COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[ElectionsGuy]

Cases have reached a trough and are going slightly up now. This is not very surprising, the same thing happened for about a month in 2021 and it was made out to be "impending doom" but then decreased further starting in late April/May.

But Dr. Fauci has been back on the Sunday shows just to remind everybody that he exists after being quiet for a while and that his favorite covid policies may be "needed" again.

[emailking]

But Dr. Fauci has been back on the Sunday shows just to remind everybody that he exists after being quiet for a while and that his favorite covid policies may be "needed" again.

He also said he didn't think they would be needed.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

It's still going down a little, but it's analogous to this time last year when it was going up a little. Last year, it went up a little from mid-March to mid-April, but it was nothing compared to other phases.

[ElectionsGuy]

But Dr. Fauci has been back on the Sunday shows just to remind everybody that he exists after being quiet for a while and that his favorite covid policies may be "needed" again.

He also said he didn't think they would be needed.

Rising cases are always an excuse. Biden said at this point last year, that states should be "pausing their reopening efforts" with a slightly higher number of cases. And that was the time that Democrats reponded hysterically over Abbott lifting restrictions, which afterward Texas saw a decrease in cases.

The only reason it's different this year is because there's an election coming up and people are less tolerant about covid culture.

[emailking]

That may be some of it but I think most of us being vaccinated now and the inoculation effected by Omicron has a lot to do with it too.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Also, I notice that lately Corona Scanner has been posting phantom cases again that Worldometer doesn't have.

[Pericles]

When do you think we will stop quarantining positive cases?

I’m guessing we will stop it for the vaccinated by the end of 2022

Is that legally required or just a recommendation?

It's technically just a recommendation, but it is culturally all but required.  Typically, no one would think twice if you were out in public with a cold or the flu, but you would not be received well if you were hanging out with friends and said "I just have a little bit of covid right now".

The weird thing is that no one cares if you have cold like symptoms, even if you don't get tested, but the second the "covid" label gets put on it, everything changes.  I've had people openly say that they were getting over colds and that they never got tested so that they wouldn't have to quarantine.

If it's a matter of personal responsibility, people should show responsibility by not going out when they are sick. People should also apply that to other diseases and just do better at not infecting other people.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Cases have reached a trough and are going slightly up now. This is not very surprising, the same thing happened for about a month in 2021 and it was made out to be "impending doom" but then decreased further starting in late April/May.

But Dr. Fauci has been back on the Sunday shows just to remind everybody that he exists after being quiet for a while and that his favorite covid policies may be "needed" again.

I do think they might go up a bit soon, but the NYT still has rates going down, ever so slightly.  Yesterday's update brought the 7 day average to 29,014, which is the least since July 15th.  I also remember that last year's "spring wave" was disproportionately focused on certain places (most notably Michigan).  I wonder if there will be geographic disparities again this year, with cases plateauing or even declining in the South while they go up a bit in the North.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://twitter.com/ahandvanish/status/1506344415161458691

(Note that these percentages appear to be among acute COVID cases, not all cases.)

[GregTheGreat657]

Even with muh "BA2", I will never wear a mask by own choice  again

[jamestroll]

This is fantastic news! Covid workplace safety standards are a thing of the past in Virginia.

"Virginia to abandon COVID-19 workplace safety standards following Worker Safety Board vote | WRIC ABC 8News" https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/virginia-to-abandon-covid-19-workplace-safety-standards-following-worker-safety-board-vote/amp/

I am sick and tired of covid safety standards.

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

Hillary Clinton has tested positive while Bill has tested negative. 

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Hillary Clinton has tested positive while Bill has tested negative. 

Bill didn't inhale.

[Dr. MB]

Jen Psaki has been tested positive again. Meanwhile, Biden was tested negative (at this point, I'm actually surprised he hasn't catched the virus yet).

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1506324579500937216

Biden needs a putin table

[emailking]

Moderna says its Covid-19 vaccine performs as well in children as it does in adults

Moderna announced interim results of its Covid-19 vaccine for children younger than 6 on Wednesday.

The company said two 25-microgram doses of its Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months through 5 years old provided a similar immune response to two 100-microgram doses for adults ages 18 to 25, indicating that the benefit conferred to young adults is also conferred to young children.

The two doses of vaccine are given to children 28 days apart.

