COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[DabbingSanta]

I'm starting to worry that any vaccine will only provide temporary immunity, and that we'll be stuck wearing these bloody masks and taking all these precautions for the rest of our lives. 130,000 cases in a day, and that is after strict mask mandates and social distancing measures in 36 of the 50 states (including all the major population centers: New York, California, Texas, Illinois).  I do not notice a difference in rates between states which have mandated masks and moved schools online and states that haven't. There is evidence which suggests this will become endemic; it won't just go away.

[DabbingSanta]

I definitely don't want them permanent either... but I must admit wearing a mask is handy on a cold day.

Yes, they are basically light weight scarves and they do wonders keeping your face warm. 😂

Regardless, I think letting the mask mandates expire after this wave would be good.  I hate to say it, but it appears my concerns from the spring have some merit.  These weren't the temporary measures they sold us on.  Now I've read about people suggesting mask wearing is good for the prevention of flu.  Yes, but at what cost?

[DabbingSanta]

December 3rd: Highest number of cases recorded in a 24 hour period — 216K

December 2nd: Highest number of deaths recorded in a 24 hour period — 2885

These are some grim milestones we are reaching.

[DabbingSanta]

[DabbingSanta]

Good news out of Texas and Mississippi.  The pandemic is over, time to move on with life.

[DabbingSanta]

Good news out of Texas and Mississippi.  The pandemic is over, time to move on with life.

I really hope you're joking.

The U.S. will reach herd immunity by the end of May, and the vaccination program should rap up by the end of the summer.  It is long overdue for things to go back to normal.  The spread of variants won't be an issue with key populations vaccinated.

[DabbingSanta]

I think Texas and Mississippi were too quick to remove restrictions, but when is the right time to lift them? It seems like the virus won't be truly eradicated and we'll have to live with it like the flu.

Once enough people are vaccinated or at least everyone who wants to take a shot has been offered one. I don't know why people make such a big deal out of that. Wearing a mask while going into a store or wherever keeping a distance to strangers is not possible isn't that hard. Of course it's annoying to wear, but it helps save lives. And I'd much rather wear a mask than being on ICU or dead.

If masks are so effective in containing the spread of coronavirus, it should not be a big deal if mask mandates are allowed to expire.  You will still be able to go about wearing a mask, while continuing to take measures recommended by your health unit or the WHO.  Mask wearing isn't going to be banned.

[DabbingSanta]

COVID cases down to record lows not seen since September in Texas, three weeks after Gov Abbott allowed the mask mandates to expire.  There has been zero coverage of this from mainstream media outlets outside Fox News.  I wonder why. 🤔

Average # cases per day, Texas
March 1st: 7,693
March 7th: 6,083
March 14th: 4,540
March 21st: 3,898
March 28th: 4,005

Let's compare that with Florida, where measures have been laissez-faire for months.  Cases steady.

Average # cases per day, Florida
March 1st: 5,428
March 7th: 5,111
March 14th: 4,545
March 21st: 4,506
March 28th: 5,094

And Michigan, where measures were harsh and only recently have begun to lift.  Mask mandate still in place.  Large increase here, where variant is now the prevalent strain and population has not yet reached any form of herd immunity.  Dangerous situation unfolding.


Average # cases per day, Michigan
March 1st: 1,349
March 7th: 1,510
March 14th: 1,975
March 21st: 3,040
March 28th: 4,605

Do the harsh lockdowns and mandates have any impact?  The "science" is not very clear, but I would argue no.  If anything, it has resulted in harsher case spikes during reopening phases, as seen in Michigan and in Ontario and Italy at the international level.

[DabbingSanta]

Michigan, a state that has seen unprecedented and unconstitutional restrictions implemented in response to the coronavirus, is seeing a record surge.  Yesterday, the state recorded over 8000 cases.

Texas, a state which lifted their remaining restrictions a month ago, is near an all time low in cases.  They are nearly 3x the population of Michigan, but they only recorded 2500 cases yesterday.

