And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all. — Edgar Allen Poe Here’s an excerpt from a remarkable NYT article by David Leonhardt on the partisan gap in COVID-19 death rates since the arrival of the vaccines: The gap in Covid’s death toll between red and blue America has grown …
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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Sunday / Monday, Nov. 7-8
This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs
?❤️https://t.co/N2xhx4DWAV — little john (@nhojelttil) November 7, 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Sunday / Monday, Nov. 7-8Post + Comments (52)
A long time ago, before science was politicized. https://t.co/cwVGnJkI6A
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) November 7, 2021
The @POTUS account thanks @bigbird for getting vaccinated pic.twitter.com/5Dmv64oT98
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) November 8, 2021
Quick update on state of pandemic in the US
National picture has turned mixed
Bad news: rapid declines in cases has plateaued
Over past 2 weeks, new infections flat at about 75K per day
The good news?
Early in November, we're flat
Could be much worse. Could be 2020
Thread pic.twitter.com/iSWZaddYjo
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) November 7, 2021
Now that doesn’t answer, in itself, what the most appropriate or effective response to COVID should be, or how we weight the costs vs advantages of any given measure.
But yeah, if we just let it rip, its a freaking big deal.
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) November 7, 2021
Lives lost to undervaccination as of Septemberhttps://t.co/SCEABMPhKs
— COVID19 (@V2019N) November 7, 2021
98% of people over 65 have at least one dose which tells me both that we are capable of incredible feats as a species and that most 'Facebook boomers' are really elder Xers who embraced the internet without ever getting wise to its pitfalls.
Your offline grans are doing fine. https://t.co/fPjYBqQsj4
— zeddy (@Zeddary) November 7, 2021
US to reopen borders to vaccinated travellers after 20 months https://t.co/ufFqcWk1gE
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 8, 2021
U.S. expects delays Monday when COVID-19 travel restriction lifts, official says https://t.co/EIeJgdxvSG pic.twitter.com/8fyI9T0Lfh
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 6, 2021
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Worldwide cases due to COVID-19 were approaching 250 million on Sunday as the surge from the Delta variant eases and more normal trade and tourism resume, although some countries in eastern Europe are experiencing record outbreaks. https://t.co/l2wBkDQtsg
— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) November 7, 2021
50 new SARSCoV2 cases in China despite lockdowns and qurantines. Stringent measures will remain in effect, health officials there say https://t.co/RbeHxmZw8S
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 7, 2021
Japan has zero daily COVID-19 deaths for first time in 15 months – media https://t.co/APzo79nQbq pic.twitter.com/MbNGhuh5pq
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 8, 2021
Indonesia plans to give booster shots to the general public after 50% of its population has been fully vaccinated, its health minister said https://t.co/AWtoAW7s96 pic.twitter.com/d4wtOWVl3V
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 8, 2021
Australia will begin administering booster shots of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, as millions in its largest city, Sydney, woke up to more freedom amid an accelerating immunization drive https://t.co/UB22L4EqUf pic.twitter.com/nUivLyhqd7
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 8, 2021
New Zealand will ease coronavirus restrictions in its biggest city as vaccinations rates rise and lockdown measures will likely be phased out by the end of the month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said https://t.co/blXfVurso0 pic.twitter.com/RtzohLhNYv
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 8, 2021
Russia on Monday confirmed 39,400 new Covid-19 infections and 1,190 deathshttps://t.co/SUCjwsk6Nk
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) November 8, 2021
Russia's paid holiday, designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, has ended. But many regions have left vaccine passports and other restrictions in place.https://t.co/cN2Il3dlrc
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) November 8, 2021
Germany is seeing a record rate of COVID-19 infections as vaccinations slow. Unlike some other European countries, it has balked at making vaccinations mandatory for any professional group. https://t.co/ejyBzdlxa1
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) November 8, 2021
Iceland is one of several European countries with a recent surge in Covid, with data indicating the cases stem from unvaccinated adults and teens, and, to a lesser extent, vaccinated adultshttps://t.co/FDuhqNku7U pic.twitter.com/4FEhsfGsBu
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) November 7, 2021
UK to roll out COVID-19 antiviral drug trial this month -Health Security Agency https://t.co/AMYUitYXRy pic.twitter.com/JUKcSRfHqu
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 8, 2021
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Novavax has completed the process required for WHO's designation as an emergency-use Covid vaccine. The company also plans to soon submit complete data to the FDA for possible US emergency use. Novavax's vaccine is made using more conventional methods https://t.co/iGipk3YSwH
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 8, 2021
Covid as a hospital-acquired infection: More than 10,000 patients caught Covid in a hospital, a new analysis shows. They went into hospitals with heart attacks, kidney failure or in a psychiatric crisis. Some never made it out https://t.co/BspPSID6A4 pic.twitter.com/UCWkwgwdvE
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 7, 2021
I think many people still underestimate the pandemic truth of „it is not one intervention alone“. If the oral antivirals work as well as first reports suggest they are a game changer not because they are a silver bullet but because they can be layered on top of vaccines.
