Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

“That’s what the insurrection act is for!”

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

“In the name of Zandar, I will fight the Stupid!”

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

It’s easier to kill a dangerous animal than a man who just happens to have different thoughts/values than one’s own.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Oct. 2-3

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Oct. 2-3

by | 47 Comments

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By Siubhan Duinne‘s request:

… Almost all of Troup’s applicants for religious exemptions objected to taking a vaccine developed using fetal cell lines (whose origins can be traced back to cells from electively aborted fetuses several decades ago). So Troup and his team devised a strategy: Those employees would have to sign an agreement not to take any other medical treatments developed using fetal cell lines. Among the 28 medications on the list: Tylenol. Motrin. Preparation H. Claritin. Benadryl. Tums.

He hoped that would force the exemption-seekers to confront just how selectively they’d applied their argument. A few applicants signed the form, no questions asked. Others, of course, pushed back.

Troup has had conversations with people seeking the exemption. Some have sighed and eventually rolled up their sleeves; others have drawn a distinction between fetal cell lines being used in development of a medication versus being used in testing.

Mostly, though, he finds that what’s being described as a sincerely held religious objection is actually a sincerely held fear of the vaccines. He says that one applicant “told me, ‘Matt, if I sign this, you’re asking me to lie.’ ”

“I very gently and politely asked, ‘Well, you know, tell me: What medicines on that list … do you think were not developed with fetal cells or tested on fetal cells?’ ” Troup recalls. “The response was this diatribe about how evil the vaccine was, how much harm it causes, how data and reports are being covered up. Which told me that it really wasn’t about fetal cells at all. It’s all about a vaccine hesitancy.”

“I have learned to be careful. I’ve learned compassion throughout this exercise, maybe in a bigger way than I ever have,” Troup adds. “We have to give people some space and we have to respect people’s concern, because this individual, they were really afraid.”…

(To be fair, the fact that we consider these people idiots doesn’t mean they aren’t sincerely fearful.)

======


The U.S. ranked 28th out of 53:

… The Covid Resilience Ranking is a monthly snapshot of where the virus is being handled the most effectively with the least social and economic upheaval. Compiled using 12 data indicators that span virus containment, the quality of healthcare, vaccination coverage, overall mortality and progress toward restarting travel and easing border curbs, the Ranking captures which of the world’s biggest 53 economies are responding best—and worst—to the same once-in-a-generation threat.

Southeast Asian economies continue to populate the Ranking’s bottom rungs in September, with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines the last five. While the region’s outbreak may have peaked, their export-reliant economies are still struggling from the hit.

Once the gold standard for virus containment, the Asia-Pacific is faltering in the era of vaccination. Not only are their strict measures less effective in the face of delta, former top rankers in the region are also grappling with how to reopen after such a long period of isolationist border curbs…

Parts of the Asia-Pacific that relied on eliminating Covid and keeping it out—meaning their overall mortality rates are vastly lower—score poorly on reopening. The lower risk of being infected initially damped demand for vaccines in some places, until delta got in through strict border curbs, prompting places like New Zealand and Australia to speed up their rollouts.

Despite fully inoculating more than one billion people, China’s international borders remain effectively closed. Small virus flareups have caused localized travel restrictions, but the country still scores well on Flight Capacity because of its large internal market…

Vaccination is where places like Europe—and until recently, the U.S.—are making up for their missteps in containing Covid. Their positions in the Ranking improved in early summer as investment in research and a focus on fast rollouts proved pivotal, though the U.S. has since lost substantial ground as hesitation stalls inoculation. Operation Warp Speed saw some $18 billion plowed into developing some of the most effective Covid vaccines now being administered around the world.

Economies that moved early to secure and roll out shots have the advantage of being mostly inoculated with mRNA vaccines, which appear to not just prevent a person from developing Covid, but lower their chances of contracting and transmitting it as well. But with most shots proving somewhat less effective against delta and evidence emerging that immunity wanes six months after inoculation, vaccination leaders like Israel are seeing record surges again and are moving the fastest on boosters.

