@sh76 saidAbout 30,000 COVID deaths reported in the US since the start of the month. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us
A glimpse into our near future:
https://www.cityam.com/[WORD TOO LONG]/
[quote]‘Other countries can expect same decline’
The Covid expert who has been leading the country’s pandemic response, Salim Abdool Karim – South Afrcia’s most important infectious-diseas ...[text shortened]...
Still, the nature of the beast is what it is. And fortunately, this beast appears pretty toothless.
But Mr. What Me Worry says it's no big deal.
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@no1marauder saidDeaths reported this month are substantially all Delta or original. Omicron's virulence or lack thereof will start showing up in maybe another month (deaths lag cases and reports lag deaths).
About 30,000 COVID deaths reported in the US since the start of the month. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us
But Mr. What Me Worry says it's no big deal.
We'll see whether this season's excess deaths are as high as previous COVID waves.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm
===Mr. What Me Worry===
BTW, I like the nickname. I might start using it in real life.
@sh76 saidSo Delta and "original" are still causing over 1000 deaths a day in the US while you are scoffing at the idea of measures designed to lessen the spread of the disease.
Deaths reported this month are substantially all Delta or original. Omicron's virulence or lack thereof will start showing up in maybe another month (deaths lag cases and reports lag deaths).
We'll see whether this season's excess deaths are as high as previous COVID waves.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm
===Mr. What Me Worry===
BTW, I like the nickname. I might start using it in real life.
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@no1marauder saidDepends on the measure.
So Delta and "original" are still causing over 1000 deaths a day in the US while you are scoffing at the idea of measures designed to lessen the spread of the disease.
I don't think masks do much (unless everyone will properly wear an N95, which is not going to happen), though as I keep saying, I'm not worried about mask mandates for the supermarket and drug store. They're basically useless, but not costly. Mask mandates in schools are terribly costly and also mainly useless and I fervently oppose them on both grounds.
As for vaccine mandates, I never argued that they won't reduce deaths, but I am not in favor of government forcing people to protect their own health. If people want to avoid treatment and make themselves susceptible to severe COVID outcomes, that's their choice. I see no evidence that the healthcare system is in worse shape than it often is this time of year and no evidence that fully vaccinated people are in much danger from COVID, and especially from Omicron.
As it's pretty clear that everyone is exposed to COVID (and the few people that haven't been will be soon unless they lock themselves in their houses forever), you cannot prevent COVID spreading. At best, you can slow it a bit (though slowing the spread measures don't seem to having much of an impact on Omicron). As such, the only rational reason for government mandates is to save the hospital system. When it's shown that the hospital system is overstressed, then we can talk about mandates.
Incidentally, FWIW, I'm fine with private employers enforcing their own vax mandates (I'm not with DeSantis on that issue). Private employers have a right to institute pretty much any rational workplace safety rule.
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@sh76 saidI prefer the opinions of public health professionals over COVID minimizers like yourself. Needless to say, they don't agree with you on the efficacy of masks and the other uneducated assertions you make here.
Depends on the measure.
I don't think masks do much (unless everyone will properly wear an N95, which is not going to happen), though as I keep saying, I'm not worried about mask mandates for the supermarket and drug store. They're basically useless, but not costly. Mask mandates in schools are terribly costly and also mainly useless and I fervently oppose them on both ground ...[text shortened]... issue). Private employers have a right to institute pretty much any rational workplace safety rule.
At present 69,000 people in the US are hospitalized with COVID in a nation that has only 919,000 hospital beds in the entire country. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/25/health/us-coronavirus-saturday/index.html
https://www.aha.org/statistics/fast-facts-us-hospitals
That puts the obvious lie to your claims that the system is no more stretched than usual at this time of year.
Looks like President Biden is finally coming face-to-face with the obvious.
“Look, there is no federal solution,” he said after joining the White House covid-19 response team’s regular call with the National Governors Association on Monday. “This gets solved at the state level.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/27/covid-omicron-variant-live-updates/
The pledge to "shut down the virus" isn't aging well.
@sh76 saidNot with idiots like DeSantis doing all they can to obstruct Biden's efforts to increase vaccination levels.
