COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Inmate Trump]

Mask mandates with financial and legal consequences if violated are necessary.

Vaccine mandates for every single person in the country.

Whiners can whine but they’re getting jabbed.  It’s time we force this on people because the situation won’t improve until we do.

Stop trying to force masks on the vaccinated. We need a vaccine mandate, and we need it now. Mask mandates are utterly pointless virtue signaling. It is the unvaccinated who are causing problems, no one else.

My reason for wanting a mask mandate: The vaccines don't last forever and people don't get them all at the same time.  I got mine back in January and February and my protection will be lower than someone who got theirs in June/July.  Depending on the vaccine, you're going to get varying degrees of protection.  With certain variants, that protection decreases.  No vaccine is 100%, and some vaccines see vast decreases in protection against certain variants.

Therefore, until the situation eases considerably, I think we should all be wearing masks in public places.

[Inmate Trump]

Mask mandates with financial and legal consequences if violated are necessary.

Vaccine mandates for every single person in the country.

Whiners can whine but they’re getting jabbed.  It’s time we force this on people because the situation won’t improve until we do.

Stop trying to force masks on the vaccinated. We need a vaccine mandate, and we need it now. Mask mandates are utterly pointless virtue signaling. It is the unvaccinated who are causing problems, no one else.

My reason for wanting a mask mandate: The vaccines don't last forever and people don't get them all at the same time.  I got mine back in January and February and my protection will be lower than someone who got theirs in June/July.  Depending on the vaccine, you're going to get varying degrees of protection.  With certain variants, that protection decreases.  No vaccine is 100%, and some vaccines see vast decreases in protection against certain variants.

Therefore, until the situation eases considerably, I think we should all be wearing masks in public places.

No mask is 100% either. You seem to trust masks more than vaccines, an increasingly common position on the left that I find extremely troubling. Maybe it's because you can see a mask and not a vaccine? Really don't get it.

Also, everyone has a different definition of what the situation "easing considerably" means. To me, the situation already has eased considerably and for the vaccinated has never been safer. But the hypochondriacs and germophobes among us, many of whom are employed in public health, are screeching and panicking like there's no tomorrow.

I don’t at all think masks are more effective than vaccines nor has anyone on the left claimed them to be, at least not that I’ve seen.  Masks are not as effective as vaccines, period.  In fact, a vaccine offers many, many more times protection than a mask.

What I’m suggesting is both.  And the reason I’m suggesting it is because there IS a rise in cases and certainly a rise in cases among the vaccinated that will continue to rise as vaccine protection begins to wane.  I’m not saying masks forever.  All I’m saying is that more protection is better than partial protection, when Delta is concerned.  And certainly until we can begin dispersing booster shots for the elderly and others who received their vaccines six or so months ago.

And a mask is literally so effortless.  Is it fun?  No.  Does it “boost” the protection the vaccines offer?  In the face of the Delta variant, YES.

Are we now to say that mask mandates ought to be imposed permanently? This is what this kind of logic leads to. What is meant when we say that the situation should "ease considerably"? Where there are no longer any cases? Or is there some other kind of benchmark?

No. A temporary measure, and one that will fluctuate the same way that variants and cases count fluctuates.

Protocols are going to have to be able to be amended periodically until we get a better handle on things.  Sometimes that will mean no masks, and sometimes that means mask up.  Until the world is fully vaccinated, variants are going to continue popping up and many of those will be worse than the ones before, and many will decrease the effectiveness of the vaccines.  Adding a mask will increase your protection.

It’s not forever though.

[Inmate Trump]

... Anyone who supports a mask mandate but not a vaccine mandate does not really want COVID to end. And that's currently the position of pretty much all Dem politicians.

What? No.
Please stop.

Vaccines are our best tool to fight COVID, a far better tool than masks, as even GWBfan just pointed out. If you don't want to mandate our best tool to fight the virus, why should I think you want the virus to go away?

I want a vaccine mandate.

But you can’t argue that masks increase protection.  At certain times, when variants decrease vaccine effectiveness, I want mask mandates as well.  But that wouldn’t be all the time…just when the situation is dire like it has once again become.

[Inmate Trump]

Vaccines wouldn't be such a big political issue if Democrats didn't use fake science to impose authoritarian health restrictions in the first place.  It's obvious vaccines work great in preventing serious illness and death, but a lot of people are lost right now. Four years of demonizing Trump supporters, branding them as "literal terrorists" and "deplorables" has resulted in half of America literally not trusting any credible news sources. To be fair, I don't blame them, as these same sources pushed mask mandates and lockdowns last year, and look how that turned out for everyone.

