All things CoronaVirus

[Bart]

Compelling: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/unit ... =~All+ages

What is your inference or conclusion from the data?

Just saw a report this morning, that a very early look at limited data on Omicron is that it appears to be more transmissible than Delta but significantly less virulent. If this turns out to be true, then the latest mutations may be taking it more towards flu or even common cold which would be truly fantastic news especially if it were to supplant Delta.

Still early, but I recall a medical expert saying recently that it is not in the virus' interest to kill its host.

Couple if things...the medical expert is right, as long as it does not kill its host before it can replicate and spread. This is not the case with COVID. It often spreads prior to any symptoms just fine so killing its host after the fact is a nothing burger from the viruses perspective.

As to the virus mutating to a less virulent form. If it does, it is just dumb luck if so. Since the virus spreads prior to killing its host there is absolutely no selection pressure to move toward less virulence. Smallpox, SARS, Mers and a whole lot of really nasty ones have not mutated to less virulence and they do a heck of alot better job of killing their host.

Not to be a nattering nabob or negativity but.......If Omicron does mutate to a less virulent form but it more transmissible that may or may not be good news. Think of it this way....

Lets say out of a pop of 1 million people 10,000 get infected with a death rate of 1% so we get 100 dead out of the 10,000 infected.

Now lets say Omicron is 3x more transmissible (current estimates are around here) but half as virulent. So with the same 1 million people we would get 30,000 infected and with the 0.5% death rate would have 150 dead. And this is just from the virus. The more hospital beds taken up the greater the toll on the others in need of medical attention.

It is an interplay between the two, transmission and virulence that will end up telling the tale. It seems way to early to tell but JHU72 is taking all bets............

[Typical Lax Dad]

Compelling: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/unit ... =~All+ages

What is your inference or conclusion from the data?

Just saw a report this morning, that a very early look at limited data on Omicron is that it appears to be more transmissible than Delta but significantly less virulent. If this turns out to be true, then the latest mutations may be taking it more towards flu or even common cold which would be truly fantastic news especially if it were to supplant Delta.

Still early, but I recall a medical expert saying recently that it is not in the virus' interest to kill its host.

Couple if things...the medical expert is right, as long as it does not kill its host before it can replicate and spread. This is not the case with COVID. It often spreads prior to any symptoms just fine so killing its host after the fact is a nothing burger from the viruses perspective.

As to the virus mutating to a less virulent form. If it does, it is just dumb luck if so. Since the virus spreads prior to killing its host there is absolutely no selection pressure to move toward less virulence. Smallpox, SARS, Mers and a whole lot of really nasty ones have not mutated to less virulence and they do a heck of alot better job of killing their host.

Not to be a nattering nabob or negativity but.......If Omicron does mutate to a less virulent form but it more transmissible that may or may not be good news. Think of it this way....

Lets say out of a pop of 1 million people 10,000 get infected with a death rate of 1% so we get 100 dead out of the 10,000 infected.

Now lets say Omicron is 3x more transmissible (current estimates are around here) but half as virulent. So with the same 1 million people we would get 30,000 infected and with the 0.5% death rate would have 150 dead. And this is just from the virus. The more hospital beds taken up the greater the toll on the others in need of medical attention.

It is an interplay between the two, transmission and virulence that will end up telling the tale. It seems way to early to tell but JHU72 is taking all bets............

That’s a good plain language summary. Was on the phone with my buddy for 1/2 hour trying to convince him to get vaccinated. His uncle in the VA hospital and has lot a lot of his motor skills since he and his wife contracted COVID last month…..of course unvaccinated….I asked my buddy what is he going to do if he gets sick and can’t work? He can’t afford to miss one week of work. He believes the vaccine is a gamble….I told him he is already gambling with riskier odds. If he is around in March, I will see if $1k is enough to motivate him.

[kramerica.inc]

Labor Law: Biden Administration's vaccine mandates largely halted for now; companies taking a wait-and-see approach

https://roanoke.com/business/labor-law- ... 4424e.html

[kramerica.inc]

Biden's vaccine mandate blocked nationwide:

The Biden administration’s mandate for federal contractors’ employees to be vaccinated will be halted nationwide, amid a slew of challenges from states that say the president overstepped his authority in requiring the Covid-19 shots.