The data showed "a robust neutralizing antibody response" and "a favorable safety profile," according to a company news release issued Wednesday.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/23/health/moderna-covid-19-vaccine-young-children/index.html

[jamestroll]

I was in DC yesterday and saw some people OUTSIDE wearing MASKS.

It took all my self control to not run up to them to and rip their MASKS off.

Outdoor masking is absolutely unacceptable.

[compucomp]

I was in DC yesterday and saw some people OUTSIDE wearing MASKS.

It took all my self control to not run up to them to and rip their MASKS off.

Outdoor masking is absolutely unacceptable.

Committing assault, getting hauled off by the police, and getting a permanent stain on your record to own the libs? They could be wearing a Z shirt along with their mask and it's still dumb to even think about it.

[jamestroll]

I was in DC yesterday and saw some people OUTSIDE wearing MASKS.

It took all my self control to not run up to them to and rip their MASKS off.

Outdoor masking is absolutely unacceptable.

Committing assault, getting hauled off by the police, and getting a permanent stain on your record to own the libs? They could be wearing a Z shirt along with their mask and it's still dumb to even think about it.

Oh my...

it is literally a joke.. I would not rip someone's mask off..

But don't think I can not see their arrogant, evil grins behind their MASKS.

[jamestroll]

I find masks acceptable to wear around Halloween outside. Not otherwise.

[Hammy]

I find masks acceptable to wear around Halloween outside. Not otherwise.

I wear a mask indoors because I have severe anxiety and my mother has respiratory issues so I don't want to risk taking the virus home, do you find that unacceptable?

[jamestroll]

I find masks acceptable to wear around Halloween outside. Not otherwise.

I wear a mask indoors because I have severe anxiety and my mother has respiratory issues so I don't want to risk taking the virus home, do you find that unacceptable?

No, there can be valid reasoning to wearing masks indoors but I doubt the effectiveness of cloth masks against newer variants.

[Roll Roons]

https://news.delta.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/a4a_board_letter_to_president_biden.pdf

Several airline CEOs call for the mask mandate to be repealed. Do this and watch the number of angry passengers drop like a stone. It really is that simple.

[Hammy]

https://news.delta.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/a4a_board_letter_to_president_biden.pdf

Several airline CEOs call for the mask mandate to be repealed. Do this and watch the number of angry passengers drop like a stone. It really is that simple.

Incidents of violent, unruly passengers was sharply rising well before covid, and there's no turning back that trend. Doubtful this would have any impact, these same people will find some other reason to pick fights on planes.

[LostFellow]

https://news.delta.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/a4a_board_letter_to_president_biden.pdf

Several airline CEOs call for the mask mandate to be repealed. Do this and watch the number of angry passengers drop like a stone. It really is that simple.

Incidents of violent, unruly passengers was sharply rising well before covid, and there's no turning back that trend. Doubtful this would have any impact, these same people will find some other reason to pick fights on planes.

I think that the mask requirement does have some marginal affects in terms of unruly passengers, but I suspect that the main cause is the general increase of "unruly" behavior since early 2021 caused by various factors (covid closures, the ever increasing prevalence of social media, a generally more transient job market). I feel like drivers post covid are like 5 times more aggressive than pre covid (not to mention the increases in crime), and this general trend most definitely extends to airplane passengers regardless of mask requirements.

[Calthrina950]

https://news.delta.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/a4a_board_letter_to_president_biden.pdf

Several airline CEOs call for the mask mandate to be repealed. Do this and watch the number of angry passengers drop like a stone. It really is that simple.

Incidents of violent, unruly passengers was sharply rising well before covid, and there's no turning back that trend. Doubtful this would have any impact, these same people will find some other reason to pick fights on planes.

I think that the mask requirement does have some marginal affects in terms of unruly passengers, but I suspect that the main cause is the general increase of "unruly" behavior since early 2021 caused by various factors (covid closures, the ever increasing prevalence of social media, a generally more transient job market). I feel like drivers post covid are like 5 times more aggressive than pre covid (not to mention the increases in crime), and this general trend most definitely extends to airplane passengers regardless of mask requirements.

I've long been of the belief that the coronavirus pandemic has further exacerbated the mental health challenges which so many people face, and this is going to be one of the longest lasting consequences of the pandemic.