COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Hammy]

Okay okay okay I'll take back what I said. It was a little dramatic.

I just want to ensure kids are back in school this fall and there are no lockdowns.

The only way to ensure this without another large scale outbreak is mandated vaccines, which nobody seems to want to do.

Neither lockdowns or mandatory vaccines will happen. Schools will be open this fall.

At this point I'd just say go ahead and open, but ban attendance for un-vaccinated, and fire teachers who refuse. A line needs to be drawn somewhere otherwise we'll just keep getting worse variants making a repeat of last year inevitable.

[Hammy]

Anybody know what's going on with Georgia's case reporting?

[Hammy]

What is this "usual 94%" claim? How much did J&J or AstraZenica pay you to pretend this drop is specific to one vaccine, or are you just that ignorant?

Post removed

You regret something that'll reduce your chance of serious illness and death by 90%?

All that said this is further evidence that the Dems screeching with blind rambling rage claiming there's no reason to wear a mask are just as far gone into reality denialism as Trumpists were the last year of claiming the pandemic didn't exist in the first place.

[Hammy]

All true but you're in a heavily Republican state, and interestingly school reopenings have been one of the few COVID related issues the GOP is better on. This is surprising because pre covid I always associated home "schooling" with the right.

Worth noting the home schooling advocated by Dems as a covid measure (virtual learning) is vastly different than the sort of homeschooling often associated with the right, which often involves subverting the education system by defunding and creating their own revisionist curriculum.

[Hammy]

Reported for misinformation and vaccine denialism.

What is misinformation?
And I’m happy to be vaccinated, and tell others to get vaccinated. I think this just makes the case for a booster shot, if more studies confirm this.

What is this "usual 94%" claim? How much did J&J or AstraZenica pay you to pretend this drop is specific to one vaccine, or are you just that ignorant?

This is story reported in local news, so I’m passing it along so people know or can clarify anything wrong.

The thread headline is highly misleading.

At the beginning, we should’ve stayed under lockdowns for three straight years until the population was 90% vaccinated, whichever came first. Now, it is best to renew the restrictions for one more year and assess the situation later as we get in more data.

There is absolutely no scenario in which this would not be struck down by the courts, even Dem-led courts, if it was even realistically tenable in the first place.

[Hammy]

Reported for misinformation and vaccine denialism.

People are looking for ANY reason to reinstate covid restrictions forever.

No, people actually want the opposite. They want everyone to be vaccinated so we can reopen safely and not need to lockdown again. Rushing to reopen is going to necessitate another lockdown.

There will never be another lockdown in America. The public would riot. And frankly, I wouldn't blame them. Locking down the country when over half of us have done our part and gotten vaccinated would be absolutely idiotic.

Reported for misinformation and vaccine denialism.

People are looking for ANY reason to reinstate covid restrictions forever.

No, people actually want the opposite. They want everyone to be vaccinated so we can reopen safely and not need to lockdown again. Rushing to reopen is going to necessitate another lockdown.

There will never be another lockdown in the United States again.

We will not be held hostage over a segment of the population who refuses to be injected with a safe and effective vaccine.

And the left screaming that "VACCINES ARE NOT 100% EFFECTIVE!!! ZOMG!!" is not helping at all.

With the wide availablilty of vaccines, I put the economy at a higher priority than public health.

I put the prospects for Democrats winning the 2021 and 2022 elections at a higher  than "public health".  Democrats would be wiped off the map if there is another "lockdown". Which the United States never actually had.

Both of these posts read as treating unvaccinated people as collateral damage, when many of them include children, who are too young to get the vaccine.

Too bad for you there will never be a lockdown in the United States again. Specifically not the Trump states nor Virginia or any of the marginal midwestern states.

oh.. and now it is Virginia law that schools must offer in person learning.  There is no way the pro lockdown people can win now.

That you're acting like there's some "pro-lockdown" faction that sees this as their only goal that you're gloating about "not winning" shows how completely warped your view on this has become and you are just as bad as Trump's kind.

[Hammy]

Reported for misinformation and vaccine denialism.

What is misinformation?
And I’m happy to be vaccinated, and tell others to get vaccinated. I think this just makes the case for a booster shot, if more studies confirm this.

What is this "usual 94%" claim? How much did J&J or AstraZenica pay you to pretend this drop is specific to one vaccine, or are you just that ignorant?

This is story reported in local news, so I’m passing it along so people know or can clarify anything wrong.