It is clear what works and what doesn't.  If you still support lockdowns and mask mandates at this point, there is no point having a reasonable conversation.  If you only selectively support "freedom" and democracy when it benefits your side, you are part of the problem.  It is time to reopen America now, and fully, before it is too late.

[DabbingSanta]

Luckily, I think Michigan is leveling off a little bit, and New Jersey clearly is. I know Texas is doing better though.

I'm surprised the U.S. overall isn't doing much better, since the vaccines are rolling out.

It appears Israel really dropped off at around 50% fully vaccinated.  The U.S. still has a little way to go, but the trends are going in the right direction.  Also note that many places that were hit hard over the winter have already reached some form of "herd immunity". 

When you compare the economic and social devastation lockdowns have caused in places like New York, Michigan, and California, I don't think there's any reasonable justification for it.  The lockdowns may have helped saved the lives of some reclusive elderly people who are now vaccinated, but younger people who have no immunity to the virus are now getting hit hard with variants, and sometimes dying as a result.  It was an experiment and it failed miserably.

[DabbingSanta]

I should also point out that the lockdowns were originally sold as a measure to prevent ICUs from being overwhelmed with patients.  Remember "two weeks to flatten the curve"?  Here in Ontario we are in our third lockdown.  Toronto has been in a lockdown since the end of November, and their ICUs are still over capacity.  At least in the States there is a glimmer of hope with many states ending mandates and restrictions and letting nature take its course.

[DabbingSanta]

Michigan, a state that has seen unprecedented and unconstitutional restrictions implemented in response to the coronavirus, is seeing a record surge.  Yesterday, the state recorded over 8000 cases.

Texas, a state which lifted their remaining restrictions a month ago, is near an all time low in cases.  They are nearly 3x the population of Michigan, but they only recorded 2500 cases yesterday.

It is clear what works and what doesn't.  If you still support lockdowns and mask mandates at this point, there is no point having a reasonable conversation.  If you only selectively support "freedom" and democracy when it benefits your side, you are part of the problem.  It is time to reopen America now, and fully, before it is too late.

You have forgotten California, the largest state in the union and home to over almost 40 million Americans, has only seen 3000 cases yesterday to Texas' 2750 cases.

Clearly, the conclusion to draw here is what works is having Governors who have 6-letter last names. I'm sorry Michigan, shouldn't have elected 7-letter Whitmer.

California had 40,000 cases per day during their peak in December and January.  Quite possible that the virus has simply run out of people to infect there.  No proof that lockdowns work, so why destroy your country?

[DabbingSanta]

Michigan, a state that has seen unprecedented and unconstitutional restrictions implemented in response to the coronavirus, is seeing a record surge.  Yesterday, the state recorded over 8000 cases.

Texas, a state which lifted their remaining restrictions a month ago, is near an all time low in cases.  They are nearly 3x the population of Michigan, but they only recorded 2500 cases yesterday.

It is clear what works and what doesn't.  If you still support lockdowns and mask mandates at this point, there is no point having a reasonable conversation.  If you only selectively support "freedom" and democracy when it benefits your side, you are part of the problem.  It is time to reopen America now, and fully, before it is too late.

You have forgotten California, the largest state in the union and home to over almost 40 million Americans, has only seen 3000 cases yesterday to Texas' 2750 cases.

Clearly, the conclusion to draw here is what works is having Governors who have 6-letter last names. I'm sorry Michigan, shouldn't have elected 7-letter Whitmer.

California had 40,000 cases per day during their peak in December and January.  Quite possible that the virus has simply run out of people to infect there.  No proof that lockdowns work, so why destroy your country?

Oh, so now you bring up the information that would destroy your own hypothesis. Newsflash, Texas was also suffering from a similar high peak back in January and February, averaging around 26,000 cases a day, similar to CA's peak per capita. Michigan's peak, meanwhile, was only around 8,000 in November, which per its population was rather low, along with being rather late compared to the other peaks that occurred early this year. But of course, this information isn't important because it doesn't support your line of reasoning...until it is important when California is brought up.

