COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Bandit3 the Worker]

My idea in the spring of 2020 was to close schools, but not for very long. I definitely would have had schools reopened by the end of the school year - without masks.

Montana allowed schools to return on May 7, 2020. It shouldn't be considered taboo to have had schools open normally back in May 2020.

[Raccoon]

My idea in the spring of 2020 was to close schools, but not for very long. I definitely would have had schools reopened by the end of the school year - without masks.

Montana allowed schools to return on May 7, 2020. It shouldn't be considered taboo to have had schools open normally back in May 2020.

I remember that... and I never heard stories of mass deaths of kids in Montana.

Nor from Missouri or rural VA for that matter.

So get these.. I had a speech impediment.. so I was taken out of school and home schooled because they were afraid being in school with a speech impediment would hurt my development... this is when I was a child obviously.

There are reasons why I was going flipping insane about closed schools as a childless man who will never have kids.

[Frodo]

If you haven't gotten your COVID booster shot, now would be a very good time before you have to pay for it out-of-pocket and through your health insurance (if you have any), like with the flu shot:

Americans Could Have to Pay for Covid Shots Starting Next Year

[emailking]

I'll pay. I want all the shots.

[Raccoon]

I had an at home and PCR test that confirmed: I do not have covid.

But I have an extremely awful cold.  Much worse than my experience with covid.

Been bed ridden all day.

covid... lmao..

[Doomer]

I had an at home and PCR test that confirmed: I do not have covid.

But I have an extremely awful cold.  Much worse than my experience with covid.

Been bed ridden all day.

covid... lmao..

Congratulations that your covid wasn't bad? I'm sure all the people who've died from covid would be clapping for you right now if their cases had been as mild as yours.

[emailking]

FDA authorizes Pfizer and Moderna's updated Covid-19 boosters

The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized updated Covid-19 vaccine booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer. This is the first time updated Covid-19 vaccines have received emergency use authorization in the United States.

Both are bivalent vaccines that combine the companies' original vaccine with one that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages. Both companies submitted applications to the FDA for emergency use authorization for their updated vaccines last week.

...

The shots can be administered only after they're recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC's vaccine advisory group is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to support recommending the boosters for use.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/31/health/fda-covid-vaccine-updated-booster-authorized/index.html

12 & older for Pfizer and 18 & older for Moderna.

[Koharu]

The growing evidence that Covid-19 is leaving people sicker

A Financial Times analysis of data from the UK’s NHS, one of the world’s richest health data sets, showed significant rises in deaths from heart disease since the start of the pandemic in all but the very oldest age groups. In the 40-64 age group, heart attack deaths increased 15 per cent in 2021 compared with 2019.

In February, meanwhile, an analysis of more than 150,000 records from the national healthcare databases at the US Department of Veterans Affairs suggested that even some people who had not been seriously ill with Covid had an increased risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year afterwards.

Researchers found that rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from Covid than in similar people who had not been infected. A separate analysis of VA data, published in March, suggested that in the “post-acute phase” of the disease, people with Covid “exhibit increased risk and burden of diabetes”.

[Raccoon]

I had an at home and PCR test that confirmed: I do not have covid.

But I have an extremely awful cold.  Much worse than my experience with covid.

Been bed ridden all day.

covid... lmao..

Congratulations that your covid wasn't bad? I'm sure all the people who've died from covid would be clapping for you right now if their cases had been as mild as yours.

I am suffering in bed right now. It should be all the more message why its important for people to get vaccinated.... a cold/allergies worse than covid... for me.. and it happens to MANY people. I am proving the message YOU want to spread. Get vaccinated.

[Raccoon]

The growing evidence that Covid-19 is leaving people sicker

A Financial Times analysis of data from the UK’s NHS, one of the world’s richest health data sets, showed significant rises in deaths from heart disease since the start of the pandemic in all but the very oldest age groups. In the 40-64 age group, heart attack deaths increased 15 per cent in 2021 compared with 2019.

In February, meanwhile, an analysis of more than 150,000 records from the national healthcare databases at the US Department of Veterans Affairs suggested that even some people who had not been seriously ill with Covid had an increased risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year afterwards.

