COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[DINGO Joe]

So why was New Mexico so weird about things (compared to Kentucky)?

Care to elaborate?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

So why was New Mexico so weird about things (compared to Kentucky)?

Care to elaborate?

New Mexico had some of the most dumbest rules on COVID, often on things that no other state would even bat an eye about. They closed state parks to out-of-state residents. They said people who didn't live together couldn't stay at the same motel room (when tourism was allowed at all). I think they were one of the last states to open schools at all.

The governor complained because the state's residents were posting photos of themselves without masks on social media. Someone from the state parks department said anyone who went boating alone at a state park was required to wear a mask out in the middle of the lake.

Nobody in my town would ever bat an eye if even a whole group of people went boating without a mask - let alone in 2021 (as opposed to 2020).

[MATTROSE94]

So why was New Mexico so weird about things (compared to Kentucky)?

Care to elaborate?

New Mexico had some of the most dumbest rules on COVID, often on things that no other state would even bat an eye about. They closed state parks to out-of-state residents. They said people who didn't live together couldn't stay at the same motel room (when tourism was allowed at all). I think they were one of the last states to open schools at all.

The governor complained because the state's residents were posting photos of themselves without masks on social media. Someone from the state parks department said anyone who went boating alone at a state park was required to wear a mask out in the middle of the lake.

Nobody in my town would ever bat an eye if even a whole group of people went boating without a mask - let alone in 2021 (as opposed to 2020).

To be fair, New Mexico is more impacted by the Delta Variant than Kentucky. The measures put in place by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham are meant to keep the residents in her state safe and stop surges in the hospital system.

[Calthrina950]

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.

[emailking]

Whether you call the pandemic over or not doesn't really matter. COVID-19's descendants are going to hang around, maybe for as long as humans do.

Yeah, but who cares from a societal perspective?  If you’re vaccinated, you should see those as acceptable odds.  If you don’t, you should quarantine independently and probably stop doing things like drive a car or unplug power cords, lol.

I care. I'd rather not get the flu and colds, and someday some Covid variant, even if it's not that big of a deal. These things never ended and probably won't.

[emailking]

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.

Your dad sounds super paranoid. People who love together shouldn't be wearing masks around each other unless someone is sick maybe.

[Calthrina950]

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.

Your dad sounds super paranoid. People who love together shouldn't be wearing masks around each other unless someone is sick maybe.

What else can I say or do at this point? I feel as if I've complained about it multiple times already on here since last month, and there's nothing I can do to change his mind, or that of my stepmother. Like I've said before, he's still unvaccinated, and I don't know why I should have to suffer, especially since I and my stepmother are both fully vaccinated.

[emailking]

Yeah probably nothing you can do unfortunately.

[Calthrina950]

Yeah probably nothing you can do unfortunately.

What's even more is that I've been told by my stepmother that my father feels I'm selfish because I've been resistant to wearing a mask at home, and saying that I can't go ahead in life if I'm stubborn and don't care about others. I wasn't happy to hear about that. So I have to add this to my general anxieties about my future college plans and my job.

[pbrower2a]

Happy fourth of July.  Freedom over Faucism!

https://media2.picsearch.com/is?UvbaAub1dVbch4blhuX22BUWTuB3g-9sJtYt1Sz-uZM&height=237

[It’s so Joever]

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-vaccine-drops-to-64-efficacy-in-stoping-infections-in-israel-as-delta-spreads-1.9971842

Maybe instead of pretending everything is okay, we should be honest?

[soundchaser]

Israel is using very different definitions of “cases” and “efficacy” from the rest of the world. This study also has a pretty low sample size. Don’t freak out about every negative headline — panic drives clicks.

[It’s so Joever]

Israel is using very different definitions of “cases” and “efficacy” from the rest of the world. This study also has a pretty low sample size. Don’t freak out about every negative headline — panic drives clicks.

Could you help explain?
And were they using this definition before? Because data back then showed much higher strength with the vaccine.
This seems like serious coping optimism (much like what red avatars would spam before 2020 whenever something not great for Joe emerged) as opposed to actual reality.

