COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Hammy]

Why would people who oppose masks be vindicated?

Lockdowns and masks clearly don't work, but it appears as if vaccines do.

Your brain clearly has been warped by right wing propaganda. The stupidity and absurdity ignoring the reason for lockdowns is not worth my time explaining again, so I'll refer you to my reply to Green Line on that.

Masks absolutely work, but people have to actually wear them properly (and stop thinking the cloth masks that allow easy air flow have any effect).  Half the population not wearing one, and the other half being too stupid to keep them over their nose or off their chin is why they "aren't working"

[Horus]

Why would people who oppose masks be vindicated?

Lockdowns and masks clearly don't work, but it appears as if vaccines do.

and this is where you completely lost me.....

I always knew Bandit was a mask Karen but I'm surprised he's admitting that vaccines work seeing as his favorite "left wing" pundits are anti vaxx.

[lfromnj]

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/02/25/ohio-school-3-feet-social-distancing-masks-teacher-vaccination-golodryga-dnt-lead-vpx.cnn

Good solid measures in order to open a school. One can't go too lax but schools can be opened.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I always knew Bandit was a mask Karen but I'm surprised he's admitting that vaccines work seeing as his favorite "left wing" pundits are anti vaxx.

Most left-wing pundits are strongly pro-vaxx.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/02/25/ohio-school-3-feet-social-distancing-masks-teacher-vaccination-golodryga-dnt-lead-vpx.cnn

Good solid measures in order to open a school. One can't go too lax but schools can be opened.

I'm waiting for Facebook to demand the entire state of Ohio gets shut down because there were 1 or 2 kids in that video without masks.

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/02/25/ohio-school-3-feet-social-distancing-masks-teacher-vaccination-golodryga-dnt-lead-vpx.cnn

Good solid measures in order to open a school. One can't go too lax but schools can be opened.

I'm waiting for Facebook to demand the entire state of Ohio gets shut down because there were 1 or 2 kids in that video without masks.

We get it, you're annoyed by masks. Give it a rest already

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Mister Rogers never would have put up with any of this.

[It’s so Joever]

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/02/25/ohio-school-3-feet-social-distancing-masks-teacher-vaccination-golodryga-dnt-lead-vpx.cnn

Good solid measures in order to open a school. One can't go too lax but schools can be opened.

I'm waiting for Facebook to demand the entire state of Ohio gets shut down because there were 1 or 2 kids in that video without masks.

I’m waiting for you to accept that masks work and stop being deluded.

[soundchaser]

Mister Rogers never would have put up with any of this.

You’re really invoking the guy whose whole business was being a good neighbor? Seriously?

[Progressive Pessimist]

If wearing masks in public didn't work why is this one of the least potent flu seasons ever?

https://twitter.com/seattletimes/status/1364973604442697732

Just a reminder.

[Dr. Arch]

The updated numbers for COVID-19 in the U.S. are in for 2/27 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.

Older Numbers (Hidden in spoiler mode to make the post more compact)

Spoiler alert! Click Show to show the content.

Show

<Last Numbers for 3/26-3/28 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 3/29-4/4 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 4/5-4/11 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 4/12-4/18 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 4/19-4/25 in this post>
<Last Numbers for 4/26-5/2 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 5/3-5/9 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 5/10-5/16 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 5/17-5/23 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 5/24-5/30 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 5/31-6/6 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 6/7-6/13 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 6/14-6/20 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 6/21-6/27 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 6/28-7/4 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 7/5-7/11 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 7/12-7/18 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 7/19-7/25 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 7/26-8/1 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 8/2-8/8 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 8/9-8/15 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 8/16-8/22 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 8/23-8/29 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 8/30-9/5 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 9/6-9/12 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 9/13-9/19 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 9/20-9/26 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 9/27-10/3 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 10/4-10/10 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 10/11-10/17 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 10/18-10/24 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 10/25-10/31 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 11/1-11/7 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 11/8-11/14 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 11/15-11/21 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 11/22-11/28 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 11/29-12/5 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 12/6-12/12 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 12/13-12/19 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 12/20-12/26 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 12/27-1/2 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 1/3-1/9 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 1/10-1/16 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 1/17-1/23 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 1/24-1/30 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 1/31-2/6 in this Post>
<Last Numbers from 2/7-2/13 in this Post>