— Kai Kupferschmidt (@kakape) November 5, 2021
It is amazing to me that very simple truths that have been repeated ad nauseam over the last twenty months still need to be repeated again and again. And it is a huge challenge for journalists that see their job as reporting the „news“.
— Kai Kupferschmidt (@kakape) November 5, 2021
Staying one step ahead of SARS-CoV-2 requires genetic surveillance, continual laboratory testing of existing vaccines, and the development of new vaccine approaches ?https://t.co/RXL0876hij
— CEPI (@CEPIvaccines) November 7, 2021
So frustrating
Why do these "mix-ups" keep happening to Ivermectin studies?
I'm sure it's just a coincidence that so many of these studies highly touted on Twitter and Facebook end up getting retracted https://t.co/0ulyE7pTA0
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) November 6, 2021
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Many elementary schools around the U.S. are preparing to offer COVID-19 shots, now that the vaccine has been approved for younger children. But some school systems are wary after some middle and high schools that offered shots received pushback. https://t.co/0XRfgHwR06
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 7, 2021
Don’t think I’d fully realized the extent to which COVID deaths are no longer a thing in New York pic.twitter.com/wSF3M0KO6e
— Tom Gara (@tomgara) November 7, 2021
Big orange turd vs. big yellow bird…
not good pic.twitter.com/t4ODVctpGr
— Patrick De Klotz (@patdeklotz) November 5, 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Nov. 6-7
This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs
This is so cute. Big Bird is 6 years old and he just got his COVID19 vaccine. His wing is feeling a little sore he says but he seems to otherwise be doing well. https://t.co/eWr1PT3pki — Oni Blackstock, MD, MHS (@oni_blackstock) November 6, 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Nov. 6-7Post + Comments (33)
(All the usual noisy malcontents — including, of course, Ted Cruz — are predictably outraged.)
There was some discussion as to why the OSHA mandate was delayed until January. Presumably, it was so that bad-faith efforts like this can get thrashed out in advance:
BREAKING: 5th Circuit blocks Biden's OSHA-enforced vaccine/testing mandate for private businesses. Via @RebeccaARainey https://t.co/95r9BA9JQR
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) November 6, 2021
This isn’t just the same *court* that has bent over backwards to allow #SB8 to go into effect (despite “grave constitutional issues”); it’s the same *panel* that reached out to prevent the district court from even *holding* a preliminary injunction hearing in the providers’ case.
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) November 6, 2021
NEW: 70% of US adults are fully vaccinated, CDC data shows
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) November 6, 2021
Mandates are working. Thank you President Biden!
— metalheadCP (@metalheadCP) November 6, 2021
My social media is filled with photos of kids getting shots. My friends with under 5’s are talking about how they can’t wait for their turn.
— Ruth Shelton (she/her) (@Maggie1750) November 6, 2021
Parents of 5- to 11-year-olds in the US: you can find a vaccination site for your child and make an appointment here: https://t.co/QxNZcQkYVe
Please share widely. pic.twitter.com/gHMregJ4GC
— Edward Nirenberg (@ENirenberg) November 6, 2021
The U.S. is reopening to foreign travelers on Monday as long as they’re vaccinated. But millions of people who got Russia’s Sputnik V or other vaccines not recognized by the World Health Organization are out of luck. By @jspikebudapest https://t.co/ZV77aFqFfC
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) November 7, 2021
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No place on Earth is accurately reporting #COVID19 deaths, but under-reporting varies widely by region.https://t.co/IXA457rmVv pic.twitter.com/D7B8QBAA2l
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 7, 2021
The ??USA under-reports #COVID19 deaths by a margin of 20%, for many reasons. But that good compared to most of the world?. You can track country by country here: https://t.co/IXA457rmVv pic.twitter.com/KR1eph7c3h
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 7, 2021
BREAKING: Officials in western India say 10 patients have died after fire breaks out in COVID-19 hospital ward. https://t.co/O9dO14JdlL
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 6, 2021
Sydney to further ease COVID-19 curbs on Monday as vaccinations pick up https://t.co/jD37ysDCAJ pic.twitter.com/MAu1fOYMac
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 7, 2021
Russia's COVID-19 cases hit another one-day record as the country struggles to contain a wave of infections and deaths that has persisted for more than a month. The national coronavirus task force reported 41,335 new cases since the previous day. https://t.co/lBFV979WNe
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 6, 2021
The pandemic and funeral business corruption has seen Russia's crematorium industry surge, reports @pavlovaulianahttps://t.co/KmNHVFvBQs
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) November 6, 2021
In Greece, antivaxxers have been paying doctors 400 euros to give them shots of bacteriostatic water instead of th #COVID19 vaccine.
