COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Torie]

Covid and the ensuing cabin fever syndrome and loneliness and sense of isolation has made many of us a bit irritable and short fused, at least it has for me. GM actually got covid, and I am in a category where  I believe that getting covid, even vaxed to the max (how do I score my second booster shot?),  is a quite risky scheme. So I have not been in a restaurant since rocks cooled, won't take public transportation now, and if at all possible, have Dan rather than myself go into the grocery store. It is hard for me. I feel almost sub-human, as if I were a social leper. So I understand the lashing out in general, and on this topic in particular, and almost empathize with it.

Someday I hope this too shall pass while I am still alive. In the interim, I hope we all, to the extent we can, will give more slack to others than we might otherwise, and be more lenient and forgiving "judges."

[DINGO Joe]

I dissent from the theory put up by the good General above that resistance to the vax is driven by macho impulses. I subscribe to the theory that the resistance is fueled by paranoia and kookery. The macho thesis is less depressing than mine. It is harder to induce change in the behavior of paranoids and kooks than it is of macho men.

Well, the deaths from Covid have definitely shifted to be younger, whiter and even more male than pre-vax, so macho men and kookery  aren't necessarily exclusive.

COVID has always been more lethal to men.

The gap widened further in 2021 vs 2020

[Migrant Crime]

More than 60% of New Jersey's COVID hospitalizations are "incidental", their Governor announced today.  Even though the media frequently reports when these announcements are made (see, similar #s for NYC earlier this month), they are always quickly memory-holed when the shiny new daily death figures are announced.  I know that inflated death tolls are good for the media, but at some point you'd hope they start reporting more honestly and put 2 and 2 together.  If more than half the hospitalizations are incidental, the other numbers aren't any good either.

https://twitter.com/NickMeidanis/status/1485685380531769345

[emailking]

We can probably infer from this that some of the deaths are not really Covid deaths, but I don't think we can just extrapolate from the hospital numbers. The deaths could be predominantly from the non-incidental hospitalizations.

[Migrant Crime]

We can probably infer from this that some of the deaths are not really Covid deaths, but I don't think we can just extrapolate from the hospital numbers. The deaths could be predominantly from the non-incidental hospitalizations.

If we had a media that asked those questions, we wouldnt have to guess.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

It's pathetic that a disease has been so polarized over debates between health and freedom, could you imagine if we had a pathogen that was more lethal than COVID? Since I started my new job at the post office 2 months ago, no one in my office takes this seriously and everyone gets around the mask mandate that we have or believes the vaccine causes worse disease than the actual virus, I am just so jaded over all of this.

[Wrong about 2024 Ghost]

https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1485754820916965376

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1485754820916965376

I wouldn't think that there'd be many 50-49 year olds.

[emailking]

Pfizer and BioNTech begin clinical trial for Omicron-specific vaccine

Pfizer and BioNTech have begun a clinical trial for their Omicron-specific Covid-19 vaccine candidate, they announced in a news release on Tuesday.

The study will evaluate the vaccine for safety, tolerability and the level of immune response, as both a primary series and a booster dose, in up to 1,420 healthy adults ages 18 to 55.

The study is broken up into three groups:

Participants in the first cohort have received two doses of the current Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at least 90 to 180 days before the study. They will receive one or two doses of the Omicron-specific vaccine.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/25/health/pfizer-biontech-omicron-vaccine-trial/index.html

[compucomp]

84% approve of the government supply free test kits and masks, but this forum hates the move. Finally there is proof that this forum is totally out of touch with the public on this issue and quite honestly out of touch with reality. You really should reconsider whether you want to fight to support a position with 16% support. You can add the usual 5-10% for the Republican position and it would still be deep in the minority.

Biden administration providing free COVID-19 tests, masks overwhelmingly popular: poll

The Biden administration’s efforts to provide free COVID-19 tests and masks to Americans across the country are overwhelmingly popular, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Axios and Ipsos, found that 84 percent of adults in the U.S. strongly or somewhat support the federal government mailing free at-home COVID-19 tests to anyone who requests them.

Additionally, 84 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat support the federal government providing N95 masks to anyone who wants one through pharmacies and health clinics.