Researchers found that rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from Covid than in similar people who had not been infected. A separate analysis of VA data, published in March, suggested that in the “post-acute phase” of the disease, people with Covid “exhibit increased risk and burden of diabetes”.

Okay,  do you have a solution for this that is logistical ?

[emailking]

CDC signs off on updated Covid-19 boosters

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Thursday on the recommendation of the agency's independent vaccine advisers in favor of updated Covid-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13 to 1 earlier in the day to recommend updated mRNA boosters for Americans this fall.

Walensky's decision means the shots could be available by Friday, according to pharmaceutical manufacturers, which began shipping the new doses after the US Food and Drug Administration authorized them Wednesday.

"The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant," Walensky said in a statement. "They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants. This recommendation followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation and robust scientific discussion. If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it."

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/01/health/acip-cdc-updated-covid-booster/index.html

[Koharu]

The Lancet: "COVID-19 mortality and excess mortality among working-age residents in California, USA, by occupational sector: a longitudinal cohort analysis of mortality surveillance data"

Workers in essential sectors have continued to bear the brunt of high COVID-19 and excess mortality throughout the pandemic, particularly in the agriculture, emergency, manufacturing, facilities, and transportation or logistics sectors. This high death toll has continued during periods of vaccine availability and the delta surge. In an ongoing pandemic without widespread vaccine coverage and with anticipated threats of new variants, the USA must actively adopt policies to more adequately protect workers in essential sectors.

[Raccoon]

The Lancet: "COVID-19 mortality and excess mortality among working-age residents in California, USA, by occupational sector: a longitudinal cohort analysis of mortality surveillance data"

Workers in essential sectors have continued to bear the brunt of high COVID-19 and excess mortality throughout the pandemic, particularly in the agriculture, emergency, manufacturing, facilities, and transportation or logistics sectors. This high death toll has continued during periods of vaccine availability and the delta surge. In an ongoing pandemic without widespread vaccine coverage and with anticipated threats of new variants, the USA must actively adopt policies to more adequately protect workers in essential sectors.

and notice the workers in essential sectors are some of the least likely people to  expect the world to shut down over covid.

[MATTROSE94]

The growing evidence that Covid-19 is leaving people sicker

A Financial Times analysis of data from the UK’s NHS, one of the world’s richest health data sets, showed significant rises in deaths from heart disease since the start of the pandemic in all but the very oldest age groups. In the 40-64 age group, heart attack deaths increased 15 per cent in 2021 compared with 2019.

In February, meanwhile, an analysis of more than 150,000 records from the national healthcare databases at the US Department of Veterans Affairs suggested that even some people who had not been seriously ill with Covid had an increased risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year afterwards.

Researchers found that rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from Covid than in similar people who had not been infected. A separate analysis of VA data, published in March, suggested that in the “post-acute phase” of the disease, people with Covid “exhibit increased risk and burden of diabetes”.

Okay,  do you have a solution for this that is logistical ?

I would say boosters, development of a universal COVID vaccine that stops transmission, and focused protection for the most at risk. Masking I am not crazy about anymore and post early 2021 lockdowns were obsolete.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

The Lancet: "COVID-19 mortality and excess mortality among working-age residents in California, USA, by occupational sector: a longitudinal cohort analysis of mortality surveillance data"

Workers in essential sectors have continued to bear the brunt of high COVID-19 and excess mortality throughout the pandemic, particularly in the agriculture, emergency, manufacturing, facilities, and transportation or logistics sectors. This high death toll has continued during periods of vaccine availability and the delta surge. In an ongoing pandemic without widespread vaccine coverage and with anticipated threats of new variants, the USA must actively adopt policies to more adequately protect workers in essential sectors.

and notice the workers in essential sectors are some of the least likely people to  expect the world to shut down over covid.

Yeah, but a lot of them are probably also the least likely to get vaccinated and boosted lol.

[Frodo]

White House: Covid-19 boosters will become annual shot, just like the flu vaccine
The administration is making a policy change it has signaled for months.

[Torrain]

The growing evidence that Covid-19 is leaving people sicker

A Financial Times analysis of data from the UK’s NHS, one of the world’s richest health data sets, showed significant rises in deaths from heart disease since the start of the pandemic in all but the very oldest age groups. In the 40-64 age group, heart attack deaths increased 15 per cent in 2021 compared with 2019.