Except the doctors have been pocketing the money and giving them the real shot anyway: https://t.co/cAX9fbmDW6
— Kellen Squire (@SquireForYou) November 6, 2021
Latvia's parliament makes it legal to fire unvaccinated workers. The country is in the midst of a major #Covid surge https://t.co/FgawIAYUqU
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 7, 2021
Facing a spike in infections, Austria is sharpening its Covid rules. Front & center: The country is tightening rules for a nat'l vaccine-pass program, starting Monday. Officials are trying to stem an explosive Covid surge. https://t.co/fPJ6BcgnjF
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 6, 2021
Needless suffering: Britain offers a warning of what happens when a country ignores Covid. It reopened this summer allowing people to live w/out restrictions. The problem? Cases have surged, more than the rest of Europe, the US & many other countries https://t.co/dp2vqtfNmU
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 7, 2021
Covid booster jabs to open earlier for pre-booking in England https://t.co/caVxLPemg9
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 6, 2021
Costa Rica to require Covid shots for young people under age 18. Report says Costa Rica has become "1 of the first countries to implement such a mandate." Cuba has been vaccinating children as young as 2 against Covid, using vaccines developed in Cuba https://t.co/lyMxeieiqt
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 6, 2021
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The future of SARSCoV2 vaccination — lessons from influenza.
Some experts had hoped the vaccines could eliminate transmission w/ the ultimate goal of herd immunity. A more likely picture is similar to infection patterns & public health responses to the flu https://t.co/d9mfZu5L3m pic.twitter.com/VujUc8jlfg— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 6, 2021
So frustrating
Why do these "mix-ups" keep happening to Ivermectin studies?
I'm sure it's just a coincidence that so many of these studies highly touted on Twitter and Facebook end up getting retracted https://t.co/0ulyE7pTA0
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) November 6, 2021
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As of Tuesday this week, the entire Bay Area returned to the CDC’s orange “substantial” and red “high” categories of COVID transmission.
Here are the key factors that have caused metrics to hit a wall: https://t.co/lxHfaXQkR1
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) November 6, 2021
1/ Loosening restrictions
Slowly, many Bay Area counties are changing their rules for wearing masks indoors. Here’s more from @Bob_Wachter
and other experts on how that and other factors potentially are causing cases to plateau:2/ Vaccination rates
Vaccination rates in the Bay Area are high, but the efficacy of vaccines is showing signs of wearing off for people who got the earliest shots. And booster uptake hasn’t been quick…
The good news is that though cases are plateauing, hospitalizations in the Bay Area continue to trend downwards — a sign that vaccines work, experts say.https://t.co/lxHfaXQkR1 pic.twitter.com/JXzAoXDl59
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) November 6, 2021
By this summer, only about three dozen of 4,500 West Point cadets had refused to get vaccinated.
Three of these cadets, who decided to drop out instead of getting the shot, appeared on Hannity tonight. pic.twitter.com/fEBU8k2n1H
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) November 5, 2021
Rodgers played all the antivax hits while wearing the shirt of a guy who died at 36 of a contagious respiratory illness. pic.twitter.com/DDLKmlF4JU
— zeddy (@Zeddary) November 6, 2021
(Doc Holliday died of tuberculosis)
Seems like this dude loves lying. https://t.co/yL20oavj4Z
— Jean-Michel Connard ? (@torriangray) November 5, 2021
Aaron Rodgers said his decision to not get vaccinated was his choice for his body. He is correct—but his explanation of that choice, riddled with misinformation, will affect many people outside of his team, and that’s a damn shame. pic.twitter.com/6eLrF4TAr6
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 5, 2021
Perspective: Aaron Rodgers, starting QB for the unvaccinated, is really just looking out for No. 12 https://t.co/6iTsYP8UE2
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 6, 2021
Aaron Rodgers showing up for training camp next year stained blue from megadosing colloidal silver.
— Jean-Michel Connard ? (@torriangray) November 6, 2021
The Woke Mob Stole Aaron Rodgers’ Bike
This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Assholes, General Stupidity
Aaron Rodgers is the latest person for me to go from “Hrmm don’t know much about him” to “What a fucking tool” in lightning speed. For those of you who have not been following along, Rodgers plays Sportsball and throws said ball for a team in the Wisconsin region, and is apparently quite good at …
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, Nov. 5-6
This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs
I see so many parents so joyful at getting their kids vaccinated, and it reminds me that veterans of polio research told me how, on the day the polio vaccine was announced, people rushed into stores to watch on the TVs for sale, and cried. https://t.co/5z0mFhOilG — Maryn McKenna (@marynmck) November 4, 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, Nov. 5-6Post + Comments (55)
The U.S. is steadily chipping away at vaccine hesitancy and driving down COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to the point that schools, governments and corporations are lifting mask restrictions yet again. Nearly 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated. https://t.co/ogOvO8gDaA
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 5, 2021
U.S. administers 428 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines – CDC https://t.co/Q8lJilYvgu pic.twitter.com/ofIdO4CZGl
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 6, 2021
Attorneys general in 11 states filed suit against President Biden’s administration, challenging a new vaccine requirement for workers at companies with more than 100 employees. The lawsuit argues the authority to compel vaccinations rests with the states. https://t.co/nOU6thjFe9
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 5, 2021
Republican governors lead attack on Biden vaccine mandate https://t.co/Nlkqu88eoF pic.twitter.com/kZPlEv3le5
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 5, 2021
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? Half of the world's population has now officially received at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine!