Look, we have a multitude of evidence on the effectiveness of lockdowns and mask mandates, from scientific papers and real-life country evidence, to just basic logic. If you get COVID from the air, wearing something that catches particles from the air when you breathe works. And if people aren't meeting other people because lockdown, then the virus can't spread. These aren't radical concepts this is something that a child can figure out.

If you want to try to disprove hundreds of scientific journals, real-life, and basic logic, perhaps you should use something stronger than "State A had X cases today, while State B had Y cases today, therefore everyone else is wrong, checkmate".

Let's be honest, nobody is going to be convinced that the other side is right, so what's the point.  Even if the data did show lockdowns worked, I would still be opposed to them because I value personal freedom.  The reality is the pro lockdown folks do not value individual freedom and ultimately want to implement communism.  Let's stop using "science" to defend bizarre authoritarian fantasies.

[DabbingSanta]

"DeathSantis" is trending on Twitter because the left is enraged that Florida has ended all remaining COVID-related emergency orders.  The real stats show that there is no correlation between lockdowns and rate of transmission.  California and Oklahoma, two states which took very different approaches, have two of the lowest rates in the country.  Michigan, Florida, and Colorado have the highest.  Texas, which ended their remaining COVID measures over a month ago, is still seeing a decrease in cases.  It is time to reopen America now.  To all the communists who think otherwise, you are still welcome to wear a mask in public and isolate yourselves indefinitely.

[DabbingSanta]

"DeathSantis" is trending on Twitter because the left is enraged that Florida has ended all remaining COVID-related emergency orders.  The real stats show that there is no correlation between lockdowns and rate of transmission.  California and Oklahoma, two states which took very different approaches, have two of the lowest rates in the country.  Michigan, Florida, and Colorado have the highest.  Texas, which ended their remaining COVID measures over a month ago, is still seeing a decrease in cases.  It is time to reopen America now.  To all the communists who think otherwise, you are still welcome to wear a mask in public and isolate yourselves indefinitely.

...really? You're still doing this?

Yes, really.  These are the facts.  I don't live in a left wing fantasy land like many people here.  Keep up the attacks, though.  I think more and more Americans will see through them as life returns to normal in red states.  I am really looking forward to President Ron DeSantis in 2025! 😂👍

[DabbingSanta]

"DeathSantis" is trending on Twitter because the left is enraged that Florida has ended all remaining COVID-related emergency orders.  The real stats show that there is no correlation between lockdowns and rate of transmission.  California and Oklahoma, two states which took very different approaches, have two of the lowest rates in the country.  Michigan, Florida, and Colorado have the highest.  Texas, which ended their remaining COVID measures over a month ago, is still seeing a decrease in cases.  It is time to reopen America now.  To all the communists who think otherwise, you are still welcome to wear a mask in public and isolate yourselves indefinitely.

...really? You're still doing this?

Yes, really.  These are the facts.  I don't live in a left wing fantasy land like many people here.  Keep up the attacks, though.  I think more and more Americans will see through them as life returns to normal in red states.  I am really looking forward to President Ron DeSantis in 2025! 😂👍

Wouldn’t the facts actually lead you to believe Newsom would be the best president to handle the COVID crisis?

What about Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama?  They are also among the lowest rates.  Stop cherry-picking data!

[DabbingSanta]

Happy fourth of July.  Freedom over Faucism!

[DabbingSanta]

Is it just around them they make you mask? You don't have to wear it in your room I hope.

No, not in my room. But my stepmother reiterated to me what my father wants me to do this morning, and it's just compounding other issues I'm already facing. If he had gotten his vaccine by now, this probably wouldn't be an issue. And I still find it ironic, given that early in the pandemic, I was the one who was panicked, and he told me that I was overreacting and needed to calm down. Moreover, as I've said before, he is a two-time Trump voter, so that makes his views on this even more strange.

