COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Mr. Illini]

So we have broken the all time record of over 1 million new cases in a single day? A few months ago, I would have freaked out about this. But at least this is getting us herd immunity sooner than later, kind of a "natural vaccination" for anti-vaxxers. As sad as it is. I just hope hospitals don't get overwhelmed, especially to protect non-Covid patients as cancer and other diseases don't pause because of a pandemic.

In a democracy, the people get what they want, and the loudest people are heard the clearest. If this forum is to be believed, the anti-containment people are the loudest, so the politicians hear them and thus the government won't do anything. Even if we had a majority of pro-containment people, it's pretty clear that we can't mobilize it. I've long given up on trying to get governments in the US to do anything, but it is encouraging that private entities are stepping up to some degree in the Northeast and taking action themselves against COVID. Maybe you will see the same soon in California.

The US is not an outlier here.

The only countries that have reimposed lockdowns are the Netherlands and Austria.

Meanwhile, countries with higher Covid rates than the US presently: Portugal, Spain, Ireland, UK, Iceland, Denmark, France, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Montenegro

Some of those countries have shut down large events and such, but none have gone on lockdown as far as I know.

[jamestroll]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

[compucomp]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

Just because you're in denial about Omicron doesn't mean that it's not a threat. I applaud the media for telling people the truth and keeping them informed about the threat that Omicron poses. Look at all the voluntary business shutdowns in the Northeast, a virtuous concerted action by businesses and people to try to do something to slow down the virus when the government won't do anything.

[Lief 🗽]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

…you do understand that Northam is still the governor? In other words, Virginia schools are staying open under a Democratic governor, a Democratic state legislature, and a Democratic president. You all really need to get a grip.

[jamestroll]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

No doubt nova has grown more liberal.. compared to the Obama years.

But its bizzare how everything is open here .. mask usage is 50 50 .. and people act normally and while many work from home it seems to be less than you'd think.

[roxas11]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

Eventually people are going to move on with their lives and no amount of fear mongering from the NYT and the Washington Post is going to change that

If anything all they are really doing is destroying what is left of their credibility because it is now very clear that omicron is simply not the dangerous variant that they were hyping it up to be in the first place

Omicron is no Delta and all the spin in world from the media is not going to change that fact

[YE]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

No doubt nova has grown more liberal.. compared to the Obama years.

But its bizzare how everything is open here .. mask usage is 50 50 .. and people act normally and while many work from home it seems to be less than you'd think.

This is true in 80% of America.

Problem is like half the forum myself included live in the 20%. Hence the complaints about restrictions from myself and others.

[compucomp]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

No doubt nova has grown more liberal.. compared to the Obama years.

But its bizzare how everything is open here .. mask usage is 50 50 .. and people act normally and while many work from home it seems to be less than you'd think.

This is true in 80% of America.

Problem is like half the forum myself included live in the 20%. Hence the complaints about restrictions from myself and others.

Here we go again. There are no overarching government restrictions in force. A mask mandate is not a restriction. Some schools are going back to remote learning but that's decisions made at the local level by each individual school district depending on the local conditions, how many people caught COVID, etc. We all agreed that private entities have the right to restrict or shut themselves down.

I will give your side credit for being so loud that it has drowned out the majority of people who think the virus is a threat and want to try to slow it down. You're probably working the levers of power, badgering your elected officials with anti-restriction harangues, threatening to withhold donations, etc. Hell maybe you've even hired lobbyists by now.

[YE]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

No doubt nova has grown more liberal.. compared to the Obama years.

But its bizzare how everything is open here .. mask usage is 50 50 .. and people act normally and while many work from home it seems to be less than you'd think.

This is true in 80% of America.

Problem is like half the forum myself included live in the 20%. Hence the complaints about restrictions from myself and others.

Here we go again. There are no overarching government restrictions in force. A mask mandate is not a restriction. Some schools are going back to remote learning but that's decisions made at the local level by each individual school district depending on the local conditions, how many people caught COVID, etc. We all agreed that private entities have the right to restrict or shut themselves down.

I will give your side credit for being so loud that it has drowned out the majority of people who think the virus is a threat and want to try to slow it down. You're probably working the levers of power, badgering your elected officials with anti-restriction harangues, threatening to withhold donations, etc. Hell maybe you've even hired lobbyists by now.

A mandate is by definition a restriction. So is schools going remote because one is restricted from attending school in person.

[compucomp]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

No doubt nova has grown more liberal.. compared to the Obama years.

But its bizzare how everything is open here .. mask usage is 50 50 .. and people act normally and while many work from home it seems to be less than you'd think.

This is true in 80% of America.

Problem is like half the forum myself included live in the 20%. Hence the complaints about restrictions from myself and others.

Here we go again. There are no overarching government restrictions in force. A mask mandate is not a restriction. Some schools are going back to remote learning but that's decisions made at the local level by each individual school district depending on the local conditions, how many people caught COVID, etc. We all agreed that private entities have the right to restrict or shut themselves down.