Our latest global tally stands at 50.02%.
This is based on official data from governments around the world, compiled by our team at @OurWorldInData: https://t.co/jeZaePmiJd pic.twitter.com/X6OYB8mCpq
— Edouard Mathieu (@redouad) November 5, 2021
Figure: why I've come to believe that "this is it" – today's Covid situation is a version of the one we'll live with for at least next 1-2 years… perhaps moderately better or moderately worse (will vary by region), but unlikely to be massively better or worse. It's not great. pic.twitter.com/E9LqPOanJ1
— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter) November 5, 2021
China gives 1.07 bln people complete COVID-19 vaccine doses by Nov 5 – official https://t.co/0byZ1NJvxH pic.twitter.com/SHnOEmZc4V
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 6, 2021
I keep seeing this claim. FWIW, Israel has fully-vaccinated only about 63% of its population—somewhat similar to the United States. It was never highly-vaccinated, let alone "universal vaccination." There are these sticky ideas that seem to take hold, and nobody checks on later. https://t.co/V7UNqoBXrY
— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) November 5, 2021
Like you want to get impressed and probe strategies? How about South Korea which was really unlucky early on, had a terrible and large outbreak, and, with great effort, managed to beat it all the way back and hold the line till vaccination (now at 75%). https://t.co/l8BJwLQ6a7
— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) November 5, 2021
New Zealand's daily coronavirus cases cross 200 for first time in pandemic https://t.co/YgPLoe7iNK pic.twitter.com/qPXBndCh8Q
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 6, 2021
As pandemic pounds Ukraine, desperate officials try to scare people into getting the jab https://t.co/zO8JTe5nJl
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 5, 2021
Austria bans the unvaccinated from restaurants as COVID-19 cases surge https://t.co/GWuPQVrlHH pic.twitter.com/tEneRi8nuw
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 6, 2021
Britain allows early booking of booster shots to speed up rollout https://t.co/IOemhNPpDe pic.twitter.com/EGmuuz1NZS
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 6, 2021
Covid vaccine to be mandatory for children in Costa Rica https://t.co/c8akYvM4bv
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 5, 2021
Cruises reported more than 1,350 covid cases since June, CDC report reveals https://t.co/CrjSDkHxQE
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 5, 2021
… According to the CDC data, cruise operators confirmed 1,359 cases between June 26 and Oct. 21, a roughly four-month period that represents a rebound for the industry. Many of those involved breakthrough infections of people who were fully vaccinated. During that time, operators reported 49 hospitalizations and 38 medical evacuations for covid-19 or covid-like illnesses. At least one person died after testing positive during a cruise.
As the government allowed cruises to resume with some restrictions, ships added vaccine requirements, testing rules, capacity limits and mask mandates. Cruise lines have acknowledged positive cases over the past few months, but the full scope was not previously known. The CDC included the numbers in its extension of a “conditional sail order” that outlines operating rules for cruise lines during the pandemic; that order will shift from mandatory to voluntary on Jan. 15…
The document provides several examples, mostly involving breakthrough cases, including one in which a symptomatic passenger who tested positive on a ship in late July was linked to 20 more confirmed cases over two sailings. In that case, 18 service workers and two passengers were infected. One ship reported 58 positive cases between July 24 and Aug. 28, and another reported 105 confirmed cases on four back-to-back trips between Aug. 19 and Sept. 7. One reported 112 cases on four voyages between Aug. 21 and Sept. 7.
In each of those cases, the ships reported between 96.4 percent to 100 percent of people aboard were vaccinated.
Aimee Treffiletti, a captain in the U.S. Public Health Service and lead for the CDC’s maritime unit, told The Washington Post in an interview last week that vaccinations should continue to be “an essential part” of cruise line health plans even after the rules expire.
“That’s one of the main reasons we haven’t seen medical systems overwhelmed on board, because we have such high vaccination rates on board,” she said…
In an email, Cruise Lines International Association spokeswoman Bari Golin-Blaugrund said the trade group estimates that about 600,000 customers sailed aboard ocean ships during the four months since the industry resumed in the United States.
“The relatively low occurrence of covid-19 during that period, particularly when compared to the rest of the country, further shows the leadership of the cruise industry and the effectiveness of the science-backed protocols that have enabled a successful return to operations around the world,” she wrote.
