COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Calthrina950]

Your leader has spoken! He asks that you continue to wear masks. Do you want to be a Trumpist numbskull? I know you don't, 90% of this forum opposes Trump. Wear the mask.

President Biden on masks

“I know that for some Americans, a mask is not always affordable or convenient to get. So next week, we’ll announce how we’re making high-quality masks available to American people for free,” he said in remarks about the administration’s COVID-19 surge response.

He touted the work done already to make sure there is a supply of N95 masks for health care workers and first responders.

“We also helped make sure that high quality masks are widely available and an ample supply at affordable prices sold online and in stores,” he said, regarding masks for the public.

Biden on Thursday also addressed the frustration among Americans with continued mask wearing mandates and guidance.

“I know we all wish that we could finally be done with wearing masks. I get it. But there is a really important tool to stop the spread, especially the highly transmissible omicron variant. So please, please wear the mask,” he said.

You are equating opposition to mask mandates for support with Trump? That doesn't seem to be a fair evaluation of where this forum stands on the issue. But at this point, it's obvious that the majority of posters are at odds with you on this, as you are with them. You won't retreat from your viewpoints, and they won't retreat from theirs.

Now that President Biden unambiguously supports masks, if you oppose them you oppose him. Then since we are in a two party FPTP system, if you oppose Biden you support Trump. The anti-maskers here now must decide, do they oppose Biden here and allow Trump to get a win, effectively turning into a Trump supporter? Or do they close ranks behind Biden to form a united front against Trump?

This makes no sense, whatsoever. A Democratic or Republican voter should not be required to support every position that their candidate or their leader holds. If such a requirement were exacted of them, that would be an unfair and undemocratic move. Ironically enough, what you say here sounds very much like what the Trumpists would say. Any Republican who does not wholeheartedly support Trump and who even deviates from one position that he holds is denounced by them as a "RINO" or as "not being a true conservative." Such a viewpoint should not invade the Democratic Party. I'm a Biden voter, and yet I haven't approved of much of the Administration's strategy and messaging with regards to the pandemic in recent months.

You did a good job of describing how politics should be. But that's not how it is. Clearly Trump and the Republicans have taken "in unity lies strength" to heart. Their total unity behind Trump clearly powers them through just about any crisis or bad press and keeps them always a threat to take over. In the face of this, not supporting Biden and showing Democratic disunity is basically unilateral disarmament, like Republican states drawing gerrymanders while Democratic states use independent commissions and draw fair maps. Look at the 2016 and 2020 elections, it's clear that only a unified Democratic party can beat the Trumpist Republicans. So if you want to oppose Trump, you must support Biden on the foremost issue of the day.

I've simultaneously been having an argument with posters over at RRH Elections who thought that I was repeating Democratic talking points. One of them even said that I should "go back to Daily Kos" (even though I've never been a contributor or a poster on that website, though I have used their electoral data). And as I've said previously, some users on here think that I'm a secret "right winger" or a "closet Republican". But as my handle on RRH Elections indicates, I am someone who has "some agreement with both parties" (emphasis added). I am not a Republican, and I am not a Democrat. I don't completely align with either political party.

I'm critical of both, and I think that our entire party system should be overhauled. Thus, it would not make sense for me to blindly support Biden on every issue, nor to support Trump on every issue. And the recent response to the coronavirus pandemic is one where I don't blindly support Biden. I do support the response of my Governor here in Colorado, and I see a combination of that and DeSantis' response in Florida as the correct model to be pursued.

[ꙮ]

Your leader has spoken! He asks that you continue to wear masks. Do you want to be a Trumpist numbskull? I know you don't, 90% of this forum opposes Trump. Wear the mask.

President Biden on masks

“I know that for some Americans, a mask is not always affordable or convenient to get. So next week, we’ll announce how we’re making high-quality masks available to American people for free,” he said in remarks about the administration’s COVID-19 surge response.

