COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[jamestroll]

Anyone have projects when we will stop seeing 200,000 cases per day?

[jamestroll]

Anyone have projects when we will stop seeing 200,000 cases per day?

On a regular basis and apart from the way data is reported (i.e. expect low reported numbers on holidays like Christmas and New Year's), late January would be optimistic. I would expect February or March, depending on how quickly we can dispense vaccines. Thanksgiving was a terrible super-spreader event across the country. I expect Christmas to be even worse, and in contrast with Thanksgiving, that's something celebrated across many countries. As the medical professionals have been saying, we are in for a rough winter.

Congress is failing the American people. We should be paying as many people to stay home as possible, especially now. There is light at the end of the tunnel and it does not appear to be an oncoming train. However, it will take time to reach that point. This is the exact time when we should be putting very serious money into stimulus, something far bigger than the CARES Act. We need to be pumping massive support into small businesses and the American people, not to mention money to support the healthcare system (taking care of patients and expediting vaccine distribution).

No I am not spending 4 to 5 trillion dollars to waste another lock down.

There is no public support for a lockdown and the only time there was happened in spring and the lockdowns in spring were a joke. We should have locked down hard at very first.

[jamestroll]

No the elderly should get the vaccine first. Focusing on vaccinating the elderly is key to opening up the economy.

Most service workers are not elderly. Their fatality rate is low and if they get the virus they just have to go through with it and afterwards move on.

[jamestroll]

Best strategy at this point is to vaccinate the elderly population and that young and healthy people should now not wear masks and throw covid parties and deliberately get infected. That would be the fastest way to achieve an end to this pandemic.

[jamestroll]

Best strategy at this point is to vaccinate the elderly population and that young and healthy people should now not wear masks and throw covid parties and deliberately get infected. That would be the fastest way to achieve an end to this pandemic.

This ain't it, chief.

You at least agree that elderly and vulnerable should be vaccinated prior to essential workers right?

[jamestroll]

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[jamestroll]

this graph is giving me a nervous breakdown.. and in january it will be hard to control travel to and from the state due to transition of government.

[jamestroll]

I knew I did the right thing by voting for Biden on my very first opportunity on September 18th, 2020.  I was one of the first Americans to vote for Biden.

He will not shut the economy down and is finally creating a coherent covid response plan.

Most anti-lockdown protesters like me voted for Trump. My thinking was: To avoid lockdowns we need competent leadership to get the pandemic under control. Trump was not competent leadership.

[jamestroll]

I WANT KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL NOW!!!

[jamestroll]

I WANT KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL NOW!!!

Ok.

Though many restaurants in Fairfax County do not offer dine in service, they are legally allowed to and some do.

If they can be open... schools can be open!

Seeing closed elementary schools less than a block away from restaurants running wild breaks my heart for those poor kids. And I support both being open.

[jamestroll]

Don't know about that much, but I wouldn't be surprised to see another large peak.

A lot of medical experts are saying we are due for one more peak in COVID at least that will last from March into probably July or August that will make the other peaks look extremely minor in comparison.

What is the source on this? Unless there are millions of reinfections I doubt that the next peak of Covid would make Nov-Jan look extremely minor.

[jamestroll]

https://twitter.com/Patch_Virginia/status/1357743979467583491

Excellent!

Next months almost everything in Virginia will be open expect for gatherings over 10 people (unless increased by governor) and bar seating!

[jamestroll]

Anybody else who’s young fine with waiting on getting a J&J? I might be able to get one of the others starting next and if I get offered on, I’ll definitely take it but I don’t need the efficacy of the others and the one shot and done sounds much better.

I will get the J&J. I am fairly young and healthy. I am not going to be a wussy. There are elderly people and health care workers who need stronger protection than me you know. I am not going to live in fear.

[jamestroll]

Its always amusing. All the reopening debate. The reality is  most places in the United States are open except mass gatherings.  Capacities just vary.

[jamestroll]

May I ask a serious question?

How come much of the left has been very pro-lockdown when it clearly hurts the poor the most? and when you argue against lockdowns, they respond with retorts so dismissive that its clear they did not read past the first sentence.

Not trying to insult anyone or start a fight here.

[jamestroll]

May I ask a serious question?

How come much of the left has been very pro-lockdown when it clearly hurts the poor the most? and when you argue against lockdowns, they respond with retorts so dismissive that its clear they did not read past the first sentence.

Not trying to insult anyone or start a fight here.

I've been pro-lockdown for the better part of a year now, but I also recognize that you can't do lockdowns without a government willing to support its citizens in staying home. And that's obviously just not going to happen in this country. So it's a tough tightrope to walk.

May I ask a serious question?

How come much of the left has been very pro-lockdown when it clearly hurts the poor the most? and when you argue against lockdowns, they respond with retorts so dismissive that its clear they did not read past the first sentence.

Not trying to insult anyone or start a fight here.

I'm generally pro-lockdown, but I also believe that the government should be monetarily supporting those who the lockdown impacts. We should be compensating small businesses for their lost income and should be paying Americans at least $2,000 a month to stay home, if not more.

