COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron (user search)
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  COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron (search mode)
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Question: ?
#1
Yes
 
#2
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Partisan results

Total Voters: 115

Author Topic: COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron  (Read 526222 times)
Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« on: August 04, 2020, 06:53:06 PM »

I'm strongly pro-education. Having school back to normal is crucial for not only academic achievement but also social development. This holds true from kindergarten all the way through college.

Back in March, I would have canceled school. Damn right I would! But this can't go on forever.

America's children deserve nothing less than the very best from our schools.

Everything we do these days is going to be quite a challenge, but we'll be better off if we can rip off this Band-Aid.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2020, 07:06:04 PM »

It's pretty similar to March though in that there's widespread community transmission. Schooling is important, but there's no way it'll be safe with the situation being as it is currently. And the way to get case numbers down quickly enough to start reopening some stuff and not to have an agonising drawn-out economic & health disaster is to go for a hard lockdown.

America had a hard lockdown for 2 months. It didn't work.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2020, 07:08:25 PM »


It was hard on me, since it gave me a pulmonary embolism.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2020, 07:11:22 PM »

I was actually glad to see the photo of the crowded high school in Georgia, which looked almost like any ordinary school year. I thought Georgia had one of the worse rates of COVID right now.

If Georgia can get this close to normal, most other places can.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2020, 10:23:28 AM »

Is it really even news when Trump says something and doesn't provide insight on it?

Of course schools should open, but more people would agree if the statement had insight and intelligence. For instance: "We know these are challenging times, but we owe it to our nation's children to provide the most robust education experience possible. Schools are vital for social development. I have confidence that schools and families will be able to work this out and move forward."

That makes more sense than "There will be death" and "Sad."
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2020, 09:14:48 AM »

My big worry is that anti-vaxxism is going to prohibit people from getting this vaccine even if they want it.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2020, 09:42:45 AM »

What do you two think about that high school in Georgia which has had an outbreak in coronavirus cases? Will we see similar outbreaks at other schools? And does it provide justification to those who do not think we are ready to resume in-person instruction this fall?

I didn't expect there to be zero cases, because there's no zero-risk options. Did they actually catch this virus at school, or did they catch it somewhere else? My county only has 90,000 people, yet has had almost 600 cases - and that's considered very low.

In March, one of the first things I would have done is cancel school. But we have to get things moving again, and I just don't see how we have any choice but to bring school back pretty much like normal. Quality education is important.

I'm pretty sure Sweden went back to school without any problems.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2020, 09:51:33 AM »

One of the items in today's Political Insider blog at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Quote
After photos of mask-less students at a Paulding County high school went viral, state Rep. Beth Moore had an idea.

The Democrat from Peachtree Corners set up an anonymous inbox -- reportmyschool@gmail.com -- for whistleblower tips, photos and videos about unsafe conditions at Georgia schools.

She says she’s been both overwhelmed and “shellshocked” by the response -- hundreds of messages in the last two days. The worst, she says, came from a teacher she verified as working in a north Georgia school district.

“I am planning for 27 students in my tiny classroom,” the unnamed teacher wrote her. “They are not making masks mandatory. My principal is joking to people that this is ‘god’s cleansing plan.’”



Clearly it's not realistic to require masks in schools. Adults can barely wear one for 5 minutes when they go to the grocery.

I think we can do better than this sort of dystopia.

But I think the photos from the school actually did a positive service. It shows we can have schools that are almost normal even in one of the more hard-hit states. If you can have school in Georgia, why not Vermont or Maine?
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2020, 10:00:12 AM »

Seriously?  I see plenty of people (adults, teens, younger kids) wearing masks the whole time they're grocery shopping when I'm there, and for much longer than 5 minutes.

I don't think people congregate for very long in grocery stores like they did before the pandemic.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #9 on: August 10, 2020, 10:13:37 AM »

I'd have to back up GeorgiaModerate's claim. As I've noted previously, 85-90% of customers at my workplace have been wearing masks since Governor Polis's mask mandate took effect nearly a month ago. Moreover, my workplace (Home Depot) made masks mandatory at all of their stores nationwide late last month, a week or so after Polis' order. I've also seen virtually unanimous compliance at the closest grocery store to me, King Soopers (owned by Kroger) in the same time frame as well. The vast majority of Americans have adapted to wearing masks, and will continue to do so for as long as it is necessary.

My observation is that compliance isn't as high, and those who do comply just don't spend much time in the store. They buy a couple things and leave as soon as possible.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2020, 05:48:07 PM »

I think it was possible to keep schools reopened even if wasn't the greatest idea, However doing it with 0 restrictions was stupid.