He touted the work done already to make sure there is a supply of N95 masks for health care workers and first responders.

“We also helped make sure that high quality masks are widely available and an ample supply at affordable prices sold online and in stores,” he said, regarding masks for the public.

Biden on Thursday also addressed the frustration among Americans with continued mask wearing mandates and guidance.

“I know we all wish that we could finally be done with wearing masks. I get it. But there is a really important tool to stop the spread, especially the highly transmissible omicron variant. So please, please wear the mask,” he said.

You are equating opposition to mask mandates for support with Trump? That doesn't seem to be a fair evaluation of where this forum stands on the issue. But at this point, it's obvious that the majority of posters are at odds with you on this, as you are with them. You won't retreat from your viewpoints, and they won't retreat from theirs.

Now that President Biden unambiguously supports masks, if you oppose them you oppose him. Then since we are in a two party FPTP system, if you oppose Biden you support Trump. The anti-maskers here now must decide, do they oppose Biden here and allow Trump to get a win, effectively turning into a Trump supporter? Or do they close ranks behind Biden to form a united front against Trump?

This makes no sense, whatsoever. A Democratic or Republican voter should not be required to support every position that their candidate or their leader holds. If such a requirement were exacted of them, that would be an unfair and undemocratic move. Ironically enough, what you say here sounds very much like what the Trumpists would say. Any Republican who does not wholeheartedly support Trump and who even deviates from one position that he holds is denounced by them as a "RINO" or as "not being a true conservative." Such a viewpoint should not invade the Democratic Party. I'm a Biden voter, and yet I haven't approved of much of the Administration's strategy and messaging with regards to the pandemic in recent months.

You did a good job of describing how politics should be. But that's not how it is. Clearly Trump and the Republicans have taken "in unity lies strength" to heart. Their total unity behind Trump clearly powers them through just about any crisis or bad press and keeps them always a threat to take over. In the face of this, not supporting Biden and showing Democratic disunity is basically unilateral disarmament, like Republican states drawing gerrymanders while Democratic states use independent commissions and draw fair maps. Look at the 2016 and 2020 elections, it's clear that only a unified Democratic party can beat the Trumpist Republicans. So if you want to oppose Trump, you must support Biden on the foremost issue of the day.

Nah

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Your leader has spoken! He asks that you continue to wear masks. Do you want to be a Trumpist numbskull? I know you don't, 90% of this forum opposes Trump. Wear the mask.

President Biden on masks

“I know that for some Americans, a mask is not always affordable or convenient to get. So next week, we’ll announce how we’re making high-quality masks available to American people for free,” he said in remarks about the administration’s COVID-19 surge response.

He touted the work done already to make sure there is a supply of N95 masks for health care workers and first responders.

“We also helped make sure that high quality masks are widely available and an ample supply at affordable prices sold online and in stores,” he said, regarding masks for the public.

Biden on Thursday also addressed the frustration among Americans with continued mask wearing mandates and guidance.

“I know we all wish that we could finally be done with wearing masks. I get it. But there is a really important tool to stop the spread, especially the highly transmissible omicron variant. So please, please wear the mask,” he said.

You are equating opposition to mask mandates for support with Trump? That doesn't seem to be a fair evaluation of where this forum stands on the issue. But at this point, it's obvious that the majority of posters are at odds with you on this, as you are with them. You won't retreat from your viewpoints, and they won't retreat from theirs.

Now that President Biden unambiguously supports masks, if you oppose them you oppose him. Then since we are in a two party FPTP system, if you oppose Biden you support Trump. The anti-maskers here now must decide, do they oppose Biden here and allow Trump to get a win, effectively turning into a Trump supporter? Or do they close ranks behind Biden to form a united front against Trump?