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Big and very positive news today on Pfizer's anti-Covid pill –Paxlovid –that reduced hospitalization and death by 89%, taken within 3 days of diagnosis?https://t.co/vrCtG2Dx6L @JaredSHopkins
This week's @ScienceMagazine paper below on the 2nd such pill https://t.co/8GRiAb2zi6 pic.twitter.com/eLeRzbWEMK— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) November 5, 2021
The study also allowed 1,219 patients to start taking the treatment (or placebo) within 5 days after symptoms
41 patients were hospitalized or died in the placebo group
6 who received Paxlovid, an 85% reductionhttps://t.co/whWxOunD9p @matthewherper @statnews— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) November 5, 2021
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla tells us its #covid19 antiviral, now called Paxlovid, will save "millions and millions of lives."
The company plans to file with FDA by Thanksgiving & is already in discussions with 90 govts around the world for supply. https://t.co/TjhqicuViR
— Meg Tirrell (@megtirrell) November 5, 2021
Yep, already been going on for months https://t.co/00mFUn2vTu
— Ste JM ?????? (@stejormur) November 5, 2021
The AY.4.2 "super Delta" form of #SARSCoV2 has popped up in many places, including USA, but is still a British virus, based on sequenced samples.https://t.co/E9IWOm4d36 pic.twitter.com/yJmeJECilY
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 5, 2021
Two hyenas at the Denver Zoo have tested positive for coronavirus, the first confirmed cases among the animals worldwide. Samples from a variety of animals at the zoo were tested after several lions at the facility became ill. https://t.co/mlpCwhrC0P
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 6, 2021
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Nice scoop by @joe_depaolo here
Newsmax is implementing a vaccine mandate and is requiring all employees to be vaxxed by Jan. 4, or undergo weekly COVID tests.
Railing against vax mandates has been a regular feature of Newsmax programming.https://t.co/OEZldjPW52
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) November 5, 2021
Aaron Rodgers on his recovery:
"I consulted a good friend of mine, Joe Rogan, and I've been doing a lot of the stuff he recommended in his podcast"
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) November 5, 2021
what am i some sort of asshole
(everyone looks at each other) https://t.co/exFr2QgrK2
— World Famous Art Thief (@CalmSporting) November 5, 2021
have we considered the possibility that Aaron rodgers is nicki minajs cousins friend https://t.co/QSTeFXXosp
— Astead (@AsteadWesley) November 5, 2021
My one Rogan listener friend went from having no idea what Ivermectin was one day, to telling me it was a miracle breakthrough (complete with linking me to some study he didn't understand) and I was being partisan for rejecting it, like a day later. All because Rogan said so.
— Centrism Fan Acct ?? (@Wilson__Valdez) November 5, 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, Nov. 4-5
This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs
If I see one more analysis that says "Voters are turning on Biden b/c they are depressed about COVID" without also stipulating that the current COVID situation is entirely Republicans' fault I am going to light the entire goddamn internet on fire — Mangy Jay (@magi_jay) November 3, 2021 The bottom line: We’ve secured enough …
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, Nov. 4-5Post + Comments (105)
Millions of U.S. workers now have a Jan. 4 deadline to get a COVID vaccine. The federal government announced new vaccine requirements for workers at companies with more than 100 employees.
Here are answers to some key questions. https://t.co/S0c5CASBbj
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 4, 2021
Tougher rules will apply to another 17 million people who work in nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities that receive money from Medicare and Medicaid. Those workers will not have an option for testing and will need to be vaccinated. https://t.co/rT7Ohv0JLS
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 4, 2021
Lots of school based vaccination for 5-11 year olds happening here in the US ????
Often these are after school and any unvaccinated parents can get their shot at the same time
This makes me hopeful
— Prof. Gavin Yamey MD MPH (@GYamey) November 4, 2021
New @WhiteHouse directives expand #COVID19 #vaccine mandates for key workers and employers.
???? pic.twitter.com/taI0k5UuIv
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 4, 2021
CDC discourages Americans from traveling to Russia, Belgium, Slovakia & Burkina Faso due to Covid crises in those countries https://t.co/3YpXiand0u
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 4, 2021
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While people are now able to travel freely in Australia’s more populated east, COVID-19-free Western Australia will maintain its tight restrictions into next year. Australia's largest state by land mass has the nation’s lowest vaccination rates. https://t.co/I3Vd4kphdB
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 5, 2021
⚡️ Russia on Friday confirmed 40,735 Covid-19 infections and 1,192 deaths, both the second highest figures of the pandemic.https://t.co/tV0xFMFuDS
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) November 5, 2021
People who get vaccinated in one Far East district could win a grand prize of three tons of coal valued at 15,000 rubles ($200) https://t.co/hXRf366Ese
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) November 4, 2021
Europe is back at the center of the pandemic, according to the WHO. The World Health Organization says Europe is responsible for nearly three-fifths of the world's recent coronavirus cases https://t.co/6qfJMkZMa0
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 5, 2021
… Europe accounted for 59 percent of the world’s newly reported coronavirus cases last week, and for nearly half the world’s Covid-related deaths, Hans Kluge, the W.H.O.’s director for the 53 countries in its European region, told reporters.
