COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Person Man]

The one year anniversary of this:

Trump suggests 'injection' of disinfectant to beat coronavirus and 'clean' the lungs

The depressing part is that this ended up being fairly irrelevant in the end.

The predicted Biden surge among senior voters certainly did not materialize. If it had, he would have won Arizona and Georgia by more and would have come closer in Florida, Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas.

Biden did improve with seniors. It just wasn't by as much as polls indicated. The swing he got probably pushed him over the finish line.

That's what I meant. In Florida, for example, Biden registered minor improvements in senior-heavy areas of the state (i.e. Pasco, Hernando, Sumter, Collier), and flipped both Duval and Seminole Counties, but his improvements in those areas weren't enough to offset Trump's massive gains in Miami-Dade, and thereby cost him the state.

Or it could of been that opposition to public health changed the vote more than support for it.

[Person Man]

Pfizer #1 gave me several side effects. Major headache, dizziness etc. Which made me scared about Pfizer #2..

Pfizer #2 gave me zero side effects whatsoever and if anything I feel much better than I have in a very long time after being injected with Pfizer 2.

I am just going to get Pfizer #2 then.

I got mine yesterday and I didn't feel anything at first but I was kept up overnight because the injection site feels very bruised but doesn't look bruised.

[Person Man]

7-day positive rate is now down to 3.52%.

If it’s under 2%, I’m going to try to stop wearing masks. If people don’t get vaccinated and they end up missing work, on a ventilator, or worse, it’s their own goddamn fault.

People who say things about the vaccines or do things to discourage vaccinations should be sued.

I’ll change my tune if this thing gets out of containment again but if it does, what good does public health do if enough people are this mentally ill?

Maybe there should be a rule where patient dumping is allowed if it is determined that the patient actively participated in a disinformation campaign.

[Person Man]

7-day positive rate is now down to 3.52%.

If it’s under 2%, I’m going to try to stop wearing masks. If people don’t get vaccinated and they end up missing work, on a ventilator, or worse, it’s their own goddamn fault.

People who say things about the vaccines or do things to discourage vaccinations should be sued.

I’ll change my tune if this thing gets out of containment again but if it does, what good does public health do if enough people are this mentally ill?

Maybe there should be a rule where patient dumping is allowed if it is determined that the patient actively participated in a disinformation campaign.

A coworker at my job, who refused to get the vaccine because they "didn't trust it", contracted the virus earlier this week and is now out sick. At this point, that is what is going to happen with many people, and it shouldn't be allowed to prevent those of us who have been vaccinated to return to normal life.

Again. The time of public health of ending and the time of personal responsibility is beginning. There is still a public responsibility of education so people can be responsible, however.

[Person Man]

In 90 days time, Brazil will take the title of highest mortality from the USA.

In 45 days time, India will take the title of highest case numbers from the USA.

I wouldn’t be surprised if India is the first country with a 7 figure fatality count and that the USA doesn’t before the “end” of the pandemic.

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1391458079783493638

Just another insane former Trump adviser.

We really need to consider getting a lot of these Trump voter ruled incompetent so that they can't vote.

[Person Man]

Yep. "It worked". Wisconsin's Court struck down the mask mandate and had literally less than half as many cases per capita as Michigan. "Neanderthal" Texas and "DeathSantis" Florida cases dropped while Michigan rose during April. All explained by science.

Cases are listed by residence, not location of contraction--which is likely why Texas and Florida numbers aren't higher.

If I were to go to Florida and get covid, and die there, both would be listed under Georgia.

Was that a point in contention when DeSantis fired an employee that accused him of fraud and then had them arrested for continued dissent?

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/KristinaRex/status/1394311176893444099


https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller/status/1394320776388562950

I've got to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free!

Moment of truth...

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1394749773140344833


https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1394730325612404741

But churches can. I guess that’s the hierarchy in Texas.

[Person Man]

Damn. Is that the lowest number of new cases and deaths yet?

Ever since I started recording case numbers on 3/26/2020, yes.

What were they on March 14, the day I was sent home from work never to return?

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/laurenpeikoff/status/1396790236953337856

That's how it should be. Any school system that continues to offer remote learning after August should be severely reprimanded.

[Person Man]

The updated numbers for COVID-19 in the U.S. are in for 6/1 per: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

I'm keeping track of these updates daily and updating at the end of the day, whenever all states finish reporting for that day.

ΔW Change: Comparisons of Weekly Day-to-day Growth or Decline of COVID-19 Spread/Deaths.

• IE: Comparing the numbers to the same day of last week, are we flattening the curve enough?

Σ Increase: A day's contribution to overall percentage growth of COVID-19 cases/deaths.

• IE:What's the overall change in the total?

Brackets []: These represent the total change for the day, including backlogged reports, if any.

• These numbers are inflated relative to the actual reports for the day, so they are not used to calculate the comparative percentage shifts.