This makes no sense, whatsoever. A Democratic or Republican voter should not be required to support every position that their candidate or their leader holds. If such a requirement were exacted of them, that would be an unfair and undemocratic move. Ironically enough, what you say here sounds very much like what the Trumpists would say. Any Republican who does not wholeheartedly support Trump and who even deviates from one position that he holds is denounced by them as a "RINO" or as "not being a true conservative." Such a viewpoint should not invade the Democratic Party. I'm a Biden voter, and yet I haven't approved of much of the Administration's strategy and messaging with regards to the pandemic in recent months.

You did a good job of describing how politics should be. But that's not how it is. Clearly Trump and the Republicans have taken "in unity lies strength" to heart. Their total unity behind Trump clearly powers them through just about any crisis or bad press and keeps them always a threat to take over. In the face of this, not supporting Biden and showing Democratic disunity is basically unilateral disarmament, like Republican states drawing gerrymanders while Democratic states use independent commissions and draw fair maps. Look at the 2016 and 2020 elections, it's clear that only a unified Democratic party can beat the Trumpist Republicans. So if you want to oppose Trump, you must support Biden on the foremost issue of the day.

Even if we concede your premise that the Democratic Party needs or could use a Führerprinzip, nobody who isn't some sort of maniac thinks that masks in particular are "the foremost issue of the day". A significant proportion of the country doesn't even think COVID is any more.

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

"The 1st study ... to demonstrate less severe disease in wave four [Omicron] after adjusting for both vaccination and prior diagnosed infection."
"Our data suggests that severe outcomes could be reduced by approximately 25% due to intrinsically reduced virulence of Omicron."
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1481404188764475392

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

A pre-print study that indicates that Omicron might be 70% less severe for kids <5 years!
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1481752685262999558

[emailking]

Cases are down a little bit, both from last week and from yesterday, which is odd for a Thursday. That's a good sign! We might not get to a million.

[GregTheGreat657]

There might be a way to convince a decent amount of unvaccinated conservatives to get vaccinated. That way would be to mention family, as according to research conducted by pollster Frank Luntz, family was the number one motivation among conservatives to get vaccinated.

[compucomp]

Your leader has spoken! He asks that you continue to wear masks. Do you want to be a Trumpist numbskull? I know you don't, 90% of this forum opposes Trump. Wear the mask.

President Biden on masks

“I know that for some Americans, a mask is not always affordable or convenient to get. So next week, we’ll announce how we’re making high-quality masks available to American people for free,” he said in remarks about the administration’s COVID-19 surge response.

He touted the work done already to make sure there is a supply of N95 masks for health care workers and first responders.

“We also helped make sure that high quality masks are widely available and an ample supply at affordable prices sold online and in stores,” he said, regarding masks for the public.

Biden on Thursday also addressed the frustration among Americans with continued mask wearing mandates and guidance.

“I know we all wish that we could finally be done with wearing masks. I get it. But there is a really important tool to stop the spread, especially the highly transmissible omicron variant. So please, please wear the mask,” he said.

You are equating opposition to mask mandates for support with Trump? That doesn't seem to be a fair evaluation of where this forum stands on the issue. But at this point, it's obvious that the majority of posters are at odds with you on this, as you are with them. You won't retreat from your viewpoints, and they won't retreat from theirs.

Now that President Biden unambiguously supports masks, if you oppose them you oppose him. Then since we are in a two party FPTP system, if you oppose Biden you support Trump. The anti-maskers here now must decide, do they oppose Biden here and allow Trump to get a win, effectively turning into a Trump supporter? Or do they close ranks behind Biden to form a united front against Trump?

This makes no sense, whatsoever. A Democratic or Republican voter should not be required to support every position that their candidate or their leader holds. If such a requirement were exacted of them, that would be an unfair and undemocratic move. Ironically enough, what you say here sounds very much like what the Trumpists would say. Any Republican who does not wholeheartedly support Trump and who even deviates from one position that he holds is denounced by them as a "RINO" or as "not being a true conservative." Such a viewpoint should not invade the Democratic Party. I'm a Biden voter, and yet I haven't approved of much of the Administration's strategy and messaging with regards to the pandemic in recent months.