The thread headline is highly misleading.

What is misleading?

Title implies the vaccine is less effective than others, rather than less effective than a study on the same vaccine. It's also somewhat alarmist--the vaccine is still 89% effective against symptomatic cases as per UK study, while Israel's is on total infections.

[Hammy]

I remember after Biden's election victory that many on the online left thought he would come into office on January 20th and lockdown the entire country. Haha he has literally done the opposite.

Biden would have zero authority to lockdown the entire country and a vast majority of states would refuse to comply.

And we shall not become another Australia. Eventually, Australia will have to open up and have their entire population extremely vulnerable to covid as there is virtually no natural immunity down there.

tbh if Joe Biden took that action, we would probably only have about 100 new COVID cases per day right now as opposed to the usual 5,000-25,000 and probably 50,000 less deaths.

It would be both a waste because courts would strike it down within a day, as well as weakening Biden's administration and destroying his credibility on related policies by having such an order struck down so early in his presidency.

[Hammy]

Omega, beta, alpha whatever I’m done with covid. I’m fully vaccinated and I wear a mask everywhere I go. I’m back to my normal life(going to movies, eating out at restaurants with the girl) I’m done with all of this fear mongering.  Just wear a mask, if you don’t have the vaccine, then get it or if you don’t want to, then enjoy Delta.

I'm vaccinated (I'll have the second dose in about 12 days) but my mom (who is also vaccinated) is up there in years and has preexisting respiratory issues, so we're both going to continue wearing masks same as we would during flu season.

On a plus side, we don't have to give up restaurants as none in my family have eaten out in the first place for about 4-5 years due to dietary restrictions.

The more push there are for lockdowns by the online left the more likely I will use mass transit and open flaunt any covid protection measure.

Mattrose is a troll if that's who this is aimed at--you're not owning anyone as much as just giving him attention so he posts more.

(edited to merge posts)

[Hammy]

I saw an article earlier (I think it was CNN) that said 99.96% of new cases in Los Angeles County were among the unvaccinated. I'm flabbergasted that anyone is still trying to reinstate masks or lockdowns for people who are already vaccinated.

Link?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/citing-rise-delta-variant-los-angeles-reports-165-percent-increase-n1273552?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

99.4%, but close enough.

That seems like an extremely high effectiveness rate considering something like 60-70% of the county is vaccinated, depending on if you count one dose or only fully.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/senior-health-official-israel-headed-for-another-lockdown-if-no-change-in-govt-policy/

Senior health official: Israel headed for another lockdown if no change in gov’t policy

This sounds more like a worst case scenario warning to spur government action rather than anything thats "about to happen".

[Hammy]

..Unfortunately due to the Delta variant and vaccine hesitancy (in the US) there will be unnecessary deaths, but the justification for an outright lockdown was to protect the health system...

I think the case can be made for some stringent measures in places like Missouri, where hospitals are once again becoming overwhelmed. When that happens, it puts everyone at risk because if you need to go to the hospital for some non-covid related reason, there's no room.

The graph though is yet another compelling visualization as to why people should still get vaccinated even if mild symptomatic case immunity is reduced.

[Hammy]

There's a large segment of the population in this country that remains unvaccinated, not to mention those that are under 12 and cannot get the vaccine. This is only allowing for new mutations and variants to develop as the virus gets an exponential chance to keep replicating. It's apparently not common sense that stopping transmission stops replication. Every day and every chance this virus gets to mutate is one that could render our vaccines useless or even just far less effective.

Why don't you have this concern for the flu? Every person it infects is a chance for it to mutate into something deadlier that evades all our vaccines. Right?

The flu is far less dangerous or deadly.

[Hammy]

Reported for misinformation and vaccine denialism.

People are looking for ANY reason to reinstate covid restrictions forever.

No, people actually want the opposite. They want everyone to be vaccinated so we can reopen safely and not need to lockdown again. Rushing to reopen is going to necessitate another lockdown.

You sound deranged.

If people wanted more covid restrictions so bad, Democrats would not have almost lost the House of Representatives last November.

This is a really bizarre take on the utter disaster that the DCCC is and always has been.

[Hammy]

As far as I'm concerned, there is no point in lockdowns. The only people who are truly at risk for COVID are the unvaccinated, and if you still refuse to get the vaccine at this point, I don't care what happens to you, unless you have a legitimate medical reason for not doing so. If the antivaxxers want to play with fire, let them get burned. We should not place restrictions on the vaccinated because the minority refuses the vaccine. It's an issue of personal responsibility at this point.