A large gathering of your brethren just attempted a coup to overthrow American democracy, and murdered people over a lie that Donald Trump perpetrated.  Don't you dare imply that Democrats have wrongfully demonized Trump and his supporters.

Furthermore, you people didn't trust "news sources" even before Trump ran for president so the fact that Democrats rightfully warned America about Donald Trump's awfulness is not the reason that half of America doesn't trust the media.  There's a reason uneducated people voted for Donald Trump.  There's a reason racists voted for Donald Trump.  This isn't me just demonizing, this is simple truth and I'm sorry you either can't see it or refuse to see it.

[Inmate Trump]

A new study conducted by the Mayo Clinic indicates that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has substantially reduced protection against Delta, down to 42%, while Moderna has held up better, at 76%. One can choose to take the viewpoint that breakthrough infections are nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't result in hospitalization, but it now must be acknowledged that breakthrough infections are not rare fluke events and that the vaccines do not make one safe against COVID-19 infection.

In July, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization has remained high (mRNA-1273: 81%, 95% CI: 33-96.3%; BNT162b2: 75%, 95% CI: 24-93.9%), but effectiveness against infection was lower for both vaccines (mRNA-1273: 76%, 95% CI: 58-87%; BNT162b2: 42%, 95% CI: 13-62%), with a more pronounced reduction for BNT162b2.

Here mRNA-1273 = Moderna, BNT162b2 = Pfizer/BioNTech.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.06.21261707v2

Which is why masks need to be mandated for the time being.  The vaccines are great, but their effectiveness is waning with more variants popping up.  We need more measures, besides just vaccines, to combat this virus.

[Inmate Trump]

https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1425086627232325632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Not only are Republicans the most dangerous enemy to American democracy, they are also an enemy to the health of the American people.

[Inmate Trump]

https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1425086627232325632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Not only are Republicans the most dangerous enemy to American democracy, they are also an enemy to the health of the American people.

You're insane.  Seek mental help.  Seriously, there's no other way to put it.  We are all Americans, George W Bush "fan".

Anyone who supported the attempted coup on January 6th, or who fails to recognize it as such, is not an American…nor is anyone who still supports Donald Trump after he attempted said coup.

[Inmate Trump]

When is the Delta surge projected to level off?

I saw some recent projections saying it would level off right about now. "TheLawyerCraig" on Twitter might have posted some.

Robert Redfield is saying it’s very likely another variant, more dangerous than Delta, is coming this fall.

[Inmate Trump]

Anyone else find themselves hoping that the severity of Delta is being overblown in order to push vaccines more aggressively?  I mean, if that’s the plan it’s worked since vaccinations have increased.

I know that’s conspiracy thinking but I just don’t want to believe that we’re going right back to the worst of 2020.

[Inmate Trump]

Does anyone on this board know a single fully vaccinated person who has died of covid?

I don't personally know any vaccinated person who has even had covid.

Just before vaccines came out, I knew a lot of people who had it, but they just felt a little under the weather for a couple days.

A co-worker of mine is currently sick and she's fully vaccinated.  She had a PCR test that showed negative, but then did a rapid test a day later that showed positive.  One of those tests is wrong.

Her symptoms are very mild.

[Inmate Trump]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/12/health/moderna-vaccine-protection/index.html


Am I reading this right?  It says Moderna protects 96% against Delta.

But at six months, 96% of samples had a full antibody response against the Delta variant, the team found.

[Inmate Trump]

People not already inoculated are getting scared -- enough that more people who rejected it before are taking the needle.

 

Not in my area.

Just yesterday, a Trumpster I work with was saying the vaccines are The Mark of the Beast. The other Trumpsters in the room fully agreed.

[Inmate Trump]

155,000 cases today and 770 deaths, both peaks for this wave so far.

God…when are cases going to level off? Seems like a new record is set everyday.

I have seen some talk on Twitter that the positivity rate has been flattening this week, which can be a leading indicator that cases are about to peak.

ExtremeRepublican:
Help America. Help society and your local community. Talk to your friends and those in your Bible group who you have told us are stubborn and not getting their shots.
Tell them they are wrong, and that they need to do their part for all of us.
Right now, "America does not need Jesus Christ." Change your temp user name to "America needs to get their ass vaccinated."

A better choice: "Jesus wants you to get vaccinated."

I’m a Christian and it’s extremely troubling hearing people say things like “Jesus is in control” or “if God wants me to die then I’ll die.” For the record, I agree with those statements, but God wants us to be responsible too.

And if you’re not getting vaccinated because you’ll die when God wants you to die, then why are you wearing a seatbelt? Why go to the hospital when you’re badly injured or sick? Why ever receive medical treatment of any kind?