You did a good job of describing how politics should be. But that's not how it is. Clearly Trump and the Republicans have taken "in unity lies strength" to heart. Their total unity behind Trump clearly powers them through just about any crisis or bad press and keeps them always a threat to take over. In the face of this, not supporting Biden and showing Democratic disunity is basically unilateral disarmament, like Republican states drawing gerrymanders while Democratic states use independent commissions and draw fair maps. Look at the 2016 and 2020 elections, it's clear that only a unified Democratic party can beat the Trumpist Republicans. So if you want to oppose Trump, you must support Biden on the foremost issue of the day.

Even if we concede your premise that the Democratic Party needs or could use a Führerprinzip, nobody who isn't some sort of maniac thinks that masks in particular are "the foremost issue of the day". A significant proportion of the country doesn't even think COVID is any more.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still the foremost issue of the day. Why do you think Biden has given several addresses in 2022 already about it? Why is he sending everyone N95 masks and distributing 1 billion test kits, notions that a month ago seemed fanciful and unrealistic? Because he knows that he is still being judged based on his performance on containing the pandemic. If you're not supporting Biden on this issue, then you support Trump with his bleach injections and hydroxychloroquine.

There's a been a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth on this forum about Manchin and Sinema blocking BBB and HR1, the Biden agenda being killed by DINOs, etc. But this forum has a huge mental block over the most important part of the Biden agenda, the part that got him elected: to take the pandemic seriously and get it under control. He unambiguously asked everyone to wear masks today and will make it even more clear when he sends them out in the mail. Where is your support for this part of the Biden agenda? Who are the DINOs now?

[MATTROSE94]

https://twitter.com/CDCDirector/status/1481315911843856387
Thank you Dr. Rochelle, very cool!

Of course, it makes even less sense than ever to force young, healthy people to get vaccinated.  That won't be the takeaway by the CDC though.  A lot of $$$ on the line for big pharma.

91% less deadly can also be expressed as 11.1x less deadly. Awhile back, based on South Africa data, I crudely estimated Omicron is 16.8x less deadly IRC. Looks like while that was a bit overoptimistic, it was on the right order of magnitude.

My calculations pointed to Omicron being about 10-15x less deadly as well, so we we both kind of close. It seems that Omicron has a 0.25-0.5% CFR, a lot less than the 1% CFR of the Wuhan 1.0 COVID variant of 2018/2019, the Alpha Variant, and the Delta Variant.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

According to my spreadsheet document, the deaths divided by known cases is down to 0.21%. It was close to 8% back in April 2020. Of course, this includes just known cases, not cases that were never found.

[MATTROSE94]

Your leader has spoken! He asks that you continue to wear masks. Do you want to be a Trumpist numbskull? I know you don't, 90% of this forum opposes Trump. Wear the mask.

President Biden on masks

“I know that for some Americans, a mask is not always affordable or convenient to get. So next week, we’ll announce how we’re making high-quality masks available to American people for free,” he said in remarks about the administration’s COVID-19 surge response.

He touted the work done already to make sure there is a supply of N95 masks for health care workers and first responders.

“We also helped make sure that high quality masks are widely available and an ample supply at affordable prices sold online and in stores,” he said, regarding masks for the public.

Biden on Thursday also addressed the frustration among Americans with continued mask wearing mandates and guidance.

“I know we all wish that we could finally be done with wearing masks. I get it. But there is a really important tool to stop the spread, especially the highly transmissible omicron variant. So please, please wear the mask,” he said.

You are equating opposition to mask mandates for support with Trump? That doesn't seem to be a fair evaluation of where this forum stands on the issue. But at this point, it's obvious that the majority of posters are at odds with you on this, as you are with them. You won't retreat from your viewpoints, and they won't retreat from theirs.

