COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[GP270watch]

https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1314256068663480323

Trump in front of a green screen babbling nonsense.



 

[GP270watch]

These Covid death numbers are with a significant portion of the population not carrying on as usual.

 But I do think Covid has already mutated to be weaker and more contagious which makes sense. We could resume many things with mask wearing and basic precautions, the problem is people are being big babies about it. Wear your mask whenever possible, officials should open all schools and teach children proper hygiene. Other countries avoided the worst of it and basically carried on with mandated mask usage, hand-washing and sanitation campaigns, on top of effective contact tracing to stop outbreaks.

 The United States response has been all over the place and unfocused with obvious failures and also sabotaged by the stupid party that thinks washing your hands and covering your face is government tyranny.

[GP270watch]

https://twitter.com/AC360/status/1315821401794846720

[GP270watch]

 We never had a full shutdown of the country either, so what's all this nonsense about "another one". America's Covid-19 response has been patchy, to be kind.

[GP270watch]

 Mitch has already said no stimulus until 2021 and it barely got headlines. It's going to be a very bad few months no matter who wins the election.

[GP270watch]

 Most of The United States hasn't even faced Covid in the winter season. South America has had their winter, much of Europe is way north of major American cities.

[GP270watch]

 It's very good Biden will be President because from what I'm reading this is going to take a massive and co-ordianted logistical effort with state, federal government, and health organizations all working together.

 The problem is he's not President for another roughly 2.5 months. And Covid is going to be very bad in those same months, very bad.

 Biden is currently speaking about the good vaccine news and warning that in the meantime the best thing we can do is wear masks and social distance were appropriate. He is saying this shouldn't be political or partisan but unifying to defeat the spread of the pandemic.

[GP270watch]

https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/1325885854208946177

Another Covid cluster event courtesy of the Trump White House.

[GP270watch]

Corey Lewandowski tested positive for Covid-19, another Trump surrogate.

 It' a pretty bad situation that lameduck Trump will be the President for the next 70 days.

[GP270watch]

What is going on in South Dakota....

https://twitter.com/JesseRodriguez/status/1327036402543042572

Their governor is a complete idiot and not interested in doing anything to help mitigate the spread of the virus.

 Everybody knew this would go happen, go back and look at the thread. Governor "Positive Pants" insured this would happen.

[GP270watch]

High humidity and very cold temps might make it easier to spread. I think that's the current belief.

[GP270watch]

I wonder whether vaccine will still be free to everybody under a Biden Administration or whether Republicans in congress will all of a sudden rediscover their fiscal discipline and tell President Biden, it would be too expensive after Trump blew the deficit big time?

 The vaccine has to be free or the general public will not take it. There is a policy doctor who actually wants to pay people to take it so we have widespread adoption. Right now I read that the rich and "VIPs" in entertainment and finance have been actively contacting Pfizer and Moderna to be first in line for  the vaccine doses available. But in the general population there is a lot of skepticism about the vaccine especially since the vaccine is so new for a disease that has been so politicized.

[GP270watch]

Much of the Midwest is pretty chill and easygoing regarding COVID-19...

https://apnews.com/article/iowa-south-dakota-coronavirus-pandemic-nebraska-north-dakota-bf7197b284401dea8b779cfa764dfab2

This represents what most people around here think. They know the virus is out there, but they can't keep upending their lives over it.

Most people just instinctively stop panicking over things after a few months.

Well, at least all the long term lung damage will make universal healthcare necessary!
Lets hope this helps Biden politically since it seems nothing else can be hoped for.

 If I was Joe Biden I would declare a national emergency and expand Medicaid on a Federal level because of Covid-19, Opioid addiction, and gun violence. I would do this by executive order and let the Republicans sue over it. All three are national public health emergencies that need to be dealt with immediately.

[GP270watch]

https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1328319845012824065


Wow, this is insane.

[GP270watch]

 I'm trying to convince my family to cancel Thanksgiving but they don't care. I think the combination of stupidity, fatigue, and good news in the distance of a vaccine have all made people complacent.

 

[GP270watch]

NYC is closing public schools because they have crossed testing threshold.

[GP270watch]

NYC is closing public schools because they have crossed testing threshold.

Very dumb — testing in schools had a positivity rate of just 0.18%, with a 3% rate citywide. State guidance only enforces closures at 9% community positivity.

Tomorrow in NYC, pubic schools will be closed but gyms will still be open...

I think schools should stay open based on the best available scientific data to date. I'm not sure why they closed schools outside of an agreement the teachers and city leaders compromised on. While children are relatively safe their teachers are not in the same boat and it doesn't matter what the city and society wants if the teachers don't show up.

[GP270watch]

https://twitter.com/CBSDFW/status/1328104611794841601

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1238862970878377984

[GP270watch]

https://twitter.com/cnnbrk/status/1330193020109647872

He has to squeeze every last buck from The Secret Service.

[GP270watch]

 If the data is correct that even one of the total two doses has a positive effect in reducing transmission then it's completely unconscionable to not implement the vaccine immediately. Assuming that data is correct.

 The only exception I think they should make is medical workers. They need their total doses reserved since they are the most important of citizens right now and they risk high exposure.

[GP270watch]

Interesting article about countries with more lenient covid rules but very few cases...

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/davidmack/countries-without-coronavirus-no-covid

I feel great for the people in those countries, but this makes me so damn mad. Why can't America loosen its rules like those countries did? Because America would rather mimic China, that's why.

I am ashamed to say I ever was in the same party as Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer. Instead of copying Sweden, they copied China.

There should be a monument dedicated to victims of neoliberal authoritarianism.

 This post is dishonest. The link mentions New Zealand and Australia, countries that took the pandemic very seriously and rooted it out by containing spread. You need to paint a complete picture.

[GP270watch]

You'd have to be a substantial moron to tout Sweden as successful vs Covid at this point.

Their death rate isn't as bad as America's is.

Yeah, we're just a little different as a society than Sweden.  Why don't you compare apples to apples?  How is Sweden doing compared to Norway or Finland?  Why does Sweden have a death rate 10X their neighbors?

 Sweden just demoted the guy who strategized their pandemic response so obviously they're not happy with the results.

[GP270watch]

New strain of Covid-19 identified in southern England as tougher restrictions imposed in London

The Health Secretary said there was nothing to suggest the variant was more likely to cause serious disease and he suggested the vaccine should still be effective.


This is why the "let Covid run wild through the population is dumb". Nobody knows exactly what we're dealing with.

[GP270watch]

 They should pay people to take the vaccine, it's really the best and speediest solution.

[GP270watch]

Florida's Sun Sentinel found an odd gap in state COVID-19 deaths ahead of the election

 Florida has done a suspect job with Covid stats since this thing started.