well as the initial fears surrounding Covid-19 were extremely overblown. Yes, the disease seems to put the elderly at risk (though some say it’s just old age and preexisting conditions inflating their mortality rates), but we have proven time and again that Covid-19 is not a major risk for people under the age of 50 and barely registers as a risk at all for children.

Nevertheless, panic is already spreading about Nu, so we have to address it. Here is a roundup of stories pertaining to the new variant so our readers can get caught up. Below, I’ll offer some additional commentary.

New ‘Horrific’ Covid Variant Spreading in South Africa

“This is the most significant variant we have encountered to date and urgent research is underway to learn more about its transmissibility, severity and vaccine-susceptibility,” UKHSA Chief Executive Jenny Harries said.

All Four Botswana “Nu” Variant Patients Were Fully Vaccinated

The “Nu” variant of COVID arrived just in time to ruin Christmas. (Who didn’t see this coming?) The variant with “more mutations than you shake a spike protein at” was first identified in Botswana and quickly became the most prevalent variant in South Africa. But before you succumb to “pandemic of the unvaccinated” nonsense, consider this:

From the President of Botswana, where the variant was first discovered: The preliminary report revealed all four [patients] had been previously vaccinated for COVID-19.

A Terrified Wall Street Reacts to the Nu Variant

Citi – Andrew Baum

  • Pfizer can make a new variant-specific jab within 100 days if we all still care about “Nu” three months from now.
  • “In the event that vaccine-escape variant emerges, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to develop and produce a tailor- made vaccine against that variant in approximately 100 days, subject to regulatory approval,” Pfizer spokeswoman confirmed in an emailed statement to Bloomberg.
  • As for Baum, he published a note to clients that by now has been seen across Wall Street and the corporate world: “Novel oral anti-virals should retain activity against Nu but resistance may emerge with time,” Baum said.
  • “The next two weeks with be critical to determine whether Nu will displace delta in countries with high background rates such as U.K. and Germany,” writes Baum.

Barclays – Emmanuel Cau

  • “With many equity markets at an all-time high, thin year-end liquidity and Covid cases up again, a pull-back seems logical,” says strategist Emmanuel Cau
  • “We have advised a more barbell sector allocation and downside hedges at these levels, but we believe resilient growth and patient central banks should continue to provide cushion on a medium-term horizon, while investors have dry powder to buy dips”
  • “What is key is to find out whether current vaccines remain effective against the variants, or not. Covid uncertainty might force central banks to err on the side of caution.”

Berenberg – Holger Schmieding

  • “At this stage, it is too early to assess the potential economic consequences,” says chief economist Holger Schmieding
  • “Any new wave could cause serious economic damage. As one potentially mitigating factor, the world is now on high alert and has ramped up its capacity to develop, adjust and produce vaccines”

E.U., U.K., Israel to Halt Air Travel to Southern Africa Over New COVID-19 Variant

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to the B.1.1.529 variant, warning officials to avoid “knee-jerk responses,” the 27-nation European Union said it would propose stopping air travel from southern Africa. The E.U. joined Israel and the United Kingdom who are likewise imposing a travel ban.

Will the U.S. also impose a ban? Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN that it’s a possibility but that scientists need to first determine whether the variant can evade antibodies created by vaccines and viral infection.

Oh Joy! Another Covid Variant

I believe that new vaccines are in development that focus on a broader range of covid characteristics (if I am phrasing that correctly) and therefore may be more effective against the South African and other future variants.

All of this was 100% predictable. Viruses mutate. The history of vaccines against coronaviruses has not been a happy one. If there is one thing we should be thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend, it is that covid is not a more deadly disease. It seems obvious that we are going to be living with it indefinitely.

New COVID Virus Variant Identified in Africa Is “Highly Transmissible and Vaccine-Resistant”

A new variant of the COVID virus identified in Southern Africa is “highly transmissible and vaccine-resistant”. The variant may have come from someone with AIDS.

New COVID Variant Considered ‘Worse Than’ Delta Is ‘Spreading Rapidly’ in South Africa and Worrying Health Experts Across the Globe

It’s unclear where exactly the new strain, formerly known as B.1.1.529, initially arose but it was first detected in South Africa and has since been detected among South African travelers in neighboring Botswana as well as Hong Kong, the Associated Press reported. On Friday, Israel also said it had detected cases.

South Africa’s minister of health, Joe Phaahla, announced this week that the variant has been linked to a rapid increase in the number of cases in the country’s Gauteng province over the last few days.

“Over the last four or five days, there has been more of an exponential rise,” Phaahla said, according to Time. The magazine noted that South African scientists are presently working to determine the percentage of new cases that were caused by the new variant, but they suspect it to be high.

Over the past several weeks, COVID-19 transmission in the country had settled to a relatively low rate at just over 200 new confirmed cases per day. But in the past week, the daily new cases suddenly shot up to more than 1,200. And then on Thursday, the number of new cases skyrocketed to 2,465.

A Scared Nu World: Here’s What We Know About the New COVID Strain

Background

  • Regarded as the most heavily mutated variant of the Coronavirus, thus far, as it has 32 mutations in the spike protein and 50 overall. More specifically, scientists have highlighted that there are 10 mutations vs 2 in the Delta variant regarding the receptor binding domain, which is the portion of the virus that makes initial contact with cells.
  • The Nu variant was identified 5 days ago initially in Botswana with subsequent confirmation and sequencing in South Africa with about 100 confirmed cases. Cases have been detected in Israel and Hong Kong and as of this morning, in Belgium.
  • Sequencing data suggests 8.1.1.529 has a different evolutionary pathway, but shares a few common mutations with the C.1.2, Beta and Delta variants.
  • That said, as we cautioned last night, a significant number of mutations may not necessarily be a ‘negative’ as it is dependent on how these mutations function, which scientists are yet to establish. Then again, since it is the job of science to fearmonger so that Pfizer can buy an even bigger yacht, assume it will be “very very horrifying” until proven innocuous.

Is it more deadly