Dr. Kluge said that there were 1.8 million new cases and about 24,000 deaths in the European region in the past week.
“We are at another critical point of pandemic resurgence,” Dr. Kluge said. “Europe is back at the epicenter of the pandemic — where we were one year ago.”
The region is reporting an average of more than 30 new cases a day for every 100,000 people, a rate that has almost doubled since mid-September. Eighteen of the 20 countries around the world that are reporting the most new cases per day, relative to their populations, are in Europe or the part of Central Asia that the W.H.O. includes in its European region…
Hospitals are being flooded with Covid patients across the region; in 43 of the 53 countries, hospitals are likely to face high to extreme stress in the next three months, the W.H.O. projected.
Dr. Kluge said the virus was surging because precautions like mask-wearing were relaxed and because too few people have been vaccinated.
Eight countries in the region have vaccinated more than 70 percent of their populations, but two have managed to immunize less than 10 percent, he said. Hospital admission rates were high, he said, in the countries where vaccination rates were low…
Doctors in Bosnia are bracing for a new wave of the coronavirus in the Balkan nation, which has a low vaccination rate and has been among the hardest hit countries in Europe earlier in the pandemic. https://t.co/3jczSgTUqF
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 5, 2021
#DeltaVariant: Facing a surge in cases, Latvia makes it legal to fire unvaccinated workers. Officials in the Baltic country also declared a 3-month state of emergency starting Nov. 8 as new coronavirus cases soar to levels not seen there before https://t.co/FgawIAYUqU
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 5, 2021
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Oxford scientists find the gene that doubles risk of dying from Covid-19.
'About 60% of people of South Asian ancestry have the gene' ??
https://t.co/J4Q1EBQUj5— Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) November 4, 2021
High-risk Covid gene more common in South Asians https://t.co/EVDpO2k5KR
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 4, 2021
Possible explanation for cerebral Covid & cerebral #LongCovid: New study reveals SARSCoV2-infected brain endothelial cells undergo apoptosis—programmed cell death—due to a series of molecular events that are possibly at the root of cerebral Covid & #LongCovid symptoms ↓ https://t.co/JQCtiquNZk
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 4, 2021
Novavax completes process for WHO emergency use approval of COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/3wwjxaO9d2 pic.twitter.com/WbtVpRvH31
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 5, 2021
Growing pains: Moderna sales take a hit as the maker of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines used in the United States struggles to ramp up production. @thpmurphy explains https://t.co/coB1gzphrg
— AP Business News (@APBusiness) November 4, 2021
NEW:
Why are home COVID tests so damn $$ and hard to find?@lydiadepillis & I made some calls
Company after company told us they’d tried to get tests approved but *gave up after inexplicable FDA delays*
One FDA scientist told he quit in frustrationhttps://t.co/IE0GFxS73S pic.twitter.com/sr4jNOnijT
— Eric Umansky (@ericuman) November 4, 2021
We asked the gov alllll about why at-home COVID are so damn expensive and hard to find
FDA officials graciously spent a lot of time talking us through it. Their POV:
1. The review process is appropriately conservative.
2. You want more tests? The WH should buy 'em. pic.twitter.com/ACwFzy69Mw
— Eric Umansky (@ericuman) November 4, 2021
U.S. federal government cuts ties w/ troubled vaccine maker in Baltimore. Emergent BioSolutions ruined millions of Covid vaccines. Now its $600 million deal is canceled https://t.co/zpveD0T6cu
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 5, 2021
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In the last 20 months, covid-19 has killed three-quarters-of-a-million people in the U.S., meaning an estimated 6.7 million Americans are grieving the death of a grandparent, parent, spouse or child because of the coronavirus, according to researchers. https://t.co/l8WMYsgk6u
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 4, 2021
New York City kids can get $100 for Covid shots at school. Once kids get their 1st dose, families receive an email w/ instructions on how to select a pre-paid $100 debit card. Other incentives include tickets to sports events https://t.co/WamWk5L3YW
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 5, 2021
Western Michigan:
The virus doesn’t care if we are “over the pandemic.” If you’re unvaccinated, it’s gonna get you. I had more COVID patients today than in any other day, and our hospital has the highest number yet. This is so completely not over. In the end you’ll either be vaxxed or get COVID.
