People who got the first two shots but aggressively oppose a third one baffle me. The computer chip is already in there, might as well get the software update https://t.co/foPvFKOWfD
— James Medlock (@jdcmedlock) January 24, 2022
COVID-19 cases are falling in parts of the United States hit hardest by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, according to a Reuters analysis of public health data. Experts say this indicates cases might have peaked in the country overall https://t.co/sFwG2QMpeq pic.twitter.com/T8tBYitq9p
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 25, 2022
Even as COVID-19 cases drop and hospitalizations show signs of plateauing in hard-hit pockets of the United States, the still-rising death toll from the Omicron variant highlights the trail of loss that follows every virus surge https://t.co/iYALSJHOBw pic.twitter.com/n2HzRq6aBF
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 25, 2022
Hospitals are increasingly asking staff who have the coronavirus to work while potentially infectious, underscoring how the hyper-transmissible omicron variant has sidelined employees, overwhelmed resources and upended nearly two years of strict protocols. https://t.co/PbQdjmYdY2
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 23, 2022
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World health officials are offering hope that the ebbing omicron surge could give way to a more manageable phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. But they warn of difficult weeks ahead and the possibility of an even more dangerous variant emerging.https://t.co/Bb5tQHgnLQ
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 24, 2022
… The encouraging trends after two years of coronavirus misery have brought a noticeably hopeful tone from health experts. Rosy predictions have crumbled before, but this time they are backed by what could be called omicron’s silver lining: The highly contagious variant will leave behind extremely high levels of immunity.
On Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci talked on ABC “This Week” about a “best-case scenario” where COVID-19 would fall to manageable levels so the United States could get “back to a degree of normality.”
And on Monday, the World Health Organization issued a statement anticipating an end to the “emergency phase” of the pandemic this year and saying that the omicron variant “offers plausible hope for stabilization and normalization.”
Both Fauci and the WHO’s Europe regional director, Dr. Hans Kluge, cautioned that new variants are likely to emerge, but with vaccination, new drug therapies and — during surges — testing and masks, the world could reach a less disruptive level of disease in which the virus is, as Fauci put it, “essentially integrated into the general respiratory infections that we have learned to live with.”
In the U.S., new cases are averaging a still extraordinarily high 680,000 a day, down from an all-time peak of over 800,000 a little more than a week ago…
One influential model projects that nearly all nations will be past the omicron wave by mid-March, including China and other countries with “zero COVID” policies. The wave will leave behind high levels of immunity — both from infection and vaccination — that could lead to low levels of transmission for many weeks or months.
“What do we end up with at the end of this?” said Dr. Christopher Murray of the University of Washington, who developed the closely watched Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model. “We end up with the highest levels of global immunity that we’ve seen in the pandemic.”
The model estimates that 57% of the world’s population already has been infected with the virus at least once.
Another research group, which combines several models and shares the projections with the White House, predicts a strong decline in U.S. infections by April, unless a new variant emerges that can sidestep the growing levels of immunity…
Excellent visualizations at the link:
How fast is the progress of Covid vaccination around the world?https://t.co/oyjX2TML6W
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 24, 2022
After a weekend of mass #Covid testing in #Beijing, there is a lot more today. Whole housing communities are being told to be tested, in some cases twice in two days. Officials at one compound told me this was not because of infected residents but as a precaution. #China pic.twitter.com/dZs743Nsby
— Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) January 24, 2022
Japan panel to approve widening of COVID curbs https://t.co/BhYiEUehEg pic.twitter.com/eGgze6cDEF
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 25, 2022
S.Korea's daily COVID count tops 8,000 for first time amid Omicron spread https://t.co/grDMx58TCw pic.twitter.com/emSZ7kLBjS
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 25, 2022
Covid hits crucial Australian aid ship bound for tsunami-struck island https://t.co/swfvm72gcq
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 25, 2022
Russia set a fourth consecutive daily record for coronavirus infections Monday as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the countryhttps://t.co/OlRQ4UhqEI
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) January 24, 2022
The Russian Health Ministry has suspended orders of the country’s second coronavirus vaccine due to low demand nationwide, the Vedomosti business daily reported Tuesdayhttps://t.co/MCv4pFOosi
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) January 25, 2022
Anti-#vaccine protest in Brussels yesterday went violent, with attacks on the police that look familiar to those who watched Jan. 6 2021 attack on Capitol Hill. All over the West the prolonged #pandemic is spawning ever-more protest and violence. https://t.co/gLRCK8Glpp
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) January 24, 2022
How Covid disinformation has fuelled attacks on Czech doctors https://t.co/zxpVf0e5dn
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 25, 2022
Netherlands expected to ease COVID curbs despite record infections https://t.co/Z57SATJgk4 pic.twitter.com/so1ORvbu2y
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 25, 2022
Covid tests for fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England to be scrapped from 4am on 11 February, the UK government confirmshttps://t.co/JlutoZcMTG
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 24, 2022
StatCan: COVID-19 led to more than half-a-year drop in life expectancy in 2020 https://t.co/rWyIbp6NKy
— CP24 (@CP24) January 25, 2022
I’m seeing #BoycottWalmart on every twitter sidebar — Wonder if the American anti-vaxxers will join their Canadian allies?