[soundchaser]

I mean, yeah, I’ll admit that I’m more optimistic than someone who has “perpetually pessimistic” in their signature, but I’m also looking at different sets of data.

For example, this Canadian study just released yesterday showing that two doses of Pfizer still provides an 87% protection from symptomatic disease against the delta variant. Moderna has a 96% protection against hospitalization or death with just one dose.

Israel’s data (from what I can tell — it’s mostly been summarized by news articles) relies heavily on asymptomatic infections, which are difficult to actually test. Their own epidemiologists have criticized the Ministry of Health’s data. And regardless of either of those facts, they *still* show a 93% effectiveness rate against the delta variant when it comes to hospitalizations. “Reduction in symptomatic infections” is a fuzzy, fuzzy metric.

[It’s so Joever]

I mean, yeah, I’ll admit that I’m more optimistic than someone who has “perpetually pessimistic” in their signature, but I’m also looking at different sets of data.

For example, this Canadian study just released yesterday showing that two doses of Pfizer still provides an 87% protection from symptomatic disease against the delta variant. Moderna has a 96% protection against hospitalization or death with just one dose.

Israel’s data (from what I can tell — it’s mostly been summarized by news articles) relies heavily on asymptomatic infections, which are difficult to actually test. Their own epidemiologists have criticized the Ministry of Health’s data. And regardless of either of those facts, they *still* show a 93% effectiveness rate against the delta variant when it comes to hospitalizations. “Reduction in symptomatic infections” is a fuzzy, fuzzy metric.

Yes, but was this the same as before?
There still is a substantial decrease in efficacy even if true that the symptomatic case data for Israel isn’t accurate. Why is it just now that Israel’s data is diverging? What other variable could it be?

And if I’m reading correctly (which I’m probably not), the Canadian study you linked only uses probability estimates to determine if a case of Covid was Delta, and while those are better than nothing, that also makes me question the study.

Truthfully, I think the real answer is somewhere in between 88% and 64%, but that is still a strong reduction.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/JReinerMD/status/1411730713867653122

[jamestroll]

No matter how bad it gets .. it will never even rival the winter we just experienced ever again.

[Inmate Trump]

Apologies if this has been answered already…

Has there been any new data showing how long the Pfizer/Moderna shots offer protection? I’ve read anything between a few months to a few years.

And anything showing the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine specifically against the Delta variant?

[jamestroll]

I preemptively oppose ANY public health measure or covid restriction due to the delta variant.

If you are vaccinated... I guess the anti mask clowns who said covid is just like the flu.. they are technically right now.. IF you are vaccinated and get a break through case.

All of the people calling for new restrictions never ever wanted to move on past covid.

Thank goodness Virginia is holding elections this year so no worry of covid restrictions here.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

It's the fly virus, I don't worry about since is there isn't any cure for the common cold, it's a virus

[GeorgiaModerate]

I just dont care if the delta variant is vaccine resistant.

Keep everything open. This variant was probably created by teachers unions in order to avoid going back to the class room in the fall

This may be the single stupidest statement I've seen in 13 years on this forum.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

And anything showing the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine specifically against the Delta variant?

I thought I read that Moderna works just as well against the Delta variant as it does against all the other variants.

[soundchaser]

I just dont care if the delta variant is vaccine resistant.

Keep everything open. This variant was probably created by teachers unions in order to avoid going back to the class room in the fall

Have you ever talked to a teacher? Like, a single one? NOBODY likes online schooling, especially them.

[GeorgiaModerate]

And anything showing the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine specifically against the Delta variant?

I thought I read that Moderna works just as well against the Delta variant as it does against all the other variants.

It is effective against Delta, but less so than it is against some other variants, according to Moderna's study: https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-provides-clinical-update-neutralizing-activity-its-covid.

[Never Made it to Graceland]

I just dont care if the delta variant is vaccine resistant.

Keep everything open. This variant was probably created by teachers unions in order to avoid going back to the class room in the fall

This is a revolting thing to say.