Why is it just covid vaccines when these Christians say “no, I’m not getting it because I’ll die when God wants me to die?”


Jesus encouraged you to love your neighbor. Refusing to get vaccinated is the exact opposite.

[Inmate Trump]

Will these boosters be different than the original shots?  Or will they be taylor made to fight delta and other variants?

Like...will I just go to the doctor or wherever and they give me a one dose of the original vaccine, or something altogether different?

[Inmate Trump]

If the government's official position is that most Americans need a new shot every 8 months because the initial vaccine is inadequate, then a lot of honest Americans are going to assume that this vaccine isn't of any help. Frankly, it's not even that illogical of an assumption given that our authorities have flip-flopped on everything so far.

The NYT article from yesterday said that new data out of Israel indicates weakening protection from severe illness from Pfizer/BioNTech after 8 months for elderly people, hence the new recommendation. If that is the truth, then it must be made known to the public ASAP and recommendations changed accordingly. If the vaccine loses potency over time or due to the virus evolving, yeah that sucks, but we need to know. If some people misinterpret that to mean that the vaccine is useless, that's their problem, they can get sick and die of COVID once the vaccine wears off while I protect myself by getting a booster.

The public needs to know all the most current information, whether it's favorable or not, and you seem to be advocating that this knowledge should be concealed in the name of promoting vaccination. Such a coverup would backfire on the scale of "Masks Don't Work"; it would become impossible to conceal when the death/hospitalization rate starts rising among the elderly population and deadly outbreaks occur in nursing homes.

The studies have shown that for Pfizer the protection wanes over time.  There was just a study showing Moderna highly effective after 6 months, even against the Delta variant.  The study showed Moderna was 96% against Delta.  If that's the case, why isn't it just certain vaccines need a booster rather than ALL vaccines?

[Inmate Trump]

Interesting. Are there other organizations and facilities he can do this for?

Law enforcement, and other first responders?

[Inmate Trump]

Data for Progress is a certified joke.

Someone's triggered.

[Inmate Trump]

https://www.wsbradio.com/news/local/atlanta/georgia-could-see-highest-covid-19-case-rate-country-by-sept-1/AR53X3YO4BFATAO7R2YLAP7AJ4/


According to this article, a Mayo Clinic study says Georgia will have the highest covid rate by September 1.

[Inmate Trump]

I keep reading reports about more and more severe case among fully vaccinated people.

Not like “many people are saying…”

Just different things, from celebs and other people I personally know or acquaintances/friends/family of people that I know.

[Inmate Trump]

I keep reading reports about more and more severe case among fully vaccinated people.

Not like “many people are saying…”

Just different things, from celebs and other people I personally know or acquaintances/friends/family of people that I know.

 
What celeb was fully vaccinated and had a severe case?

 Sabrina The Teenage Witch, the original one claims she got really sick but I don't think she was hospitalized or anything.

Thanks! Sounds like she's having a tough go of it.

Also Hillary Duff and Corey Taylor.

[Inmate Trump]

https://twitter.com/mikememoli/status/1429834509340626950

So Republican voters are dying in far greater numbers, yet their leaders keep misleading and digging in on banning mask/vaccine mandates.

The blind leading the blind.

[Inmate Trump]

dc is an entire city of the media-poisoned

What is wrong with you?  Are you okay?  Do you need me to call someone?

[Inmate Trump]

The Delta variant is ripping through western Sydney's ethnic communities and starting up in Melbourne. Once in a household, it infects everyone who is unvaccinated.

When Dec 2021-Jan 2022 comes around in the US, watch out:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2021-08-28/nsw-covid-number-high-lockdowns-victoria-cases/100409856

This a previous R factor of 1.3, things were manageable for COVID-19.

But the Delta variant has an estimated R factor of between 5-9. This will be near-impossible to stop in the winter months in the US in Dec/Jan.

It is estimated that in the next 10 years, based on those numbers, every person in the western world will get COVID-19 three times.

What would happen if COVID became as deadly for people under 60 as much as it was for the those over 70?

Republicans would end up losing a lot more elections.

Unfortunately I’m not so sure that they would.

[Inmate Trump]

I now have 4 people in my circle with covid and all of them were fully vaccinated. It’s extremely discouraging and worrying.

[Inmate Trump]

I now have 4 people in my circle with covid and all of them were fully vaccinated. It’s extremely discouraging and worrying.

Everyone is going to get COVID, if they're not symptomatic and more importantly not hospitalized, the vaccine is working.

They’re all symptomatic. None have been hospitalized.

Symptoms ranging from fever, aches, headache, sore throat. Nothing major. But it’s still worrisome. Granted, I have a LOT of anxiety issues surrounding covid so pretty much anything is concerning to me lately.