Looks like President Biden is finally coming face-to-face with the obvious.
“Look, there is no federal solution,” he said after joining the White House covid-19 response team’s regular call with the National Governors Association on Monday. “This gets solved at the state level.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/27/covid-omicron-variant-live-updates/
The pledge to "shut down the virus" isn't aging well.
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@no1marauder saidRight.
Not with idiots like DeSantis doing all they can to obstruct Biden's efforts to increase vaccination levels.
That must be reason Omicron emerged in southern Africa and is spreading like wildfire every place it's touched, including Europe and the entire Northeast USA, full of blue states.
@sh76 saidLawsuits have blocked Biden's vaccine mandates since early November. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2021/12/02/biden-vaccine-mandate-what-know-lawsuits-rulings-kentucky/8821058002/
Right.
That must be reason Omicron emerged in southern Africa and is spreading like wildfire every place it's touched, including Europe and the entire Northeast USA, full of blue states.
Millions, perhaps tens of millions, more Americans would have been vaccinated if not for these obstruction efforts by Republican State officials. The magnitude of the present problem is exacerbated by these politically motivated efforts.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/08/06/cdc_director_vaccines_no_longer_prevent_you_from_spreading_covid.html#!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/05/11/covid-surges-in-4-of-5-worlds-most-vaccinated-countries-heres-why-the-us-should-worry/
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/vermont-highest-vaccination-rate-country-cases-surging/story?id=81090116
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/most-reported-us-omicron-cases-have-hit-fully-vaccinated-cdc-2021-12-10/
@metal-brain saidSigh
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/08/06/cdc_director_vaccines_no_longer_prevent_you_from_spreading_covid.html#!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/05/11/covid-surges-in-4-of-5-worlds-most-vaccinated-countries-heres-why-the-us-should-worry/
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/vermont-highest-vaccination-rate-country-cases-surging/story?id=81090116
h ...[text shortened]... ://www.reuters.com/world/us/most-reported-us-omicron-cases-have-hit-fully-vaccinated-cdc-2021-12-10/
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1043907/20211227_OS_Daily_Omicron_Overview_27_Dec_21.pdf
According to figures released by the UK government via the Office for National Statistics, people who are triple vaxxed are 4.5 times more likely to test positive for Omicron than those who are unvaccinated.
https://summit.news/2021/12/22/tripled-vaxxed-4-5-times-more-likely-to-test-positive-for-omicron-than-unvaxxed/
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Another consequence of media hysteria:
https://www.wcax.com/2021/12/22/covid-positive-vermonters-with-no-symptoms-clog-up-ers/
RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) - Some Vermonters who are able to find antigen tests and then test positive are clogging up emergency rooms.
The emergency department at the Rutland Regional Medical Center has been overwhelmed with asymptomatic folks.
Dr. Rick Hildebrant is RRMC’s medical director. He says some people who test positive with a rapid test go to the emergency room looking for a PCR test.
The Vermont Hospital Association says it’s hearing similar stories from other parts of the state.
Hildebrant says those who are asymptomatic and receive a positive antigen test should stay home and reach out to their primary care provider.
He says the only time to go to the ER is if you have a positive test and are very sick.
Hildebrant says the flood of asymptomatic people is preventing others in need of immediate care from getting it.
“It’s not so much the beds that are the precious resource, it’s the staff at this time. So we have to have some of our clinical staff providing care to those people and they can’t provide care to the folks in the ER,” Hildebrant explained.
Perfectly healthy people (most of them triple-vaxxed, no doubt) are rushing emergency rooms at the height of flu season because a somewhat-accurate test might have indicated a little Omicron in their noses.
Hey, CNN and the like: Stop yelling at people that Omicron is a threat to their lives. Panic-mongering has consequnces.
@metal-brain said===Gene vaccines are not the solution. They are only a treatment.===
Everyone is going to get the SARS2 virus. EVERYONE!
Gene vaccines are not the solution. They are only a treatment.
https://freewestmedia.com/2021/12/27/yet-another-corona-outbreak-on-a-fully-vaccinated-cruise-ship/
Treatment is a good thing.
Anticipatory treatment by vaccine is the ounce of prevention that's worth the pound of cure.