The mandate, which was set to take effect on Jan. 4, applies to roughly a quarter of the U.S. workforce and affects companies that do business with the federal government, including Lockheed Martin Corp., Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc.‘s Google, and General Motors Co.

A federal judge in Georgia blocked the mandate on Tuesday. The latest order follows a Kentucky federal judge’s grant last week of a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit involving Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio.

The government contractor mandate spurred a series of federal lawsuits from states seeking to block its implementation, including Arizona, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia. They argue that the administration lacks the authority to require vaccinations and the mandates violate the U.S. Constitution.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... nationwide

[kramerica.inc]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets ... NewsSearch

• The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia told the Biden administration to halt enforcement "in all covered contracts in any state or territory of the United States of America."

• The court said President Joe Biden likely exceeded his authority under the Procurement Act when he issued the mandate.

...

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia said the Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group that represents the construction industry, are likely correct that President Joe Biden exceeded his authority under the Procurement Act when he issued the mandate.

"In its practical application, it operates as a regulation of public health," District Judge R. Stan Baker wrote in the order. "It will also have a major impact on the economy at large, as it limits contractors' and members of the workforce's ability to perform work on federal contracts. Accordingly, it appears to have vast economic and political significance," Baker wrote.

The court said the federal contractor mandate is "costly, laborious and likely to result in a reduction in available members of the workforce."

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-dem ... virus-bill

[wgdsr]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-dem ... virus-bill

the lead says partial omicron shield, but the article mentions 40 fold reduction in antibodies. 40 fold.
https://smartnews.link/news/YQqe
there's other forms of immunity protection and this is in a petri dish-like setup, but it seems like we are still early innings here maybe.

south africa has gone from 2-300 per day to 10k plus in one of the steepest curves seen worldwide to date. fingers crossed on severe disease.

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-dem ... virus-bill

the lead says partial omicron shield, but the article mentions 40 fold reduction in antibodies. 40 fold.
https://smartnews.link/news/YQqe
there's other forms of immunity protection and this is in a petri dish-like setup, but it seems like we are still early innings here maybe.

south africa has gone from 2-300 per day to 10k plus in one of the steepest curves seen worldwide to date. fingers crossed on severe disease.

Fingers crossed is right.

[DocBarrister]

Labor Law: Biden Administration's vaccine mandates largely halted for now; companies taking a wait-and-see approach

https://roanoke.com/business/labor-law- ... 4424e.html

Just more right-wing idiocy worsening the pandemic.

The unvaccinated are seriously endangering themselves and all those who are in contact with them. They have absolutely no sense of patriotism or civic duty.

FARMINGTON, N.M. — At the San Juan Regional Medical Center, there is a scribbled message on one of every three doors in the Intensive Care Unit: “Anointed by Father Tim.”

That means the patient inside has received last rites from a Catholic priest, and is not expected to survive. Every patient in the ICU has Covid, and is on a ventilator ….

Almost two years into the Covid pandemic, amid yet another surge in hospitalizations, parts of the nation’s health-care system are still overwhelmed and understaffed, struggling to deal with a crush of cases among the unvaccinated.

… The current flood of patients is being driven by the unvaccinated. In the past month, 81 percent of Covid hospitalizations at San Juan — and 91 percent of Covid ICU admissions — are individuals who are not fully vaccinated.

The fatality rate is similar. Out of 17 hospitalized patients who died from Covid, only one was fully vaccinated.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-n ... d-rcna7858

DocBarrister

[Bart]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-dem ... virus-bill

the lead says partial omicron shield, but the article mentions 40 fold reduction in antibodies. 40 fold.
https://smartnews.link/news/YQqe
there's other forms of immunity protection and this is in a petri dish-like setup, but it seems like we are still early innings here maybe.

south africa has gone from 2-300 per day to 10k plus in one of the steepest curves seen worldwide to date. fingers crossed on severe disease.