Walmart Canada is implementing vaccine passports at all locations in Quebec. No vaccine passports no food.#BoycottWalmart https://t.co/U5y0Kk0GXg
— Sikh For Truth (@SikhForTruth) January 24, 2022
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U.S. health officials are halting use of two COVID-19 antibody drugs because they don't work against the omicron variant.https://t.co/o5eCwy3Q9X
— AP Health & Science (@APHealthScience) January 24, 2022
Straight talk on a Covid endemic state, new @naturehttps://t.co/J16ZGVPX7m
by @ArisKatzourakis
"There is a widespread, rosy misconception that viruses evolve over time to become more benign." pic.twitter.com/m5iVumSUVS— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) January 25, 2022
Current vaccines teach T cells to fight #Omicron, report scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology. They studied the impact of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, J&J & Novavax vaccines. Each can prompt the immune system to produce long-lasting T cells https://t.co/6rFttBVshr
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) January 25, 2022
The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. https://t.co/QAOPY6cvEB
— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) January 24, 2022
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#Omicron: Crisis standards of care have been activated in Idaho where medical care is now being rationed at overwhelmed hospitals https://t.co/aHaQeox0SX
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) January 25, 2022
Great Barrington Declaration co-author Sunetra Gupta now says ppl with Covid should not isolate, but should circulate freely in the community, because the best way to protect the elderly and the immunocompromised is by maintaining “herd immunity through constant reinfection.” pic.twitter.com/rhinKfPZxP
— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) January 22, 2022
The infamous Great Barrington Declaration — I did read it, but I wouldn’t recommend it — was basically a lot of fancy words and footnotes dressing up what could be summarized are ‘Kill off the old and sickly *now*, and let the rest of us get on with our important lives.’ The ensuing months of criticism, not to mention global pandemic catastrophes, have not improved the rhetorical skills of its originators…
It’s an odd argument. If we have herd immunity, why are we going to be constantly reinfected? And if we’ve always got lots of infected people are walking around, how does that protect the elderly who are also going to be walking around?…
Yes, Covid will soon be endemic. But the fact that a disease, particularly a seasonal one, is endemic doesn’t mean there are no benefits to limiting its spread. And it certainly doesn’t mean that the best way to protect the “vulnerable” is by having ppl get constantly reinfected.
Gupta uses the phrase “herd immunity,” but she doesn’t mean that – if she did, she wouldn’t be talking about “constant reinfection.” It’s just a “scientific” way of saying “a tolerable level of Covid hospitalizations and deaths.”
And that’s fine – going back to “normal” was always going to mean saying we’re fine with 300 ppl a day (or whatever) dying of Covid. But at least be honest about that.
And, more important, don’t pretend that you want to end isolation rules for ppl with Covid because it’ll save lives, when you really want to end them because you think they’re just too much trouble.
“Herd immunity through constant reinfection” is one of those phrases that captures an entire bizarre ethos in just a few words.
Also worth remembering that Gupta co-wrote a paper in July 2020 suggesting that parts of the UK might have already reached herd immunity, which she argued might be possible in some cases with only 25% of the population infected. Needless to say, that was not correct.
it’s like being on the titanic and deciding what this world needs is more drowning. unbelievable.
— World Famous Art Thief (@CalmSporting) January 24, 2022
“They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young,” Neil Young wrote in a letter to his manager and label, “Not both." Young demands Spotify remove his music over "false information about vaccines" https://t.co/f1u4bDAu1L
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) January 24, 2022
https://t.co/cFhDGHV0BU pic.twitter.com/tMQIdCzl6S
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) January 24, 2022
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