In February, meanwhile, an analysis of more than 150,000 records from the national healthcare databases at the US Department of Veterans Affairs suggested that even some people who had not been seriously ill with Covid had an increased risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year afterwards.

Researchers found that rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from Covid than in similar people who had not been infected. A separate analysis of VA data, published in March, suggested that in the “post-acute phase” of the disease, people with Covid “exhibit increased risk and burden of diabetes”.

Okay,  do you have a solution for this that is logistical ?

I would say boosters, development of a universal COVID vaccine that stops transmission, and focused protection for the most at risk. Masking I am not crazy about anymore and post early 2021 lockdowns were obsolete.

Indoor ventilation infrastructure is a big one. Respiratory droplets and aerosols are the primary route of transmission, so clearing those via high-quality filtration systems will be important in hospital environments - and public transit/retail hubs, if we’re serious about broader containment.

Masks need a decent filter (N95 level) to really help, so they can be used in addition, but aren’t financially feasible for many unless their employer is providing them. And of course, in this political environment, they’re a very hard sell, and thus should probably only be proposed in the event of a new, particularly virulent variant of concern, for which we don’t have appropriate booster jabs. Speaking of…

Multivalent vaccines, mixing original strain DNA with Omicron, have a chance to help, but we don’t have anywhere near the same surveillance we have with influenza to create annual boosters yet. Going to need a lot more epidemiological infrastructure there.

We’ll also need more systematic reviews on Long COVID (causes, effects and prognosis) before we can draw firm conclusions about the best medium-long term strategies.

[Mr.Bakari-Sellers]

https://news.yahoo.com/house-returns-washington-facing-prospect-100017330.html

A shutdown is looming on 10/1

[Koharu]

https://twitter.com/gregggonsalves/status/1571106995318722561?s=20&t=V1p7A3x...

[Bandit3 the Worker]

https://twitter.com/gregggonsalves/status/1571106995318722561?s=20&t=V1p7A3x...

Gregg Gonsalves is just flat-out lying about this. A week ago, it was about 335, and it will probably turn out that it's been in the low 300s in the week since. It hasn't been above 450 since April.

[JGibson]

President Biden told CBS News's Scott Pelley on 60 Minutes tonight that the COVID pandemic is "over", just over two and a half years after the WHO declared it a pandemic. 

Ted Johnson at Deadline:

President Joe Biden said in a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday that the Covid pandemic “is over,” one of a series of newsworthy items he said during a sit down with Scott Pelley.

“The pandemic is over,” Biden said in a portion of the segment at the Detroit Auto Show last week. “We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lotta work on it …but the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it.”

Public health agencies still treat Covid as health emergencies, but the head of the World Health Organization was optimistic in his remarks last week. He said that “we’re not there yet, but the end is in sight.”

[Roll Roons]

He's completely right.

[Hammy]

https://twitter.com/gregggonsalves/status/1571106995318722561?s=20&t=V1p7A3x...

Gregg Gonsalves is just flat-out lying about this. A week ago, it was about 335, and it will probably turn out that it's been in the low 300s in the week since. It hasn't been above 450 since April.

Why do you lie and make the most easily disprovable comments? Your lying since covid started has bordered on pathological

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Why do you lie and make the most easily disprovable comments? Your lying since covid started has bordered on pathological

Because what I said is the truth.

Worldometer says the average as of a week ago is only 349, down from 410 a week earlier.

[new_patomic]

President Biden told CBS News's Scott Pelley on 60 Minutes tonight that the COVID pandemic is "over", just over two and a half years after the WHO declared it a pandemic. 

Ted Johnson at Deadline:

President Joe Biden said in a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday that the Covid pandemic “is over,” one of a series of newsworthy items he said during a sit down with Scott Pelley.

“The pandemic is over,” Biden said in a portion of the segment at the Detroit Auto Show last week. “We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lotta work on it …but the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it.”

Public health agencies still treat Covid as health emergencies, but the head of the World Health Organization was optimistic in his remarks last week. He said that “we’re not there yet, but the end is in sight.”

There's gonna be so many resist lib and 'MD' accounts screeching about this on Twitter.