— Dr. Rob Davidson (@DrRobDavidson) November 5, 2021
After the initial wave of COVID both were low in cases & deaths per capita. Delta hit Repub areas hardest. [And it was Repub areas that shifted the most Tues]
Dems value community & staying alive over selfishness & death. Repub values are the opposite, & they resent Dems for it https://t.co/aEMgLe55PF
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) November 4, 2021
Nine-year-old Makenna had to go to hospital after everyone in her family contracted Covid https://t.co/GkaZqFIAlo pic.twitter.com/E56gJksJbu
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 3, 2021
there are multiple reasons why school districts are doing this. sub shortages being a huge one. they probably won’t have enough staff for that friday. giving parents a chance to vaccinate their kids being another. as always, things are more complicated than they look. https://t.co/N9K7Q8MrDR
— World Famous Art Thief (@CalmSporting) November 5, 2021
Talk about "pick your poison": https://t.co/HS6qgoboAZ
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) November 4, 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, Nov. 3-4
This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs
Love everything about this. And the kid giving the thumbs up instead of that wincing photo we’ve been seeing for the last several months, that’s how a shot should feel! ? https://t.co/zgKySyKLSB — GhostLeigh Giangreco ?? (@LeighGiangreco) November 4, 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, Nov. 3-4Post + Comments (61)
Good news, *if* we can keep it:
good news for Biden
< The percentage of Americans who now say the U.S. COVID-19 situation is improving has more than doubled between September and October.>https://t.co/Nb5MXZW46K
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) November 4, 2021
And yet:
The US #Covid death toll hit a horrific height today. Three quarters of a million people have died — more than the population of Seattle.
What to me is appalling, unconscionable, is that 75,000 of those people died in the past 45 days. When the country was awash with vaccine. pic.twitter.com/3sZRsyem1o— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) November 4, 2021
A theory, which is mine: I’m getting the strong impression that a lot of the people with the widest media following — many of whom weren’t thrilled about pandemic restrictions in the first place — are just bored with continued reminders the pandemic isn’t over yet. Most of them live in high-vaxx areas, they’ve been able to do their jobs from home / while distanced, and they’re tired of making sacrifices like not being able to travel freely around the globe, or paying more for imported groceries, or not being able to find a replacement housekeeper/nanny/landscaper who doesn’t ask for minimum wage and a SS filing. Why must they, personally, suffer because some immunocomprised oldies or a bunch of third-world poors are still sickening & dying?!?
This is not the first time we’ve seen this Hot Take, and I can only hope we don’t get a post-holidays super-Delta variant to burst their self-centered little bubbles (again)…
This is "following the science," which has pretty much told us about the levels of risk we'd face returning to normal. Adding "but unvaccinated ppl should…" is good advice, but that ship has sailed. Localities that overshoot CDC guidance are not helping. /2x
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 3, 2021
Yes, many of us are SO OVER the pandemic… but most of us don’t believe the world revolves around *us*!
Lots of people are still dying from a largely preventable disease because they are ignoring public health guidance in favor of their political identity. That’s a real thing. https://t.co/UDZyfjjAQi
— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) November 4, 2021
?Brace yourselves for a flood of anti-vax #disinformation targeting parents: “fringe groups have already begun pushing the kinds of videos that the modern anti-vaccine movement was built upon: intimate, unverified videos and testimonies of children with alleged vaccine injuries” https://t.co/9C4gQTKLOU
— Paula Chertok? (@PaulaChertok) November 3, 2021
Parents with kids 5-11 are evenly split between whether they'll vaccinate "right away," "wait and see," or not at all. How big an effect the anti-vaccine crowd will have largely depends on the reach of the scare-mongering videos we expect to see more of. https://t.co/BsLwT2PLlw
— Brandy Zadrozny (@BrandyZadrozny) November 3, 2021
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Covid: New study finds more than 28M extra years of life were lost in 31 countries in 2020. With few exceptions, such as New Zealand & S. Korea, all others had excess deaths & higher rates in men than women. Worst rates were in Russia, Bulgaria & the US https://t.co/AIucvjk8zN pic.twitter.com/kbclRpTBP4
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 4, 2021
China is on high alert at its ports of entry as strict policies on travel in and out of the country are enforced to reduce COVID-19 risks amid a fresh domestic outbreak, less than 100 days out from the open of the Beijing Winter Olympics https://t.co/f37jd12A4R pic.twitter.com/HzIzTGr41Z
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 4, 2021
India celebrates Diwali under shadow of Covid-19 https://t.co/bx0fFjtQTL
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 4, 2021
South Korea opened COVID-19 quarantine centers to house potentially thousands of teenagers with COVID-19 ahead of the country's grueling eight-hour college entrance exam in two weeks https://t.co/ogXQnIR6fq pic.twitter.com/WSSJ2zWvnl
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 4, 2021
japan is flexing https://t.co/5ih8Kj8kwR
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) November 4, 2021
American expat living in Singapore:
if you aren't obsessive about testing, the virus really does appear to fall off a cliff because no one is getting sick, or very sick, thanks to vaccination. and tbh that's not necessarily a bad thing, right? like a bug that doesn't make people sick isn't a big deal is it
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) November 4, 2021
⚡ Russia has reported a new pandemic record of 1,195 Covid-19 deaths over the last 24 hours https://t.co/no867Wnu88
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) November 4, 2021
Russia’s vaccine disinformation has let down its own people https://t.co/rxrPVmLhKD
— toomas hendrik ilves (@IlvesToomas) November 3, 2021
… Comparing mortality data with historical trends, FT analysis suggests Russia recorded 753,000 excess deaths during the pandemic to the end of September. That is second only to the US in absolute terms, and third after Peru and Bulgaria on a per capita basis.