Adding to this today, I was out in the kitchen earlier, and my father came from the hallway. I wasn't wearing my mask, and he demanded to know where it was. I had to hastily put it on before he came into the kitchen. It's especially frustrating to have something like that happen on a day like this.

COVID-19 hysteria is a mental illness.

[DabbingSanta]

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-county-again-requirinhttps://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-county-again-requiring-masks-indoors-starting-saturday/g-masks-indoors-starting-saturday/

LA county to bring back mask mandates.

Why not mandate vaccines?

One is unconstitutional, the other should be unconstitutional but isn't.  I guess everyone can go and shop in neighboring Orange County, where the COVID variant ceases to exist.... or something.

[DabbingSanta]

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-county-again-requirinhttps://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-county-again-requiring-masks-indoors-starting-saturday/g-masks-indoors-starting-saturday/

LA county to bring back mask mandates.

Why not mandate vaccines?

One is unconstitutional, the other should be unconstitutional but isn't.  I guess everyone can go and shop in neighboring Orange County, where the COVID variant ceases to exist.... or something.

We get it Santa, you want more people to die so that you don’t have to deliver as many presents next year.

Aw damn, you've exposed me. And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!

[DabbingSanta]

If this is only impacting the unvaccinated, why is there a need for reintroducing restrictions?  The argument is that unvaccinated people are still spreading the illness to people who are wearing protection and vaccinated, but that doesn't really make sense. The surges seem to be in primarily urban (Democrat) areas, see the new mask mandate in Los Angeles County as an example.

I also don't understand why doctors are suggesting children be forced to wear masks for the 2021-22 school year.  I thought all the vulnerable people have already been vaccinated?  Only 336 children have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.  Seems like a massive overreaction, again.

I'm proud to say I do not believe the fake news media, and haven't really bought into this "pandemic" from the start.  People like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott are going to have huge bursts in popularity when Democrat run areas continue to be run into the ground by useless and unnecessary restrictions.  The vax rate is never going over 60% in America, so I guess you'll either be living in this sh**tty "new normal" or giving up and living your life at some point.  Will the left still be wearing masks in 2022? What about 2024 or 2028? It's hilarious but really sad.

[DabbingSanta]

How likely is it the country locks down again? I recently got a job at our local movie theater and our business is booming. We had our best weekend yet with Black Widow and Space Jam 2. I would hate for us to close down again.

Very unlikely--almost certainly not going to happen outside from some specific counties/regions in a state

Yeah not gonna happen.  Politics won’t allow it.

Which is a good thing.  Thank your Republican governors, senators, and representatives in government for safe guarding your freedoms.

[DabbingSanta]

And I'm pretty certain that the partial vaccination rate is over 60%, although we fell short of Biden's July 4 goal to have 70% of the adult population partially vaccinated. I'm not sure what the exact number is now, though.

I think you might be right.  The Google vaccine tracker considers the entire population, including people under 12, when calculating the rate.  On their site it says 56% have been partially vaxxed, but that's including children who are not eligible atm.  Taking this into consideration, it's safe to say the US will be well over 60% when we are done, possibly as much as 65%, but still below herd immunity levels.  There isn't much barring literal fascism that will change this.

[DabbingSanta]

Trust the science crowd is very happy today that the science has changed again, in their favor!

Sorry, I'm fully vaccinated for traveling purposes and not wearing a mask again.  You aren't gaining your freedoms back by forcing others to get vaccinated, you get them back by recognizing you are your own entity and the government/media/elites are trying to control you. 

[DabbingSanta]

Glad to see we will have a useful conversation about the Delta Variant and how it should and should not change our approach instead of random conspiracies, personal attacks, and rants.

I mean, this is a political forum, and a lot of people think this decision is political and not based on science.  What do you expect is going to happen?