[Doomer]

84% approve of the government supply free test kits and masks, but this forum hates the move. Finally there is proof that this forum is totally out of touch with the public on this issue and quite honestly out of touch with reality. You really should reconsider whether you want to fight to support a position with 16% support. You can add the usual 5-10% for the Republican position and it would still be deep in the minority.

Biden administration providing free COVID-19 tests, masks overwhelmingly popular: poll

The Biden administration’s efforts to provide free COVID-19 tests and masks to Americans across the country are overwhelmingly popular, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Axios and Ipsos, found that 84 percent of adults in the U.S. strongly or somewhat support the federal government mailing free at-home COVID-19 tests to anyone who requests them.

Additionally, 84 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat support the federal government providing N95 masks to anyone who wants one through pharmacies and health clinics.

Why would anyone hate free tests and masks?  Seems like a no-brainer to me, that necessary items in a post-covid world should be free.

[compucomp]

84% approve of the government supply free test kits and masks, but this forum hates the move. Finally there is proof that this forum is totally out of touch with the public on this issue and quite honestly out of touch with reality. You really should reconsider whether you want to fight to support a position with 16% support. You can add the usual 5-10% for the Republican position and it would still be deep in the minority.

Biden administration providing free COVID-19 tests, masks overwhelmingly popular: poll

The Biden administration’s efforts to provide free COVID-19 tests and masks to Americans across the country are overwhelmingly popular, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Axios and Ipsos, found that 84 percent of adults in the U.S. strongly or somewhat support the federal government mailing free at-home COVID-19 tests to anyone who requests them.

Additionally, 84 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat support the federal government providing N95 masks to anyone who wants one through pharmacies and health clinics.

Why would anyone hate free tests and masks?  Seems like a no-brainer to me, that necessary items in a post-covid world should be free.

Go back through this thread, multiple posters attacked the move because it promotes the hated masks, exaggerates the threat of COVID, and impedes the "return to normalcy". In reality, people who still take the virus seriously (like me) strongly support the move, while people who don't have a strong opinion think, "Hey free stuff from the government, awesome!". The people who are opposed are the loudest here but finally it's revealed that they are actually deep in the minority.

[Calthrina950]

84% approve of the government supply free test kits and masks, but this forum hates the move. Finally there is proof that this forum is totally out of touch with the public on this issue and quite honestly out of touch with reality. You really should reconsider whether you want to fight to support a position with 16% support. You can add the usual 5-10% for the Republican position and it would still be deep in the minority.

Biden administration providing free COVID-19 tests, masks overwhelmingly popular: poll

The Biden administration’s efforts to provide free COVID-19 tests and masks to Americans across the country are overwhelmingly popular, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Axios and Ipsos, found that 84 percent of adults in the U.S. strongly or somewhat support the federal government mailing free at-home COVID-19 tests to anyone who requests them.

Additionally, 84 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat support the federal government providing N95 masks to anyone who wants one through pharmacies and health clinics.

Why would anyone hate free tests and masks?  Seems like a no-brainer to me, that necessary items in a post-covid world should be free.

This seems like a contradiction. Yes, people should have access to tests and masks if they wish, but this implies an acceptance of the "new normal" which incorporates permanent changes to our lifestyles, far more so than any that may have been introduced by the Spanish Flu.

[Sir Mohamed]

https://twitter.com/axios/status/1485942904699109380?cxt=HHwWiIDS8d3MkJ8pAAAA

[Oakvale]

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1485958788851064839

Great to see another country achieving freedom from the pandemic. We owe vaccines and our dear friend omicron a massive debt. Hopefully only weeks until Biden too can declare this thing over.

[Raccoon]

Okay, I do not know how effective vaccine mandates would be.

The only places in Peru that asked me for my vaccine proof were the long range buses and ... a single ice cream shop in Trujillo, Peru.

Granted, I tend to do prefer street vendors but after all the fanfare that Peru requires proof of vaccination.. its rarely enforced in practice.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Great to see another country achieving freedom from the pandemic. We owe vaccines and our dear friend omicron a massive debt. Hopefully only weeks until Biden too can declare this thing over.

Denmark has peak infections and hospitalizations right now, 800 people were hospitalized yesterday.  Once they remove all the restrictions that number will only go up further.