This times a thousand. I'm a congressional staffer, and Nancy's refusal to reopen the Capitol is really pissing me off. If Marjorie or Boebert gets sick, it's entirely on them at this point.

Pretty sure the coup attempt is a factor here.

[Hammy]

I am going to visit relatives in Alabama (my mother is from Alabama) and many of them are anti-vaxxers.

Which precautions should I take?

Honestly if I had antivax family, I'd avoid them entirely for reasons unrelated to covid risk.

[Hammy]

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1415045869729157136

Sigh.

So Republicans are going full antivax as their platform.

[Hammy]

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1415045869729157136

Sigh.

you have to really wonder why the republicans are so hell bent on killing as many people as possible

Last year it sort of made sense, since most of those dying were minorities or in big cities they had less reason to care. But now most deaths are among the unvaccinated, and with every day that passes Republican voters make up a bigger percentage of the unvaccinated. The extremely white, conservative and uneducated Springfield MO appears to be the epicenter of the anti COVID vaccine movement.

Do they want their base to die?

I can't help but feel that, on top of the year of denialism, there's a heavy dousing of "this'll never happen to me" among the people that are refusing to vaccinate while being fine with this happening, same as you often see regarding disaster preparedness.

[Hammy]

Does anybody have a formula to figure out the statistical risk reduction for vaccinated vs unvaccinated, using the percentage of vax/un-vax cases against the percentage of population that's vaccinated and isn't? I'm trying to find some quick formula I can just plug the numbers into.

OH MY GOD WHO THE LITERAL F[in]K IS TALKING ABOUT CLOSING DOWN BUSINESSES!?!?!?!?!? LITERALLY WHO, JIMMIE??

And don’t find some stupid random tweet and use that as proof that the big government wants to shut everything down again. I swear to god, you are conspiratorial at this point. Literally nobody wants to close things down (or nobody important) The very most you have is people wanting the unvaccinated to have to wear masks, that doesn’t affect you so literally stop.

He's made it clear he doesn't care what happens to anyone, doesn't care about facts, he just wants to bury his head in the sand and pretend the pandemic is over, and wants everyone else to do the same. He even screeched about wanting testing ended and seems triggered by anyone even taking the slightest precautions.

(edited to add question)

[Hammy]

He's made it clear he doesn't care what happens to anyone, doesn't care about facts, he just wants to bury his head in the sand and pretend the pandemic is over, and wants everyone else to do the same. He even screeched about wanting testing ended and seems triggered by anyone even taking the slightest precautions.

If you're vaccinated, the pandemic is over.

So you're both claiming that it's impossible for somebody who is vaccinated to get COVID (despite the findings), that it's impossible for worse variants to arise thanks to the people who refuse to vaccinate, and denying the long term debilitating health effects that are affecting people who are too young to vaccinate? I like how we're all collectively ignoring that this is literally SARS.

Good to know you're about as credible as Trumpists.

[Hammy]

He's made it clear he doesn't care what happens to anyone, doesn't care about facts, he just wants to bury his head in the sand and pretend the pandemic is over, and wants everyone else to do the same. He even screeched about wanting testing ended and seems triggered by anyone even taking the slightest precautions.

If you're vaccinated, the pandemic is over.

So you're both claiming that it's impossible for somebody who is vaccinated to get COVID (despite the findings), that it's impossible for worse variants to arise thanks to the people who refuse to vaccinate, and denying the long term debilitating health effects that are affecting people who are too young to vaccinate?

Good to know you're about as credible as Trumpists.

1. Hospitalizations among the vaccinated are virtually zero which is what matters.

2. A deadly flu variant could also suddenly pop up tomorrow, we aren't shutting society down for that possibility.

3. As has been explained over 5 times now, COVID is not a threat to children.

Take your anti vaxxer nonsense off this thread. Garbage like that should result in a permaban.

1. I am not denying this

2. People like you and Jimmie are giving me the impression pandemic denialism is a legitimate mental illness considering literally nobody is arguing for a shutdown.

3. A lie will not become fact just because you say it enough: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/14/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html

up to 30% of children infected will develop long-haul Covid-19.]up to 30% of children infected will develop long-haul Covid-19.