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5/23: <Sunday>

• Cases: 33,896,381 (+14,048 | ΔW Change: ↓21.23% | Σ Increase: ↑0.04%)
• Deaths: 604,087 (+211 | ΔW Change: ↓25.70% | Σ Increase: ↑0.03%)

5/24: <M>

• Cases: 33,922,937 (+19,866 [+26,556] | ΔW Change: ↓20.63% | Σ Increase: ↑0.08%)
• Deaths: 604,416 (+329 | ΔW Change: ↓10.84% | Σ Increase: ↑0.05%)

5/25: <T>

• Cases: 33,947,189 (+24,252 | ΔW Change: ↓11.83% | Σ Increase: ↑0.07%)
• Deaths: 605,208 (+669 [+792] | ΔW Change: ↓16.06% | Σ Increase: ↑0.13%)

5/26: <W>

• Cases: 33,971,207 (+24,018 | ΔW Change: ↓7.92% | Σ Increase: ↑0.07%)
• Deaths: 606,179 (+668 [+971] | ΔW Change: ↑16.06% | Σ Increase: ↑0.16%)

5/27: <Þ>

• Cases: 33,999,680 (+24,393 [+28,473] | ΔW Change: ↓20.95% | Σ Increase: ↑0.08%)
• Deaths: 607,726 (+630 [+1,547] | ΔW Change: ↓5.55% | Σ Increase: ↑0.26%)

5/28: <F>

• Cases: 34,022,386 (+22,706 | ΔW Change: ↓22.29% | Σ Increase: ↑0.07%)
• Deaths: 608,956 (+669 [+1,230] | ΔW Change: ↑1.83% | Σ Increase: ↑0.20%)

5/29: <S>

• Cases: 34,034,946 (+12,560 | ΔW Change: ↓37.00% | Σ Increase: ↑0.04%)
• Deaths: 609,420 (+464 | ΔW Change: ↓0.85% | Σ Increase: ↑0.08%)

5/30: <Sunday>

• Cases: 34,043,068 (+7,750 [+8,122] | ΔW Change: ↓44.83% | Σ Increase: ↑0.02%)
• Deaths: 609,544 (+124 | ΔW Change: ↓41.23% | Σ Increase: ↑0.02%)

5/31 (Yesterday-Holiday): <M>

• Cases: 34,113,146 (+8,135 [+70,078] | ΔW Change: ↓59.05% | Σ Increase: ↑0.21%)
• Deaths: 609,767 (+132 [+223] | ΔW Change: ↓59.88% | Σ Increase: ↑0.04%)

6/1 (Today): <T>

• Cases: 34,136,738 (+12,976 [+23,592] | ΔW Change: ↓46.50% | Σ Increase: ↑0.07%)
• Deaths: 610,432 (+287 [+665] | ΔW Change: ↓57.10% | Σ Increase: ↑0.11%)

Looks like those numbers are actually coming down. I did the research and the pandemic started to effect me, and everyone that I know around March 15. I think there were 2000 cases on that day. At this rate, its reasonable that by sometime in July, we could be down to that level... or maybe not.

What would you consider  typical of an outcome where COVID has become endemic to the community but the risk is to any one person is small enough that we can consider this the "end" of the pandemic?

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/B_resnick/status/1400081569596022784

It’s like the story where the lame man was hoisted down to Jesus so that he may be healed and he was blessed instead. As trolls have pointed out, the lockdowns failed for a number of reasons but it appears that we have gotten something out of them after all.

[Person Man]

Without even watching the videos, the people’s facial expressions in the thumbnails alone are pretty great.

Pretty much “WTF? Is she retarded?”

I swear, Baker Acting and Competency Hearings should be used as countermeasures against the current Voter Suppression tactics. “If people are this crazy, they shouldn’t be allowed to own guns or vote”. Maybe some of the folks in The Villages have Alzheimer’s. I can go on forever...

[Person Man]

Without even watching the videos, the people’s facial expressions in the thumbnails alone are pretty great.

Pretty much “WTF? Is she retarded?”

Really? I was honestly surprised how composed & non-chalant some of the folks were. Hell, the lady directly to the left of her in the video seemed to be nodding in agreement about the metallic foreheads.

I don't know how spectators of these governmental hearings can stay composed & quiet at some of the mindlessness that's on display.

Could just be RBF but they guy there looks intrigued next her.

[Person Man]

Did you see my question to you that I posted earlier?

Hi Calth. Yes, I saw it earlier on my phone and forgot to respond once I got back on my laptop, apologies.

The short answer is no; I don't know what might be causing such a big discrepancy between each of these sources. It might be that the media is only counting the 50 states, while Worldometers counts all of the U.S., including its territories and overseas military personnel. Perhaps that could account for it? This answer is, however, purely speculation, and I haven't had the time to delve deeper into the matter.

Does anyone else have a more thoroughly researched answer? What are your thoughts, Calth?

I wouldn't know either, which is why I had asked you about it. But thanks for the insights about your tracker. I trust yours over whatever the other outlets have been using.

Could people be lying?

[Person Man]

What we could do is very very easy: implement a national vaccine mandate.

It is absurd that we put up with economic shutdowns for months and a mask mandate for over a year, but we are unwilling to mandate something that will literally just inconvenience people for a few hours but solve the problem completely.

