COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Roll Roons]

Biden's own pollsters are basically telling him to declare the pandemic over: https://punchbowl.news/impact-covid-positioning-strategy-memo/

They can start by not requiring masks at SOTU.

Out of curiosity, would you support Biden for reelection at this point? As I've said before, you certainly have soured on him.

It depends. Against Trump, I think I very reluctantly would. Against someone like DeSantis, definitely not.

[Calthrina950]

Biden's own pollsters are basically telling him to declare the pandemic over: https://punchbowl.news/impact-covid-positioning-strategy-memo/

They can start by not requiring masks at SOTU.

Out of curiosity, would you support Biden for reelection at this point? As I've said before, you certainly have soured on him.

It depends. Against Trump, I think I very reluctantly would. Against someone like DeSantis, definitely not.

As I've thought. You definitely seem to like DeSantis.

[GregTheGreat657]

The CDC is no longer recommending masking in schools

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cdc-ease-masking-recommendations-70-country-including-inside/story?id=83111596

[emailking]

28% of people are still recommended to wear masks.

[JGibson]

Illinois school mask mandate updates:
- Illinois Supreme Court denies Gov. JB Pritzker's appeal against the TRO issued by Sangamon County Justice Raylene Grischow.
- Grischow's TRO is vacated, and the case is remanded back to Sangamon County Circuit Court.
- Gov. Pritzker announced the end of the indoor mask mandate for schools (though a majority of the districts already went mask-optional over the last few weeks), effective on Monday in conjunction with the lifting of the general indoor mask mandate and CDC's guidance changes.
 
WGN:

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As the Illinois Supreme Court declined to hear Gov. JB Pritzker’s appeal of a restraining order against his school mask mandate — the governor announced it is being lifted on Monday.

[GregTheGreat657]

NYC Public Schools have just gotten rid of their OUTDOOR mask mandate: https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2022/02/25/nyc-drops-outdoor-mask-mandate-for-public-schools

[GregTheGreat657]

Does anybody else find it at least a little bit creepy that there is a wastewater surveillance system?

[Calthrina950]

Today was my first day at work in nearly seven months, without being required to wear a mask. Home Depot lifted the employee mask mandate on Wednesday, a day on which I called off. 90% of the employees are no longer wearing masks. However, as I expected, and as happened last summer, when the mandate was lifted the first time, a minority of about seven or eight individuals is continuing to mask up. They will be wearing masks until they feel comfortable, or for potentially months or years more. But at this point, it's a choice.

And I dearly hope the mandate never comes back. People are generally happier, and the masks were such a great barrier. Contrary to what compucomp and some others on here have claimed, they are not "little cost". People can breathe, they can see other people's faces, they can smile, and they have greater freedom of movement. And with the vast majority of people vaccinated or immune, and the new endemic approach that is now being embraced, mask mandates are no longer necessary.

[jamestroll]

If you want a cheap source of heat for the remainder of the cold season, take all those useless cloth masks and burn them.

You can also use your cloth masks as rags for cleaning purposes as well.

We are finally being liberated!

[T'Chenka]

If you want a cheap source of heat for the remainder of the cold season, take all those useless cloth masks and burn them.

Lol. I'm keeping mine to wear when I'm sick or spending LOTS of time outdoors in the colder Canadian weather. And there could be another variant or pandemic in a few months or years or in 25 years... who knows.

[Inmate Trump]

I am glad for mask mandates being lifted, so don't misread this....

I hope nobody judges the people who continue to mask up despite no longer being required to do so.

The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for everyone, obviously, but those with anxiety are still going to have those anxieties. Those with underlying conditions are still going to have those conditions. People wore masks in public before covid, but maybe you just didn't notice them because it wasn't that often. In 2011, my grandfather was told to wear a mask in public because he'd just been diagnosed with leukemia and being around people could be risky.

You don't know what might cause someone to continue to wear a mask today, tomorrow, or ongoing into the next month, year, or decade. If you see someone wearing one, don't stare. Don't tell them "hey, you don't have to wear that anymore." Just let them go on wearing their mask...I promise you they don't need your input (and giving them a funny look or coming here to ridicule the never-ending-mask-wearers is included in "input").