Some studies have shown impacts on the brain of people who have been infected with the virus. One study in April found 34% of Covid-19 survivors received a diagnosis for a neurological or psychological condition within six months of their infection.]Some studies have shown impacts on the brain of people who have been infected with the virus. One study in April found 34% of Covid-19 survivors received a diagnosis for a neurological or psychological condition within six months of their infection.

That you are calling me an antivaxxer (especially as I've advocated that enough doses of a vaccine should be provided as it's shown are needed, and mandating it) and calling for a ban further tells me that you are terrified of the truth that this is still going on, and like Jimmie, are trying to bury your head in the sand and drown out reality, same as Trumpists, and just as much a danger to this country as the people who refuse to vaccinate.

[Hammy]

Hear the anti-vaccine rhetoric from Fox News amidst Covid-19 deaths.

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/media/2021/07/14/fox-news-newsmax-vaccine-misinformation-newday-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/business-media/

Fox and these other right-wing networks are literally killing people.
All for ratings.
Disgusting.

The problem is that these outlets have dedicated viewers who reject news from other sources. You would think that people would show some responsibility on issues of life and death when the divide between life and death is that people who die do not get vaccinated for COVID-19. It's even more blatant than the case connecting smoking and lung cancer. (People can get lung cancer from causes other than tobacco, and can get lung cancer from the smoking of others. It is obviously a good idea to not use tobacco products).

There is less cause for controversy on COVID-19 than there is on the connection between tobacco and various cancers or between drunk driving and vehicular slaughter.

It's almost like these people want this to go on as long as possible. It's both amazing and disturbing how completely mainstream the war against reality has become.

[Hammy]

He's made it clear he doesn't care what happens to anyone, doesn't care about facts, he just wants to bury his head in the sand and pretend the pandemic is over, and wants everyone else to do the same. He even screeched about wanting testing ended and seems triggered by anyone even taking the slightest precautions.

If you're vaccinated, the pandemic is over.

People are still getting sick and dying both here and across the globe despite my vaccination status.

I never claimed the pandemic was over for those people.

You did however make several other false claims regarding what people say.

I will lay it bare, since the anti-reality brain rot has spread to green and red avatars: my stance at this point is the spread of covid needs stopped--the only way to do this is mandating vaccines, and locking up anyone who refuses to get vaccinated (be it house arrest or isolation cells) until herd immunity is reached.

And any comparison with the flu (it is very literally SARS) or claims we need to stop testing entirely just to hide the covid numbers is both intellectually dishonest and hypocritical as it's coming from the very people who criticized Trump for said comparison.

[Hammy]

What exactly do yall want in regards to mitigation measures?

Enforced mask mandates for unvaccinated, and mandatory vaccination, and requiring masks in schools since not all children are eligible for vaccination.

No mask, no evidence of vaccination? charged with a crime.
Continued refusal to vaccinate? No entry to school, your boss has the right to fire you, and face fines that will pile up.

All public employees and healthcare workers who don't vaccinate should also be barred, not only from working, but from entering schools, public buildings, or healthcare facilities, with or without a mask.

[Hammy]

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-county-again-requirinhttps://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-county-again-requiring-masks-indoors-starting-saturday/g-masks-indoors-starting-saturday/

LA county to bring back mask mandates.

Why not mandate vaccines?

[Hammy]

I will not fight against indoor mask mandates. Especially in crowded venues.

I will! I’ve done my part — I’ve worn the masks, got the vaccine, did the year+ of social isolation and online work and online school. I’ve done everything asked of me, the whole time. And I’m done! No more. Vaccinated people are much less likely to shed virus, much less likely to contract it, and are almost never hospitalized. The only reason to impose a mask mandate on the vaccinated is security theater to coddle people who have already been offered and refused a vaccine.

We’re headed toward a country where half the people are unvaccinated and doing whatever they want, and the vaccinated half is stuck doing masks/isolation/whatever else in a futile attempt to accommodate the other half. I’m tired of it. If some antivaxxers want to risk it, that’s on them, but the rest of us need to stop moving the goalposts and get back to normal life. In the county I work in, we’re at 89.4% of 16+ year olds vaccinated. 99%+ of hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated, and we only have a dozen patients hospitalized with COVID. The hospitals aren’t being overrun, we’ve vaccinated nearly everybody, and the vaccines work. We can't let the small handful of unvaccinated take our lives hostage.

I am not going to push a mask mandate but I will not rally against one either. Bigger fish to fry.

I just DEMAND businesses and schools remain open.

No need to demand not to do something that nobody is advocating in the first place.