Now that President Biden unambiguously supports masks, if you oppose them you oppose him. Then since we are in a two party FPTP system, if you oppose Biden you support Trump. The anti-maskers here now must decide, do they oppose Biden here and allow Trump to get a win, effectively turning into a Trump supporter? Or do they close ranks behind Biden to form a united front against Trump?

This makes no sense, whatsoever. A Democratic or Republican voter should not be required to support every position that their candidate or their leader holds. If such a requirement were exacted of them, that would be an unfair and undemocratic move. Ironically enough, what you say here sounds very much like what the Trumpists would say. Any Republican who does not wholeheartedly support Trump and who even deviates from one position that he holds is denounced by them as a "RINO" or as "not being a true conservative." Such a viewpoint should not invade the Democratic Party. I'm a Biden voter, and yet I haven't approved of much of the Administration's strategy and messaging with regards to the pandemic in recent months.

You did a good job of describing how politics should be. But that's not how it is. Clearly Trump and the Republicans have taken "in unity lies strength" to heart. Their total unity behind Trump clearly powers them through just about any crisis or bad press and keeps them always a threat to take over. In the face of this, not supporting Biden and showing Democratic disunity is basically unilateral disarmament, like Republican states drawing gerrymanders while Democratic states use independent commissions and draw fair maps. Look at the 2016 and 2020 elections, it's clear that only a unified Democratic party can beat the Trumpist Republicans. So if you want to oppose Trump, you must support Biden on the foremost issue of the day.

Even if we concede your premise that the Democratic Party needs or could use a Führerprinzip, nobody who isn't some sort of maniac thinks that masks in particular are "the foremost issue of the day". A significant proportion of the country doesn't even think COVID is any more.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still the foremost issue of the day. Why do you think Biden has given several addresses in 2022 already about it? Why is he sending everyone N95 masks and distributing 1 billion test kits, notions that a month ago seemed fanciful and unrealistic? Because he knows that he is still being judged based on his performance on containing the pandemic. If you're not supporting Biden on this issue, then you support Trump with his bleach injections and hydroxychloroquine.

There's a been a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth on this forum about Manchin and Sinema blocking BBB and HR1, the Biden agenda being killed by DINOs, etc. But this forum has a huge mental block over the most important part of the Biden agenda, the part that got him elected: to take the pandemic seriously and get it under control. He unambiguously asked everyone to wear masks today and will make it even more clear when he sends them out in the mail. Where is your support for this part of the Biden agenda? Who are the DINOs now?

I agree a bit more with Eric Adams, Ralph Northam, and Jared Polis regarding COVID restrictions when compared to Joe Biden. That doesn’t make me a Trump supporter. I also wear N95 masks already at my job as well.

[DaleCooper]

There might be a way to convince a decent amount of unvaccinated conservatives to get vaccinated. That way would be to mention family, as according to research conducted by pollster Frank Luntz, family was the number one motivation among conservatives to get vaccinated.

Every hesitant person I know that eventually got vaccinated did so either out of concern for family or to appease them.

[compucomp]

The government site for COVID tests is up

4 per household, can order starting next Wednesday 1/19.

Shipments of free coronavirus tests will take at least a week, U.S. officials say.

Americans will be able to order free rapid coronavirus tests online at COVIDTests.gov beginning on Wednesday, but the tests will take time to arrive: they will typically ship within 7 to 12 days after being ordered, senior Biden administration officials said on Friday.

The announcement of the website fulfills a promise President Biden made before Christmas, when he said his administration would purchase 500 million rapid at-home coronavirus tests and distribute them to Americans free of charge. On Thursday, Mr. Biden announced his intent to purchase an additional 500 million tests, bringing the total to 1 billion. The administration has already contracted for 420 million tests.

But the lag in shipping means that Americans may not have access to the tests until the end of January at the earliest. In some parts of the country, that may be after the peak of the current surge of coronavirus cases, fueled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

The Postal Service will handle shipping and delivery through first class mail, the officials said.