[T'Chenka]

I am glad for mask mandates being lifted, so don't misread this....

I hope nobody judges the people who continue to mask up despite no longer being required to do so.

The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for everyone, obviously, but those with anxiety are still going to have those anxieties. Those with underlying conditions are still going to have those conditions. People wore masks in public before covid, but maybe you just didn't notice them because it wasn't that often. In 2011, my grandfather was told to wear a mask in public because he'd just been diagnosed with leukemia and being around people could be risky.

You don't know what might cause someone to continue to wear a mask today, tomorrow, or ongoing into the next month, year, or decade. If you see someone wearing one, don't stare. Don't tell them "hey, you don't have to wear that anymore." Just let them go on wearing their mask...I promise you they don't need your input (and giving them a funny look or coming here to ridicule the never-ending-mask-wearers is included in "input").

I have a friend in Florida that gets harassed constantly for wearing a mask in public. People are offended that you're ruining their safe space where the pandemic is 105% over. Most of the people harassing him seem to be Republicans, the "freedom" party. Ironic.

[Inmate Trump]

I am glad for mask mandates being lifted, so don't misread this....

I hope nobody judges the people who continue to mask up despite no longer being required to do so.

The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for everyone, obviously, but those with anxiety are still going to have those anxieties. Those with underlying conditions are still going to have those conditions. People wore masks in public before covid, but maybe you just didn't notice them because it wasn't that often. In 2011, my grandfather was told to wear a mask in public because he'd just been diagnosed with leukemia and being around people could be risky.

You don't know what might cause someone to continue to wear a mask today, tomorrow, or ongoing into the next month, year, or decade. If you see someone wearing one, don't stare. Don't tell them "hey, you don't have to wear that anymore." Just let them go on wearing their mask...I promise you they don't need your input (and giving them a funny look or coming here to ridicule the never-ending-mask-wearers is included in "input").

I have a friend in Florida that gets harassed constantly for wearing a mask in public. People are offended that you're ruining their safe space where the pandemic is 105% over. Most of the people harassing him seem to be Republicans, the "freedom" party. Ironic.

It’s unfortunate.

Masks have been a common healthcare practice for several reasons for before the pandemic.

[Calthrina950]

I am glad for mask mandates being lifted, so don't misread this....

I hope nobody judges the people who continue to mask up despite no longer being required to do so.

The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for everyone, obviously, but those with anxiety are still going to have those anxieties. Those with underlying conditions are still going to have those conditions. People wore masks in public before covid, but maybe you just didn't notice them because it wasn't that often. In 2011, my grandfather was told to wear a mask in public because he'd just been diagnosed with leukemia and being around people could be risky.

You don't know what might cause someone to continue to wear a mask today, tomorrow, or ongoing into the next month, year, or decade. If you see someone wearing one, don't stare. Don't tell them "hey, you don't have to wear that anymore." Just let them go on wearing their mask...I promise you they don't need your input (and giving them a funny look or coming here to ridicule the never-ending-mask-wearers is included in "input").

I certainly cannot. My stepmother falls into this category of those who are continuing to mask up in public. She has told me that she is going to continue wearing her mask for the foreseeable future. She believes that both the vaccine and masks are the best way to protect herself from the virus. Moreover, she saw what happened to my father when he passed away, and is terrified by it. I wouldn't be surprised if she masks up on a permanent basis from now on. That's one reason why we will never have conditions fully resembling 2019. There will be a substantial minority who will mask up from this point forwards.

[DINGO Joe]

Does anybody else find it at least a little bit creepy that there is a wastewater surveillance system?

No, aside from the usual wacko reasons, why would anyone be bothered by it?

[DINGO Joe]

Pretty interesting web site about Law Enforcement and Covid deaths. 

https://www.odmp.org/search/year?year=2021

The Organization has been around for quite some time and tracked law enforcement deaths and added tracking Covid deaths with everything else.  I knew Covid deaths have been the number one killer of cops since the pandemic started (basically 2/3rds of deaths) but I didn't realize how dominate the Southern cops are in dying from Covid

In 2021, 376 law enforcement officers died of Covid

The top 10 states

Texas--96
Florida--46
Georgia--41
NC--17
Tennessee--16
Pennsylvania--15
California--14
Arizona--11
Arkansas--10
NY-9 (NY had 6 9-11 related deaths in 2021)

Of the states listed only California and NY had declines from 2020

Some of the biggest declines from 2020:

Louisiana from 18 to 2!  (the New Orleans area had a big hit in 2020)
New Jersey from 14 to 4
Illinois from 8 to zero.