Pfizer out with data indicating 3rd shot has good protection. Early data.

[kramerica.inc]

More good(ish) news on Omicron:

Omicron variant 'almost certainly' not more severe than Delta, Fauci tells AFP:

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/2 ... -tells-afp

[jhu72]

DeSantis trying to hide the truth.

[kramerica.inc]

Senate expected to vote to overturn Biden vaccine mandate for businesses as soon as Wednesday:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/08/politics ... index.html

[MDlaxfan76]

Senate expected to vote to overturn Biden vaccine mandate for businesses as soon as Wednesday:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/08/politics ... index.html

Yup, but no chance in House. Just a show in Senate.

Frankly, I think the mandates would be far more effective if very specific to situations that are more discretionary and directly regulated, eg air and rail travel.

[MDlaxfan76]

DeSantis trying to hide the truth.

hmmm, this actually would be restriction by the government of free speech (though not Congress, so not First Amendment)...right?

It's gross.

[jhu72]

DeSantis trying to hide the truth.

hmmm, this actually would be restriction by the government of free speech (though not Congress, so not First Amendment)...right?

It's gross.

... it should become a big story. Academics having their speech limited by politicians.

Tell me DeathSantis isn't a fascist. Forming a 200 man praetorian guard.

[kramerica.inc]

Senate expected to vote to overturn Biden vaccine mandate for businesses as soon as Wednesday:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/08/politics ... index.html

Yup, but no chance in House. Just a show in Senate.

Frankly, I think the mandates would be far more effective if very specific to situations that are more discretionary and directly regulated, eg air and rail travel.

Not sure it's "just a show."

Using the standard of party crossover (like Romney with impeachment) it's a "bipartisan" effort. 2 Democrats flipped. They recognize the constitutional overstep. The Republicans only need what, 5-6 constitution or jobs-minded democrats for it to pass the house?

Then make Biden veto it to see if he really believes he's constitutionally right to mandate vaccines.

[jhu72]

Got nothing to do with the constitution, they depend on mouth breathers for election.

[a fan]

Then make Biden veto it to see if he really believes he's constitutionally right to mandate vaccines.

We've gone over this...every State---all 50----have vaccine mandates on the books, and have since the 1970's.

Not only does Biden believe he's Constitutionally right to mandate vaccines, so does every Governor and legislature in all 50 States.

If they didn't? They'd pass laws getting rid of their own State mandates right now.

Not one has done that. Hilariously so.

But here we are in 2021, where millions of Americans don't even know what their own values are, and have to be told that "sorry pal, you DO believe in vaccine mandates, and have been following these mandates without complaint for over 40 years now, shooting them into your kids' arms with no thought whatsoever".

It's like having to explain to a lifelong duck hunter that he believes in the Second Amendment because out of nowhere, he claims he doesn't.

[tech37]

DeSantis trying to hide the truth.

hmmm, this actually would be restriction by the government of free speech (though not Congress, so not First Amendment)...right?

It's gross.

... it should become a big story. Academics having their speech limited by politicians.

Tell me DeathSantis isn't a fascist. Forming a 200 man praetorian guard.

You are sooo full of it... many states already have a state guard. Guess they're all fascists

"Some representative examples of other state guards are figured below. These are the Alaska State Defense Force, Alabama Stahe Defense Force, California State Military Reserve, Colorado State Defense Force, Florida Guard, Georgia State Defense Force, Indiana Guard Reserve, Maryland Defense Force, Mississippi State Guard, New York State Guard, Ohio Military Reserve, Oklahoma Reserve Force, Oregon State Guard, Pennsylvania Military Reserve, Tennessee State Guard, Texas State Guard, and Virginia Defense Force."

http://www.nettally.com/hgowan/state_guards.html

"SGAUS Mission

The mission of the State Guard Association of the Unites States (SGAUS) is to advocate for the advancement and support of regulated state military forces established by state governments under the authority of Title 32, Section 109, of the United States Code. These units are typically called state defense forces, state guards, or state military reserves and are regulated by state law and operational guidance provided by the U.S. Army’s National Guard Bureau."

https://sgaus.org/