I will give your side credit for being so loud that it has drowned out the majority of people who think the virus is a threat and want to try to slow it down. You're probably working the levers of power, badgering your elected officials with anti-restriction harangues, threatening to withhold donations, etc. Hell maybe you've even hired lobbyists by now.

A mandate is by definition a restriction. So is schools going remote because one is restricted from attending school in person.

No it's not. Masks don't prevent anyone from doing anything when the usual exceptions are carved out. Surgical masks cost 5c each. It's as much a mandate as an indoor no-smoking mandate or a mandate to wear clothes in public.

Schools are going remote because they have uncontrolled spread of COVID. Once they control the spread, they open back up. In the past school closures due to outbreaks of say measles or the flu was not unheard of.

It seems your side's true position is that COVID-19 is like the common cold and should be ignored. Your side should really be honest and publicly espouse that view and stop hiding behind complaints about "restrictions". Of course we all know why they won't, because it would instantly cause your side to lose credibility and support.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

I swear, most of you act like we're still living under March 2020 era restrictions. It's a little out of touch.

[Donerail]

There are no overarching government restrictions in force. A mask mandate is not a restriction.

Reported for gaslighting

[YE]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

No doubt nova has grown more liberal.. compared to the Obama years.

But its bizzare how everything is open here .. mask usage is 50 50 .. and people act normally and while many work from home it seems to be less than you'd think.

This is true in 80% of America.

Problem is like half the forum myself included live in the 20%. Hence the complaints about restrictions from myself and others.

Here we go again. There are no overarching government restrictions in force. A mask mandate is not a restriction. Some schools are going back to remote learning but that's decisions made at the local level by each individual school district depending on the local conditions, how many people caught COVID, etc. We all agreed that private entities have the right to restrict or shut themselves down.

I will give your side credit for being so loud that it has drowned out the majority of people who think the virus is a threat and want to try to slow it down. You're probably working the levers of power, badgering your elected officials with anti-restriction harangues, threatening to withhold donations, etc. Hell maybe you've even hired lobbyists by now.

A mandate is by definition a restriction. So is schools going remote because one is restricted from attending school in person.

No it's not. Masks don't prevent anyone from doing anything when the usual exceptions are carved out. Surgical masks cost 5c each. It's as much a mandate as an indoor no-smoking mandate or a mandate to wear clothes in public.

Schools are going remote because they have uncontrolled spread of COVID. Once they control the spread, they open back up. In the past school closures due to outbreaks of say measles or the flu was not unheard of.

It seems your side's true position is that COVID-19 is like the common cold and should be ignored. Your side should really be honest and publicly espouse that view and stop hiding behind complaints about "restrictions". Of course we all know why they won't, because it would instantly cause your side to lose credibility and support.

Wearing clothes is also a restriction and certainly smoking bans are also a restriction. They’re not overly intrusive and I’ll admit many people on this forum myself included are overly sensitive sometimes but it certainly is a restriction. I also don’t think masks will suddenly make a big dent in this pandemic with the Omicron variant just because of how contagious it is. Everyone is going to get it unless they’ve been boosted or already got it, and even then, they very well have a good chance of getting it. Hospitals are going to be overwhelmed, and at best, a mask mandate delays that by a day or two. I think, and this is especially true for universities, mask mandates, especially post-vaccine and pre-omicron, were mostly implemented as a form of virtue signaling, so that they feel like they did SOMETHING.

I’m actually fine with shutting schools (as if it were a snow day) if it becomes logistically impossible for schools to function due to so many absences and that’s something that should be decided on a school by school basis. That is not the same as remote learning because quite frankly that is not a viable education method especially for younger students.

I do think we need to start treating this as endemic (like the common cold). Vaccines were heralded as the end of the pandemic and in terms of lowering an individual’s risk of serious illness, it has delivered. It’s really terrible optics to keep shifting the goalposts.

[emailking]

So we have broken the all time record of over 1 million new cases in a single day? A few months ago, I would have freaked out about this. But at least this is getting us herd immunity sooner than later, kind of a "natural vaccination" for anti-vaxxers. As sad as it is. I just hope hospitals don't get overwhelmed, especially to protect non-Covid patients as cancer and other diseases don't pause because of a pandemic.

At least as far as officially recorded cases go, I don't think we have. There were over a million cases logged yesterday but it includes holiday backfill.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

An interesting perspective on recent increased hospitalization rates from an ICU nurse:

https://slate.com/technology/2022/01/omicron-miami-icu-nurse-covid-optimism.html

I would say as I talk to the nurses that work in the COVID unit right now, I sense more optimism. In the first and second surges, we saw so much death, and dying, and suffering. It was really, really, really heartbreaking.

This time, patients just aren’t as sick.