2/14: <Sunday>

• Cases: 28,261,470 (+64,506 | ΔW Change: ↓29.71% | Σ Increase: ↑0.23%)
• Deaths: 497,174 (+1,111 | ΔW Change: ↓20.93% | Σ Increase: ↑0.22%)

2/15: <M>

• Cases: 28,317,703 (+56,233 | ΔW Change: ↓36.98% | Σ Increase: ↑0.20%)
• Deaths: 498,203 (+1,029 | ΔW Change: ↓30.10% | Σ Increase: ↑0.21%)

2/16: <T>

• Cases: 28,381,220 (+63,517 | ΔW Change: ↓35.92% | Σ Increase: ↑0.22%)
• Deaths: 499,991 (+1,788 | ΔW Change: ↓46.90% | Σ Increase: ↑0.36%)

2/17: <W>

• Cases: 28,453,526 (+72,706 | ΔW Change: ↓25.40% | Σ Increase: ↑0.25%)
• Deaths: 502,544 (+2,553 | ΔW Change: ↓25.53% | Σ Increase: ↑0.51%)

2/18: <Þ>

• Cases: 28,523,524 (+69,998 | ΔW Change: ↓33.35% | Σ Increase: ↑0.25%)
• Deaths: 505,309 (+2,765 | ΔW Change: ↓25.71% | Σ Increase: ↑0.55%)

2/19: <F>

• Cases: 28,603,813 (+80,289 | ΔW Change: ↓11.05% | Σ Increase: ↑0.28%)
• Deaths: 507,746 (+2,437 | ΔW Change: ↓16.20% | Σ Increase: ↑0.48%)

2/20: <S>

• Cases: 28,706,473 (+69,617 [+102,660] | ΔW Change: ↓22.87% | Σ Increase: ↑0.36%)
• Deaths: 509,875 (+1,907 [+2,129] | ΔW Change: ↓16.07% | Σ Increase: ↑0.42%)

2/21: <Sunday>

• Cases: 28,765,423 (+58,950 | ΔW Change: ↓8.61% | Σ Increase: ↑0.21%)
• Deaths: 511,133 (+1,258 | ΔW Change: ↑13.23% | Σ Increase: ↑0.25%)

2/22: <M>

• Cases: 28,826,307 (+60,884 | ΔW Change: ↑8.27% | Σ Increase: ↑0.21%)
• Deaths: 512,590 (+1,457 | ΔW Change: ↑41.59% | Σ Increase: ↑0.29%)

2/23: <T>

• Cases: 28,897,718 (+71,411 | ΔW Change: ↑12.43% | Σ Increase: ↑0.25%)
• Deaths: 514,996 (+2,406 | ΔW Change: ↑34.56% | Σ Increase: ↑0.47%)

2/24: <W>

• Cases: 28,974,623 (+76,905 | ΔW Change: ↑5.78% | Σ Increase: ↑0.27%)
• Deaths: 518,363 (+2,525 [3,367] | ΔW Change: ↓1.10% | Σ Increase: ↑0.65%)

2/25: <Þ>

• Cases: 29,052,262 (+77,639 | ΔW Change: ↑10.92% | Σ Increase: ↑0.27%)
• Deaths: 520,785 (+2,422 | ΔW Change: ↓12.41% | Σ Increase: ↑0.47%)

2/26 (Yesterday): <F>

• Cases: 29,136,912 (+80,625 [84,650] | ΔW Change: ↑0.42% | Σ Increase: ↑0.29%)
• Deaths: 523,082 (+2,297 | ΔW Change: ↓5.74% | Σ Increase: ↑0.44%)

2/27 (Today): <S>

• Cases: 29,202,824 (+65,912 | ΔW Change: ↓5.32% | Σ Increase: ↑0.23%)
• Deaths: 524,669 (+1,587 | ΔW Change: ↓16.78% | Σ Increase: ↑0.30%)

[Pericles]

In the end, people who opposed lockdowns and masks but supported vaccines are going to be vindicated. Their stance was the pandemic playbook that was in force before 2020, and should have been followed all along.

