COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

I hope people dont let their guard down for the next couple of months as it's unlikely the average person will be able to get a vaccine until sometime from April to July

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

https://scitechdaily.com/most-americans-say-theyll-continue-health-precautions-after-the-covid-19-pandemic/

A new national survey of more than 2,000 Americans by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds most plan to continue many of the pandemic precautions in the name of public health, even when the pandemic is over.



The survey found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans plan to continue to wear masks in public, four out of five (80%) will still avoid crowds and 90% plan to keep up frequent handwashing and sanitizer use after COVID-19. Gonsenhauser says it’s encouraging that people are willing to continue these practices and that this year’s flu season is proof of their effectiveness.

Somehow I really doubt this. But let's entertain this for a moment, if this was true, this means the end of conventions and large gatherings

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

So, when can we expect cases/deaths to drop to a level we can probably start safely holding in person indoor events again?

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Only 10% of people have had their first dose, and from the data we know you basically get no immunity from it until at least day 12, I doubt it's enough to really affect the numbers

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Looking at the data, Omicron is not killing off Delta, just taking over by its sheer spread, I do wonder if most of the hospitalizations are still because of Delta and not Omicron

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

I'm between camp 2 and 3, I live with someone who is immunocompromised and deal with many people every day even at the height of the pandemic at best maybe 45% of people  wore masks and now it's both low and racially polarized and lower than is has ever been

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

It's pathetic that a disease has been so polarized over debates between health and freedom, could you imagine if we had a pathogen that was more lethal than COVID? Since I started my new job at the post office 2 months ago, no one in my office takes this seriously and everyone gets around the mask mandate that we have or believes the vaccine causes worse disease than the actual virus, I am just so jaded over all of this.