Hope their hospitals are capable of handling the flood of severe COVID cases about to hit once all the restrictions are lifted.  Of course 80% of Denmark is fully-vaccinated and 53% are boosted so they're not going to have as many severe cases as other, less-vaccinated countries.

[DaleCooper]

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1485958788851064839

Great to see another country achieving freedom from the pandemic. We owe vaccines and our dear friend omicron a massive debt. Hopefully only weeks until Biden too can declare this thing over.

Biden won't do it. The Democratic Party has completely embraced COVID restrictions as part of its political platform and its identity. It certainly doesn't help that almost all of the party's strategists are suburban snoots that think a midterm strategy devoted to "Stay Home, Save Lives" and agonizing over Marjorie Taylor Greene will be effective.

[MATTROSE94]

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1485958788851064839

Great to see another country achieving freedom from the pandemic. We owe vaccines and our dear friend omicron a massive debt. Hopefully only weeks until Biden too can declare this thing over.

Biden won't do it. The Democratic Party has completely embraced COVID restrictions as part of its political platform and its identity. It certainly doesn't help that almost all of the party's strategists are suburban snoots that think a midterm strategy devoted to "Stay Home, Save Lives" and agonizing over Marjorie Taylor Greene will be effective.

I agree. I am thinking that the Democrats will run on permanent mask mandates, rolling lockdowns, and other hygiene theater and virtue signaling stuff regarding COVID in the midterm elections.

All that I really support at this point regarding COVID NPIs is mask mandates in schools, hospitals, medical facilities, public transport, prisons, governmental offices, vet facilities, animal shelters, homeless shelters, and mental homes, so the Democratic platform regarding COVID restrictions I am not 100% in support. Still, I wear an N95 mask most of the time and have no problem with private businesses implementing COVID restrictions.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Okay, I do not know how effective vaccine mandates would be.

The only places in Peru that asked me for my vaccine proof were the long range buses and ... a single ice cream shop in Trujillo, Peru.

Granted, I tend to do prefer street vendors but after all the fanfare that Peru requires proof of vaccination.. its rarely enforced in practice.

Asking private businesses to enforce a vaccine mandate is dumb and unfairly onerous on private citizens.  If the state implements a vaccine mandate (which I think they should), they should also be the ones to enforce it.

[Horus]

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1485958788851064839

Great to see another country achieving freedom from the pandemic. We owe vaccines and our dear friend omicron a massive debt. Hopefully only weeks until Biden too can declare this thing over.

Biden won't do it. The Democratic Party has completely embraced COVID restrictions as part of its political platform and its identity. It certainly doesn't help that almost all of the party's strategists are suburban snoots that think a midterm strategy devoted to "Stay Home, Save Lives" and agonizing over Marjorie Taylor Greene will be effective.

If Biden actually does this I'll rock a red Delaware av for a month. It ain't happening. Biden is, sadly, no Mette Frederiksen.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

It's been 2 years. The ridiculousness must end.

[Horus]

It's been 2 years. The ridiculousness must end.

Read through this thread, many enjoy living this way. They love their masks and sense of superiority. The end of the pandemic means they have to go back to a normal that they, for one reason or another, hated.

[DaleCooper]

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1485958788851064839

Great to see another country achieving freedom from the pandemic. We owe vaccines and our dear friend omicron a massive debt. Hopefully only weeks until Biden too can declare this thing over.

Biden won't do it. The Democratic Party has completely embraced COVID restrictions as part of its political platform and its identity. It certainly doesn't help that almost all of the party's strategists are suburban snoots that think a midterm strategy devoted to "Stay Home, Save Lives" and agonizing over Marjorie Taylor Greene will be effective.

If Biden actually does this I'll rock a red Delaware av for a month. It ain't happening. Biden is, sadly, no Mette Frederiksen.

If Biden has the guts to buck the party and do everything in his power to end the COVID theater then I'd easily consider him a top-10 president at this point (acknowledging that future developments may change my mind). Sadly, I think you're right that this will almost certainly not happen.

[compucomp]

It's been 2 years. The ridiculousness must end.

Read through this thread, many enjoy living this way. They love their masks and sense of superiority. The end of the pandemic means they have to go back to a normal that they, for one reason or another, hated.

Have fun being part of the 16% that hates it when the government gives you free masks and test kits. It looks like that group is showing up in force once again on this thread.