I would be all for a nationwide vaccine mandate, but at least judging by its rulings on other cases regarding COVID restrictions, the Supreme Court would strike down a vaccine mandate in a 5-4 ruling.

Then let them enforce their ruling.

[Person Man]

I hope there won’t be another lockdown, I recently got a job at my local movie theater and our business is picking back up.

I don't support lockdowns right now, but I think we've moved far too fast in eliminating our other good measures. Masks and social distancing have been extraordinarily effective. The CDC made a big mistakes and moved too fast. We should've relaxed restrictions as we met certain vaccine benchmarks.

As I said before, I believe in the vaccines. I wouldn't have allowed myself to be injected with two doses of Pfizer's vaccine if I didn't. However, I do think warm weather is giving us an artificial low. I'm very concerned about a low vaccine uptake and viral mutations that manage to get past our vaccines. That would spread worse than a wildfire.

I agree. I am 100% sure that the CDC will reimplement mask mandates once the Delta Variant causes cases to skyrocket to a level that would make the winter 2020/2021 surge look like nothing. Still, a lot of the MAGA and Stop the Steal supporters would not go along with that.

I think (hope) that even if cases rise again they won’t reach the highs we saw in December and January.

At least that’s my understanding when I read articles and such.

I certainly don't want for mask mandates to return. I've seen the reports about how Israel is reimposing its indoor mask mandate, despite the facts that a majority of their population has now been vaccinated and that they have a very low death rate.

At a certain point, the costs of quarantine measures exceed their benefits. Especially if the situation boils down to individual miscalculation or negligence.

[Person Man]

It’s just like if a student was caught selling drugs on campus, the college has every right to expel them.

But the stuff I'm talking about didn't even happen on campus.

I agree with their policy until vaccines are mandatory, because in this case what they do off campus ends up being brought on campus.

In both cases, the student is recklessly or willfully distributing dangerous or at least disruptive/annoying things to other residents of the campus.

[Person Man]

Everyone who is alarmed (as I was initially) about the report that half of the new infections in Israel are among fully vaccinated people should read this thread ASAP: https://twitter.com/Jeffely/status/1408500890999328770.

TL/DR: since the general population of Israel is highly vaccinated, this infection rate is consistent with the Pfizer vaccine being as effective against Delta as it is against other variants.

Thanks for this.

I'm also convinced that a big thing about the panic with variants is that people immediately consider a mutation of something to be a catastrophe or something very different or bad.

The Delta being more contagious doesn't mean it's vaccine-proof, get a grip people

Yup, though there's a huge gap between fully vaccinated people and partly vaccinated. Pfizer vaccine is just 33% effective after the 1st shot, but over 90% after the 2nd according to current data. For elderly people, a 3rd booster shot is recommended a few months later.

To reiterated a previous post, the two of us are positive despite having the first dose. People we know despite having two.

Vaccinations will help you fight it if you get it, and despite record cases in Scotland today the number in hospital is low to manageable.

So even if the vaccinations aren't a total "silver bullet", they do accomplish the public health objective of preventing the collapse of the healthcare system.

Which actually makes we wonder whether this was as bad as it could of gotten because all public health initiatives failed because of mass civil disobedience by conspiracy theorists or whether if none were attempted, the hospital system would be completely overwhelmed and that the fatality rate could have been more like 10% and the total infected could have been closer to 50% by now. So I wonder whether 600k (which makes it come close to tying for the deadliest outbreak in American History) or whether the upper bounds was perhaps in the 8 figures once you factor in mutations, people who couldn't get treated, etc.

How would have things gone if there were no curfews, quarantines, or mask mandates?

[Person Man]

Whether you call the pandemic over or not doesn't really matter. COVID-19's descendants are going to hang around, maybe for as long as humans do.

Although a lot of people had priced it in. When people say “it’s like the flu”. They’re correct but I don’t think they know what that really means.

[Person Man]

At this point, it’s not the Government’s job to subsidize or mitigate willful bad behavior. Until and unless, it is determined that the vaccines no longer work, there should be no further quarantines or prophylactic measures. At that point, it doesn’t really make sense to have them. It would be like trying to put up more sand bangs when the water from the canal has long since entered your pool and is starting to get into your living room.

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1417070883164803077

If the media really has a liberal bias and isn't dumber than hell, by the end of the year, Republicans will be seen as literal vermin.

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1417070883164803077

If the media really has a liberal bias and isn't dumber than hell, by the end of the year, Republicans will be seen as literal vermin.

Yes, but that's true every year.

Currently, their cult leader Donnie Dumb**** is demanding more praise from people for pretending to create the vaccine he demands they don't take in hopes large numbers of them will die and make the guy who defeated him look bad. 

"Vermin" is really too generous.

By "vermin", I literally mean "vermin" like rats, fleas, and roaches. Disease vectors.

[Person Man]

At what point do we just say that we've done all that we could if we can never truly get transmission to an "acceptable" level?

I really do hope that there are some sort of  consequences for all these people who don't want us to get through this pandemic.