COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Pericles]

Hong Kong had a per capita death rate nearly four times the US peak during the Omicron wave. So it is clearly possible for Omicron to do tremendous damage to an unvaccinated population. It is a miracle that vaccines could be developed and rolled out so quickly, saving millions of lives.

Yes but…the spike was also greater in Hong Kong because there were basically no cases before (this no natural immunity) Not remotely comparable.

The same happened in NZ and Australia and the death toll was nowhere close to the pre-vaccine ones.

[politicallefty]

Just remember: it was just the flu that has killed over a million Americans in two years (and counting). I'd ask people to look at those numbers and reflect, but many won't. Wearing a mask is apparently the most disruptive thing to happen and has been too much of an inconvenience for many. That doesn't take into account the most important factor for most: me, myself, and I. How dare anyone encroach upon that most important factor?!

[GregTheGreat657]

I heard a rumor that New Jersey and New York are going to reinstate their mask mandates early next week due to rising cases.

At this point, I'd just ignore the mask mandate if it were to happen

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/arnauldmiguet/status/1525337754497781760?s=20&t=sd8-pgI0...

[GregTheGreat657]

https://twitter.com/arnauldmiguet/status/1525337754497781760?s=20&t=sd8-pgI0...

The CCP has committed human rights violation after human rights violation in the name of controlling the virus

[Frodo]

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1525862633789865986

[Not Me, Us]

Tested positive along with both my parents for the first time last week. All 3 of us are fully vaxxed and boosted with Pfizer and my dad and I both have type one diabetes, though very well managed. Despite that, my dad and I both had very mild symptoms, mine worse than his, while my mom actually got hit pretty hard. Just goes to show how random Covid's symptoms are.

[It’s so Joever]

Tested positive along with both my parents for the first time last week. All 3 of us are fully vaxxed and boosted with Pfizer and my dad and I both have type one diabetes, though very well managed. Despite that, my dad and I both had very mild symptoms, mine worse than his, while my mom actually got hit pretty hard. Just goes to show how random Covid's symptoms are.

Immune systems vary so much from person to person, heck our bodies even have their own unique ecosystem, so this variation is common with infections.

[emailking]

FDA authorizes Pfizer Covid-19 booster shots for children ages 5 to 11

The US Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization for a booster dose of Pfizer/BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 at least five months after completion of the primary vaccine series.

Pfizer requested this EUA at the end of April, citing company data that showed that a third vaccine dose raised Omicron-fighting antibodies by 36 times in this age group.

"While it has largely been the case that COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, the omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalized, and children may also experience longer term effects, even following initially mild disease," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a news release Tuesday. "The FDA is authorizing the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age to provide continued protection against COVID-19.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/17/health/fda-covid-booster-kids-5-11/index.html

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2022/05/17/deborah-birx-kravis-center-warns-florida-summer-surge-covid/9797007002/

Let's see how the FL races shape up and DeSantis doesn't want kids to wear masks and Trump never wears one

[T'Chenka]

Florida residents will find a way to blame the deaths on something else or deny that they're happening, I predict. This will barely hurt DeSantis. Florida is beyond redemption.

[GregTheGreat657]

COVID is endemic, *fingers crossed* there isn't much to worry about rn

[Aurelius]

Cool. I'm done thinking, caring, or worrying about COVID. Vaccination reduces your chance of death by 30x, and I've been there done that.

[MATTROSE94]

COVID is endemic, *fingers crossed* there isn't much to worry about rn

Not according to Kathy Hochul, Phil Murphy, Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden, Eric Feigl-Ding, and Jonathan Reiner. /s

[jamestroll]

Just sweep it under the rug. Move on.

[Person Man]

Just sweep it under the rug. Move on.

Yeah. As bad as it is, it’s not a priority. It probably won’t be that bad but if it is, the consequences could be that Florida gets a reputation of being a dirty state. By the time we left Jacksonville, my wife refused to go anywhere on the beach. Not even to the 4 star restaurant on the main roundabout.

[Waldo]

Why is it only news when Florida has a high COVID rate? It wasn't too long ago when they had the lowest rate per Capita in the country and blue states were hitting record highs. Didn't see many posts about that. Most people here has no clue, I'd wager.

Fun fact: cases are already surging in Massachusetts. No news on that, but that's because most people have stopped caring. This hokey pokey dance of mandates and social distancing hurts businesses and is unsustainable.

[Waldo]

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2022/05/17/deborah-birx-kravis-center-warns-florida-summer-surge-covid/9797007002/

Let's see how the FL races shape up and DeSantis doesn't want kids to wear masks and Trump never wears one

No other country in the world has tried to make the argument that kids, above all else, should be the ones to mask up. What is it you think we know that nobody else does?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2022/05/17/deborah-birx-kravis-center-warns-florida-summer-surge-covid/9797007002/

Let's see how the FL races shape up and DeSantis doesn't want kids to wear masks and Trump never wears one

No other country in the world has tried to make the argument that kids, above all else, should be the ones to mask up. What is it you think we know that nobody else does?

I was making that argument in addition to Trump not wearing a mask, you know why Trump never wears a Mask because Melania, she is his wife is UKRAINE, and guess what Zelinsky never wears a mask, he was on TV visiting a Hospital and he didn't have a mask on, neither do we see Putin in a Mask

Biden always wears a Mask and so does Pence

ACB during the height of Pandemic had a Super spreader rally when she was introduced as JUSTICE

[Sir Mohamed]

Well, people just stopped caring about Covid.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Well, people just stopped caring about Covid.

This.  Especially in Florida.  Went to Disney in February and the 90,000 people in the Magic Kingdom and the other parks weren't wearing them, including Disney employees.  And everyone is up everyone's butt when you visit there.

[Waldo]

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2022/05/17/deborah-birx-kravis-center-warns-florida-summer-surge-covid/9797007002/

Let's see how the FL races shape up and DeSantis doesn't want kids to wear masks and Trump never wears one

No other country in the world has tried to make the argument that kids, above all else, should be the ones to mask up. What is it you think we know that nobody else does?

I was making that argument in addition to Trump not wearing a mask, you know why Trump never wears a Mask because Melania, she is his wife is UKRAINE, and guess what Zelinsky never wears a mask, he was on TV visiting a Hospital and he didn't have a mask on, neither do we see Putin in a Mask

Biden always wears a Mask and so does Pence

ACB during the height of Pandemic had a Super spreader rally when she was introduced as JUSTICE

Wow. Hope you didn't watch the Emmys.

[jamestroll]

I've been flying today and about a week ago with no MASK.

Everyone is happier without wearing those mouth diapers. 

In fact, I propose we BAN MASKS on flights or any mass transport

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Does anyone care what Deborah Birx says?

[MATTROSE94]

Well, people just stopped caring about Covid.

This.  Especially in Florida.  Went to Disney in February and the 90,000 people in the Magic Kingdom and the other parks weren't wearing them, including Disney employees.  And everyone is up everyone's butt when you visit there.

Really the only places that seem to care about COVID anymore are in California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, DC, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, and New Jersey. Most other states have (rightfully) moved on.