Texas had 70 in 2020 and have had 10 this year (out of 33 nationwide) so they've accounted for more than 25% of dead Covid cops since the pandemic began.  Prevax, southern states still had more deaths, but that has widened post vax, especially due to FL and GA.  Sad.
 

[GregTheGreat657]

NYS will be dropping its school mask mandate effective Wednesday March 2nd

[Pres Mike]

Members of congress no longer need to wear a mask at the state of the union. When do you think capital tours will resume?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

It's actually conceivable (but not very likely) that the 7-day average case count in the U.S. (according to my spreadsheet) might get below 60,000 today.

It would be the first time since July 28.

[Frodo]

They might need to up the dosage just a bit even if there's a higher likelihood of side effects if these vaccines are to have more beneficial impact for children:

Pfizer Shot Is Far Less Effective in 5- to 11-Year-Olds Than in Older Kids, New Data Show
While protection against hospitalization is still strong, the vaccine offered almost no protection against infection, even just a month after full vaccination.

The coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech is much less effective in preventing infection in children ages 5 to 11 years than in older adolescents or adults, according to a large new set of data collected by health officials in New York State — a finding that has deep ramifications for these children and their parents.

The Pfizer vaccine is the only Covid shot authorized for that age group in the United States. It still prevents severe illness in the children, but offers virtually no protection against infection, even within a month after full immunization, the data, which were collected during the Omicron surge, suggest.

The sharp drop in the vaccine’s performance in young children may stem from the fact that they receive one-third the dose given to older children and adults, researchers and federal officials who have reviewed the data said.

The findings, which were posted online on Monday, come on the heels of clinical trial results indicating that the vaccine fared poorly in children aged 2 to 4 years, who received an even smaller dose.

Experts worried that the news would further dissuade hesitant parents from immunizing their children. Other studies have shown the vaccine was not powerfully protective against infection with the Omicron variant in adults, either.

[Frodo]

This is the first update to our COVID strategy since the pandemic began two years ago:

White House to unveil blueprint for the next Covid phase
The document will be put out after the State of the Union address and chart a more cautiously optimistic path forward.

The White House is planning to unveil its wide-ranging strategy for the next phase of the pandemic response on Wednesday morning, according to an internal document obtained by POLITICO.

The Covid-19 strategy is expected to lay out how the nation can safely ease public health restrictions and restore some sense of normalcy as the U.S. enters what officials hope will be a less disruptive endemic stage of the virus.

Biden officials have consulted for weeks with a range of outside advisers, governors and business executives to compile the sweeping plan, which comes as the Omicron surge wanes and cases plummet across the country.

While the White House remains reluctant to declare the pandemic over, the strategy is likely to make a case for scaling back public health measures, people familiar with the matter said — pointing to the growing availability of vaccines and treatments capable of better protecting Americans from the virus.

The strategy is also expected to lay out how the administration plans to prepare for and react to potential future surges, leaving the door open for the need to reimpose certain protections if another dangerous variant hits the U.S.

The administration is exploring how to streamline the process of obtaining treatment for Covid-19 by setting up so-called 'test to treat' programs at pharmacies and other entities, according to a source familiar with the plan. The idea is that people with Covid-19 symptoms should be able to go to a location where they could be tested for the virus and prescribed a treatment like an antiviral pill if an infection is detected.

[emailking]

Masks are done.

[Calthrina950]

Masks are done.

Only about a dozen or so people were masked at the State of the Union. That's a good thing.

[emailking]

Masks are done.

Only about a dozen or so people were masked at the State of the Union. That's a good thing.

I think all of the mandates that would affect me significantly are gone now. I don't care that much if I have to wear a mask at the doctor's or the airport. Though I expect the latter is on its last legs too.

[Lief 🗽]

The non-MRNA vaccine seems to be comparatively useless against Omicron.

https://twitter.com/InfectiousDz/status/1499091948606472205