The main changes that really need to be made in schools is better ventilation and better access to sinks. I'm the biggest germaphobe in the world, but I don't think kids need to go to school in a hazmat suit.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2020, 08:31:13 AM »

What is the consensus about the virus "running its course" because of herd immunity? That is, things start to get better because enough people have already had the virus? Could it be happening now? Could we know by September?

Back when Arizona was really bad, I said it would be the next Connecticut or New York, and the number of cases would drop off significantly because of herd immunity. It's clearly happening now.

There's just no other conclusion as to why states that were once among the worst are now some of the best.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2020, 10:18:35 AM »

Boom goes the bubble gum...

https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/11/1006366/immunity-slowing-down-coronavirus-parts-us
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2020, 11:54:08 AM »



Although the UK number seems to be due some bureaucratic snafu

Sweden: 0
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #14 on: August 13, 2020, 06:21:39 PM »

It is funny on how the pro-lock down people refuse to acknowledge the stats like this.

From March to July, I didn't want to live. Not at all. Except maybe for a brief few days in May or June when the negativity let up for a little bit.

I don't think I really started feeling better for very long until I pretty much stopped looking at "mainstream" news outlets.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #15 on: August 13, 2020, 07:51:44 PM »

White House warns of ‘widespread and expanding’ COVID-19 spread in Georgia

Quote
President Trump’s coronavirus task force warns that Georgia continues to see “widespread and expanding community viral spread” and that the state’s current policies aren’t enough to curtail COVID-19.

The task force “strongly recommends” Georgia adopt a statewide mandate that citizens wear masks, joining a chorus of public health officials, Democrats and others who have warned that Gov. Brian Kemp’s refusal to order face coverings has plunged the state into deeper crisis and will prolong recovery.

Are folks in Georgia actually afraid of this virus?
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #16 on: August 13, 2020, 08:58:45 PM »

The U.S. just got its lowest positivity rate since way back on JUNE 25 (6.23%).
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #17 on: August 14, 2020, 09:47:37 AM »

For what it's worth, I'm 47. And yes, I'd get the vaccine if it was offered to me.

I believe very strongly in science, and I'm confident a safe vaccine will be available.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #18 on: August 16, 2020, 03:20:29 PM »

During the Ebola pandemic, Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie enacted quarantines that applied only to people who had been exposed to Ebola patients. This meant very few people were even quarantined. Yet a lot of people back then said this was much too strict. Dr. Fauci even said this was much too strict and urged only monitoring, not a quarantine. When Florida implemented monitoring, some people even said that was too strict.

So why do we now have these much stricter measures that have lasted 5 whole months, and nobody dares to publicly oppose them?
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #19 on: August 17, 2020, 10:27:08 PM »

Fortunately, she was understanding, but said it was a shame that we couldn't, and openly said that the maskless people were "Trump supporters."

They're not. I know firsthand they're not all Trumpers. I was at a local convenience store the other day, and everyone was maskless - despite a statewide order and store chain policy.

But the clerk said the store does not enforce the mask policy because a Walmart customer shot an employee who reminded them to wear a mask. I can't condone violence like this, regardless of whether we think the mask policy is a good idea. I am beyond furious at the government's poor handling of this pandemic, but shooting store employees isn't how we fight back.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #20 on: August 19, 2020, 06:49:28 PM »

Good grief! I just don't get it.

Of course I think schools should offer online instruction, but I don't understand the fetish for moving everything online when some families want in-person classes. Online schooling is only good as a short-term solution, but it's been going on since March.

Sooner or later - like very soon - we've got to get our schools back open just like normal. When I first voted when I was 18, one of my priorities was education. There's no way an all-online system would have been tolerated back then, even if it had been invented.

I know there's some people who still have some fear, but this is something we as a community and nation are going to overcome.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #21 on: August 19, 2020, 06:56:45 PM »

And I love how the AP paints supporters of in-person schools as right-wing Trump supporters. We're not. I've been voting for more liberal candidates my whole adult life precisely because they're more pro-education.

The AP is guilty of defamation.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #22 on: August 23, 2020, 05:55:52 AM »

Humans are social animals. Not just college students, but people of any age. Colleges have no business punishing students for attending parties off campus.

I would have been horrified at these parties back in April. But not now. People need normal social interaction after being isolated for 5 months.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #23 on: August 23, 2020, 06:07:47 AM »

"$1,000+ deaths a day is an acceptable price to pay for normal life" That's the choice you are making.

As opposed to the 2,000 we were seeing under full lockdowns.
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Bandit3 the Worker
Populist3
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,951


Political Matrix
E: -10.00, S: -9.92

« Reply #24 on: August 23, 2020, 06:34:32 AM »

Please explain your novel epidemiological theory as to how reducing social contact increases cases and deaths from Covid-19.

Why were there so many more cases when lockdowns were worse (at least in the U.S.)?
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