One reason is that Putin has been reluctant to take responsibility for lockdowns. A shutdown in spring 2020 sent the economy into recession and dented his ratings before a referendum on constitutional changes that could extend his rule to 2036. The authorities held off reimposing tight restrictions for 18 months, despite a second wave last autumn, until the recent surge forced their hand. The Kremlin has been reluctant to spend money to help businesses and individuals through lockdowns or other controls…
After racing to develop the Sputnik-V vaccine, however, it is on vaccinations that Russia has really fallen down. Just 33 per cent of the population have had two doses. Levada, an independent pollster, this week found 45 per cent of people were “not ready” to get the jab.
Dubiousness about vaccines partly reflects a distrust of state authorities dating back to pre-Soviet times. Hesitancy towards jabs was already rife pre-pandemic, with measles cases rising. Rushing to roll out Sputnik jabs before large-scale clinical trials had been concluded further dented confidence. The authorities have struggled to counter a belief among Russians who have had Covid that natural immunity now makes vaccination unnecessary.
Yet the sham democracy and slavishly propagandistic media of the Putin era have only heightened distrust and a tendency to believe in conspiracies. Levada polling found 61 per cent of respondents agreed coronavirus was a “new form of biological weapon”. Anyone who thinks the virus is man-made is unlikely to see vaccines as an answer.
The criticism of foreign-made vaccines by Putin and state media, intended to boost Sputnik, instead convinced many Russians that if international products were not much good, their own version was surely worse. An EU report last month said a systematic disinformation campaign by Russian media to sow doubt about vaccines in the west, with materials on European websites in multiple languages including Russian, had backfired…
German COVID-19 cases hit daily record as health ministers meet https://t.co/It0w62Dk3m pic.twitter.com/VaAXuBWSFd
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 4, 2021
Britain, its hospitals and its COVID-19 strategy are under the microscope as the country enters the dangerous winter period while accounting for almost a tenth of the world's recorded new infections https://t.co/pw2cErGtC0 pic.twitter.com/CHdp8bOlXC
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 4, 2021
African scientists are racing to test potential Covid drugs — but face major hurdles. Their hope is to repurpose drugs used for malaria & other diseases, but infrastructure & clinical trial recruitment challenges have stymied progress https://t.co/HVz4rXp2Ab
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 3, 2021
The WHO is urging Latin American countries to hold off on #BoosterShots because of scant vaccine availability in the global supply chain. Of course there are millions of unwanted U.S. doses that have been refused by anti-vaxxers. Can be shipped abroad? https://t.co/HpcesDpFQJ
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 4, 2021
Canadian employers shed unvaccinated workers, labor lawyers in demand https://t.co/GXqJEJu9K2 pic.twitter.com/llvoKO6ypC
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 3, 2021
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The World Health Organization grants Covaxin — a Covid vax developed in India — emergency authorization. It's the 8th coronavirus vaccine to receive the global health agency’s green light https://t.co/IL4xHFaik8
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 4, 2021
Israeli researchers have succeeded in identifying SARSCoV2 proteins that damage blood vessels. The team isolated 5 responsible for clot formation. "We see a very high incidence of vascular disease & blood clotting among Covid patients," said Dr. Ben Maoz https://t.co/eaWeKCeEOL pic.twitter.com/QG3Coe1nLn
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 4, 2021
There was excitement about repurposing the antidepressant drug fluvoxamine as preclinical treatment for #COVID19.
Then people took a hard look at the data.https://t.co/H3B3rUPqBY— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 3, 2021
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… and that the ideology driving that destructive behavior may *benefit* politically because that party is not in power nationally. wild
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) November 4, 2021
Most NYC theatre-kid ever!
Nine-year-old Zia Bucci received her first dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in New York City. What's the first thing she wants to do after being vaccinated?
"I want to watch Hamilton on Broadway."
She knows all the music.https://t.co/RhUTX9LvOA pic.twitter.com/5xMk4l0w05
— Benjy Renton (@bhrenton) November 4, 2021
And yet is still a “reporter” https://t.co/wHlqwRqaX0
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 3, 2021
Aaron Rodgers is not vaccinated. In August, he created the clear impression that he is. Throughout the preseason, he repeatedly violated protocol by not wearing a mask on the sidelines when not in uniform, presumably to bolster his ruse. https://t.co/QIFkgjq47Z
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 3, 2021
#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers received homeopathic treatment from his personal doctor to raise his antibody levels and asked the NFL to review his status. The NFL, NFLPA and joint docs ruled him as unvaccinated. Now, he has COVID-19.
More here: https://t.co/YtnH67bn18
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2021
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