Surely vaccines make the case for lockdowns and other distancing restrictions? It is even more tragic that not enough precautions were taken, especially in the last few months, when so many lives could have been saved with only a bit more patience.

[Hammy]

In the end, people who opposed lockdowns and masks but supported vaccines are going to be vindicated. Their stance was the pandemic playbook that was in force before 2020, and should have been followed all along.

Surely vaccines make the case for lockdowns and other distancing restrictions? It is even more tragic that not enough precautions were taken, especially in the last few months, when so many lives could have been saved with only a bit more patience.

I'll add that the lack of widespread enforced lockdowns and mask-wearing has led to numerous mutations, some of which have shown to evade immune responses.

[roxas11]

Ironically enough trump himself ended up showing the world just how quickly things can go wrong when you have a group of people sitting together who refuse to wear a mask

A lot of the people in this photo including Trump may have not ended up getting Covid had they simply chose to wear a mask that day



So far nothing close to this has happened with the mask wearing Biden white house

[Calthrina950]

Ironically enough trump himself ended up showing the world just how quickly things can go wrong when you have a group of people sitting together who refuse to wear a mask

A lot of the people in this photo including Trump may have not ended up getting Covid had they simply chose to wear a mask that day



So far nothing close to this has happened with the mask wearing Biden white house

It's a blessing that no one at that event, so far as I know, died from the virus. And of course, viral spread isn't always equal, as many of the people who attended-such as Barrett (who did have the virus previously and recovered from it), Blackburn, Hawley, etc.-did not contract the virus.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

If wearing masks in public didn't work why is this one of the least potent flu seasons ever?

Then why are there so many COVID-19 cases?

[GeorgiaModerate]

If wearing masks in public didn't work why is this one of the least potent flu seasons ever?

Then why are there so many COVID-19 cases?

Among other reasons, COVID-19 is much more contagious than flu. 

[Sir Mohamed]

If wearing masks in public didn't work why is this one of the least potent flu seasons ever?

Then why are there so many COVID-19 cases?

Among other reasons, COVID-19 is much more contagious than flu. 

Additionally, there is a level of immunity among the general public with the flu through previous infections and already existing vaccines. With COVID-19, there was zero immunity when the virus first reached the US (or the world) and it's still at a low level because vaccinations are just getting started. While 28+ million Americans were infected, some of them may have lost their natural immunity over the months. Not all patients can enjoy longer immunity beyond 6 months after an infection, though exact data is still not sufficient and reinfections are relatively rare according to current data. But there is strong evidence asymptomatic cases lead to weaker and shorter immunity from antibodies.

[NYDem]

If wearing masks in public didn't work why is this one of the least potent flu seasons ever?

Then why are there so many COVID-19 cases?

If seat belts are so effective, then why are there still so many deaths from car crashes?

[GP270watch]

If wearing masks in public didn't work why is this one of the least potent flu seasons ever?

Then why are there so many COVID-19 cases?

 The vast majority of people are not wearing n95 masks but simple cloth masks or whatever they can get their hands on. Looking at countries that adopted and even distributed masks along with promoting hand washing and contact tracing as part of their public health campaign the evidence is clearly on the side of that working.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Did anyone mention how various governors are starting to relax restrictions now? (Mostly Republican governors, though. Even Northeastern ones!)

[BudgieForce]

Did anyone mention how various governors are starting to relax restrictions now? (Mostly Republican governors, though. Even Northeastern ones!)

Even democratic governors are relaxing restrictions. I'm also reading about more and more schools opening up in heavily democratic areas(Detroit for example).

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I still keep hearing about restrictions expanding. Someone posted on another forum that a bunch of high schools in their area canceled sports for next fall.

[Hammy]

If wearing masks in public didn't work why is this one of the least potent flu seasons ever?

Then why are there so many COVID-19 cases?

Less people with mild flu are going to the doctor, and people who have more visible symptoms are being tested for COVID and not the flu.

[BudgieForce]

I still keep hearing about restrictions expanding. Someone posted on another forum that a bunch of high schools in their area canceled sports for next fall.

That seems like a safe bet if cases aren't lower by fall.

What I'm mostly referring to is schools actually opening. For example, Detroit just announced their schools are opening on March 8th.