[Tekken_Guy]

Jesus, the liberal egghead outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and NPR are in full-on propaganda mode right now. They're putting out daily headlines fear-mongering about Omicron and not-so-subtly smearing the heroes that are trying to make sure school actually stays open. If these social media companies actually wanted to be consistent about their misinformation policies they would ban or at least threaten to ban these publications too. I don't want that to happen, but I'm just saying that the COVID lies go far beyond the Q people.

In a revote I think virginia would be very close between trump and biden.. considering all this hysteria

Yup. Virginia’s electoral votes will of course be awarded to Trump either way in 2024, but at this rate the GOP may win the state outright anyway.

https://twitter.com/stephenmoore/status/1477011711605587977?s=21

Trump will not be winning Virginia’s electoral votes under any scenario. First of all it’s far from certain he’ll be the GOP nominee. And while another Republican like DeSantis has a tiny shot at flipping the state, Trump himself does not. And I don’t think Youngkin would go through with overturning a Democratic win in the stets.

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1478365316048736257

What the hell? The first (D) politician that cares about kids from poor families, not about wealthy lib donors TDS! 🤯

He's really, really good. Totally owns and debunks CNN's talking points. WOW!

[Hammy]

I find it strange that people on this forum are totally in favor of vaccine mandates but strongly against mask mandates

The mask mandates we have are nonsensical virtue signaling:
They're not enforced.
You can basically wear whatever mask you want, no matter how ineffective.
You're allowed to take it off to eat.

The people who are advocating mandates and claiming follow the science are themselves not following the science. It's either virtue signaling--telling the people they're on the 'correct' side of the issue while doing nothing of value, or worse--they're doing it purely as liability because they're afraid of being sued.

While I won't advocate stricter mandates as I'm wary of anything that might bring the police into the situation, the mandates as they are, are just utter nonsense. And as others have pointed out is destroying any remaining credibility from government agencies on this.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Weirdo with 20 mental illnesses: I enjoy work, enjoy wearing masks and dislike crowded social settings

Speaking as a weirdo with at least a few mental illnesses, if not quite 20, I tend to dislike crowded social settings (shyness, introversion, a bit claustrophobic tbh) but as far as the first two, I'm a downright normie--especially here in the SF Bay Area!

These #ZeroCOVID people are f--king psychotic!

[Bandit3 the Worker]

All the universities in my area are going back to online classes, even though there aren't that many cases, and far fewer deaths.

How can universities continue justifying such tuition for this sort of lousy experience? Students should be suing the pants off of these universities for not delivering the services they promised.

[Hammy]

All the universities in my area are going back to online classes, even though there aren't that many cases, and far fewer deaths.

How can universities continue justifying such tuition for this sort of lousy experience? Students should be suing the pants off of these universities for not delivering the services they promised.

The level of expenses aren't justifiable even in normal circumstances, so I doubt they care if people complain now.

[Morning in Atlas]

Weirdo with 20 mental illnesses: I enjoy work, enjoy wearing masks and dislike crowded social settings

Speaking as a weirdo with at least a few mental illnesses, if not quite 20, I tend to dislike crowded social settings (shyness, introversion, a bit claustrophobic tbh) but as far as the first two, I'm a downright normie--especially here in the SF Bay Area!

These #ZeroCOVID people are f--king psychotic!

It's truly amazing how Branch COVIDianism has become mainstream in the party. Even here of all places, in the most socially libertarian state in the Union, the likely Democrat nominee for governor just endorsed a statewide mask mandate. And it's not just him - the entire party is embracing COVID restrictions too.

[Horus]

https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1478365316048736257

What the hell? The first (D) politician that cares about kids from poor families, not about wealthy lib donors TDS! 🤯

He's really, really good. Totally owns and debunks CNN's talking points. WOW!

The kvetching from the lockdown crowd is absolutely glorious.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Weirdo with 20 mental illnesses: I enjoy work, enjoy wearing masks and dislike crowded social settings

Speaking as a weirdo with at least a few mental illnesses, if not quite 20, I tend to dislike crowded social settings (shyness, introversion, a bit claustrophobic tbh) but as far as the first two, I'm a downright normie--especially here in the SF Bay Area!

These #ZeroCOVID people are f--king psychotic!

It's truly amazing how Branch COVIDianism has become mainstream in the party. Even here of all places, in the most socially libertarian state in the Union, the likely Democrat nominee for governor just endorsed a statewide mask mandate. And it's not just him - the entire party is embracing COVID restrictions too.

If you’re going to analogize any group in this pandemic to an actual death cult, it’s got the be the anti-vaxxers.  I think mask mandates at this point are annoying and mostly ineffective, but they are also for the most part harmless.  Closing schools is definitely -not- harmless, but at least it isn’t immediately killing people.

But they anti-vaxxers are directly responsible for the unnecessary deaths of tens if not hundreds of thousands of Americans.  It is likely by far the most deadly cult in American history by several orders of magnitude.