[Inmate Trump]

Are the free tests 4 per household per month?  Or just 4 tests, period?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Are the free tests 4 per household per month?  Or just 4 tests, period?

Probably just 4.

[GregTheGreat657]

I've been saying this for over a month now, but we should leaving pandemic mode, not digging our heels in deeper

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://twitter.com/dabeard/status/1465873918183362563

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I've been saying this for over a month now, but we should leaving pandemic mode, not digging our heels in deeper

What is this in response to? Testing?

[GregTheGreat657]

I've been saying this for over a month now, but we should leaving pandemic mode, not digging our heels in deeper

What is this in response to? Testing?

Masks. They shouldn't be mandated for the vaccinated in any circumstance (except for hospitals)

[DINGO Joe]

I found someone who everybody here can hate

Assembly candidate, vaccine skeptic Benjamin Yu talks about how COVID-19 sent him to ICU

Meet Benjamin YU a Republican assembly candidate in the OC, the same place that gave us now deceased former assembly candidate Death cultist, Kelly Ernby, who Yu calleda "great friend"

Assembly candidate Benjamin Yu wasn’t vaccinated when he spent New Year’s in Las Vegas. A week later, when he was back home, the Lake Forest resident was so sick with COVID-19 and his oxygen levels so dangerously low that a local hospital admitted him to intensive care.

The previously healthy 39-year-old said he’s lost “weight, stamina and strength” over the past two weeks. Family and friends who helped take care of Yu also have become sick. At times, he said he’s wanted to bump his head against the wall to “relieve the pain and hopelessness.”

As of Thursday, Yu was still on oxygen at home and struggling to speak. But he used written messages to communicate that he believes he’s now on the path to recovery.

Yu says he's not an anti-vaxxer, just a skeptic who was still "gathering information"  so what does he think now?

In “hindsight,” Yu said he realizes that being vaccinated “may possibly reduce the severity or duration of the episode.” (Data shows unvaccinated adults are 13 times more likely to end up hospitalized and 20 times more likely to die from the virus.) Yu said he’s considering getting vaccinated when he’s well, “possibly after a few months.” And he’s encouraging others to wear N95 masks and practice good hygiene as the Omnicron variant surges.

“It’s not only for ourselves but for others,” Yu said.

That's right kids,  an anti-vaxxer pro-everybody masker.

[emailking]

I don't hate him. I'm glad he's getting better and has come around.

[Matty]

I am confused as to how omicron is killing people while at the same time, not resulting in many people needing ventilators?

Wasn't everyone that was dying of covid dying because they literally could not breath?

If people are dying, but not due to their lungs failing, what are they dying from re: covid?

What is omicron's upper respiratory/sinus nature targeting that is killing people?

[100% pro-life no matter what]

I am confused as to how omicron is killing people while at the same time, not resulting in many people needing ventilators?

Wasn't everyone that was dying of covid dying because they literally could not breath?

If people are dying, but not due to their lungs failing, what are they dying from re: covid?

What is omicron's upper respiratory/sinus nature targeting that is killing people?

A mix of deaths with covid (not from covid) and some from the last Delta infections, as Delta was still circulating at a significant level until around New Year's, perhaps?

[Calthrina950]

The CDC did double down on its masking recommendations yesterday, urging people to wear the "mask or respirator" that is "most protective" for them. So, they're not explicitly endorsing N95 masks, but they certainly are indicating support for them. This reinforces my conviction that the CDC will continue to recommend mask wearing in public long past the end of the pandemic.

[GregTheGreat657]

The CDC did double down on its masking recommendations yesterday, urging people to wear the "mask or respirator" that is "most protective" for them. So, they're not explicitly endorsing N95 masks, but they certainly are indicating support for them. This reinforces my conviction that the CDC will continue to recommend mask wearing in public long past the end of the pandemic.

If that happens, we should revolt by all peacefully refusing to wear masks