May I ask a serious question?

How come much of the left has been very pro-lockdown when it clearly hurts the poor the most? and when you argue against lockdowns, they respond with retorts so dismissive that its clear they did not read past the first sentence.

Not trying to insult anyone or start a fight here.

Because it would hurt them even more if they got Covid?

But yeah, what we should be doing is increasing taxes on the rich and giving additional help to the poor until we get through this.

Thank you for your answers. I feel like though we are all arguing about hypotheticals at this point. The bulk of damage has been done at the point. We aren't going to create an entire new economic system immediately.

I have seen many progressives happily scream and hope between election night and inauguration day that Biden would shut the country down and even ground all flights once he was president. Since January 20th, he has been taking nearly the opposite route. Comments about grounding all flights seem ridiculous at this point as the virus is already in nearly every corner of the country.

Whenever you talk with the online left about covid, it seems you are labeled as a de facto murderer unless you support stay at home orders and lockdowns until the virus is eradicated off this planet.  That is not practical nor realistic.

That messaging obviously cost us a bit in the election. Covid-19 will still be circulating around for the 2021 off year and 2022 midterms elections  as well. Sure, the maximum peak of next winter may be around 60k cases in a day a few weeks after Christmas but it will not even be comparable to the case numbers we had this winter. They would mostly be milder as well.  But Democrats can not be perceived as the permanent lockdown party.  We would be wiped off the map electorally.

[jamestroll]

I have been chided for worrying about Democratic electoral prospects over covid restrictions. Being told I do not care about people dying. That is absolutely false!

The first thing newly elected GOP Governors of Virginia, maybe New Jersey in January 2022 and a dozen new states in January 2023 would be immediately open up all schools and axe any public health restrictions anyway.

And of course the newly empowered GOP state governments within months would do they what they usually do. Undermine public health agencies, cut programs for the poor, etc.

[jamestroll]

At least to me it seemed the entire point of the spring lockdowns and the massive Cares Act was to buy time to create a competent plan in dealing with covid. But it was entirely wasted.

Trump's push to reopen early and Maga Protesters arguing with nurses in the streets fed off to the left having a counterreaction of demanding lockdowns for years until virus eradication. And anyone who even slightly disagreed was accused of being de facto murderer or indifferent to deaths.

[jamestroll]

I'm tired of these essential public servants freeloading.

[jamestroll]

As much of a reopening fundamentalist as I am, I will have to disagree with Abbott.

Masks do work if worn correctly and businesses need the legal leverage to enforce mask mandates.

[jamestroll]

I am seeing a lot of left wing attacks on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.....

that is not the messaging we need

[jamestroll]

I am seeing a lot of left wing attacks on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.....

that is not the messaging we need

Don't worry about it.....

Yes I am going to worry about it because the last thing we need are lefties refusing to take Johnson and Johnson vaccines when about 1/3 of Republicans and 1/3 of minorities will refuse to take vaccines at all.

[jamestroll]

Restrictions have been relaxed way too soon. So sad to see.

So this is awful, right? Cases should not be going up. It's starting to seem like this pandemic will never end.

Personally, me as a governor? I wouldn't have lifted a mask mandate or capacity restrictions. But I really do not care either. I am ecstatic that deaths are going down. At this point I am more looking at death statistics rather than case numbers. Though I will be concerned if we start to see 100k cases again. Which, I admit, could happen in April for a few days.

[jamestroll]

I have not felt so happy in a long time. Seeing the death rate decline has made me estatic!

We should look at death rates going forward.

[jamestroll]

3/23: <T>

• Cases: 30,636,534 (+59,572 | ΔW Change: ↑16.17% | Σ Increase: ↑0.19%)
• Deaths: 556,883 (+938 | ΔW Change: ↓17.28% | Σ Increase: ↑0.17%)

3/24: <W>

• Cases: 30,704,292 (+67,758 | ΔW Change: ↑7.91% | Σ Increase: ↑0.22%)
• Deaths: 558,422 (+1,405 [+1,539] | ΔW Change: ↑0.64% | Σ Increase: ↑0.28%)

3/25 (Yesterday): <Þ>

• Cases: 30,774,033 (+67,046 [+69,741] | ΔW Change: ↑7.05% | Σ Increase: ↑0.23%)
• Deaths: 559,744 (+1,165 [+1,322] | ΔW Change: ↓31.67% | Σ Increase: ↑0.24%)

3/26 (Today): <F>

• Cases: 30,853,032 (+78,999 | ΔW Change: ↑19.09% | Σ Increase: ↑0.26%)
• Deaths: 561,142 (+1,398 | ΔW Change: ↑10.69% | Σ Increase: ↑0.25%)

It is the final wave of the United States but with less portion of deaths compared to the winter wave. We will be fine. There is an ending point.

Though I do wonder if there will be a mini wave of sorts next winter? Like some days with +50k cases due to holiday travel, anti vaxxers and variants.