In places where the majority are inoculated, the link between infection numbers and deaths is weakening, and policy makers are reframing the way they view Covid cases…

A constant of the consistently high-ranked economies has been a widespread degree of government trust and societal compliance. New Zealand—a stalwart of the top three before the arrival of delta sent it into one of the world’s strictest lockdowns—emphasized communication from the start, with a four-level alert system that gives citizens a clear picture of how and why the authorities will act as an outbreak evolves.

Investment in public health infrastructure also matters. Undervalued in many places before 2020, systems for contact tracing, effective testing and health education bolstered the countries that have performed consistently well in the Ranking, helping socialize hand-washing and the wearing of face masks. This was key to avoiding economically crippling lockdowns in the first year, before vaccines were available…

Experts say the next six months will be key, with risks high as the weather cools in the U.S. and Europe and schools resume.

“Winter in the northern hemisphere will be the real next big test to see how effective high levels of vaccination have been,” said Peter Collignon, a professor of infectious diseases at the Australian National University Medical School in Canberra.

======

======

Masters of their domain the Universe!

Reader Interactions

47Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    Southeast Asian economies continue to populate the Ranking’s bottom rungs in September, with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines the last five. 

    Take care, Amir!

  2. 2.

    p.a.

    If we actually lived in their dreaded socialist dystopia these fucking antivaxers COULD quit because there would be a robust social safety net for them to land in.???

  3. 3.

    David C

    This was the biggest news yesterday. Boosters for Moderna, J&J, mixed booster data from NIH, Pfizer pediatric. https://twitter.com/danielgriffinmd/status/1444339356207140868?s=21

  4. 4.

    NeenerNeener

    Monroe County, NY:

    Monroe County web site: took the weekend off again. NYSDOH says 235 new cases.

  5. 5.

    Robert Sneddon

    @Baud: ​
      I sort-of expected this back last year, sad it’s actually happening — at the end of this world-wide pandemic, when COVID-19 becomes something like annual influenza, the body counts and case numbers in all countries will probably be broadly similar. Sure there will be outliers like Brazil and Alabama but the locations held up last year as shining examples of how to cope with COVID-19 (New Zealand, Vietnam) are starting to climb up the charts even with working vaccines and better treatments for serious cases. The much more virulent Delta variant has a lot to do with that spread of course.

  6. 6.

    MomSense

    Have a new jab made me cry – real roll down your cheek tears.  That was amazing.

    Then I recovered sufficiently by the time I got to what is it with Harvard MBA students   Anyone who has met a bunch of Harvard Business School students has a long list of reasons why we they are not surprised HBS is going back to online classes.

  11. 11.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s Ministry of Health reports 9,066 new Covid-19 cases today in its media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 2,277,565 cases. It also reports 109 new deaths as of midnight, for a cumulative total of 26,565 deaths – 1.17% of the cumulative reported total, 1.25% of resolved cases.

    Based on cases reported yesterday, Malaysia’s nationwide Rt is at 0.89.

    815 confirmed cases are in ICU, 355 of them on ventilators. Meanwhile, 14,454 more patients have recovered, for a cumulative total of 2,100,565 patients recovered – 92.2% of the cumulative reported total.

    Six new clusters were reported today, for a cumulative total of 5,507 clusters. 1,008 clusters are currently active; 4,499 clusters are now inactive.

    9,054 new cases today are local infections. Sarawak reports 1,418 cases: 32 in clusters, 497 close-contact screenings, and 888 other screenings.

    Selangor reports 998 local cases: 34 in clusters, 631 close-contact screenings, and 333 other screenings. Johor reports 980 local cases: 78 in clusters, 487 close-contact screenings, and 415 other screenings.

    Terengganu reports 826 local cases: one in a cluster, 640 close-contact screenings, and 185 other screenings.

    Kelantan reports 796 cases: 16 in clusters, 498 close-contact screenings, and 282 other screenings. Sabah reports 764 local cases: five in clusters, 419 close-contact screenings, and 340 other screenings.

    Kedah reports 669 local cases: one in a cluster, 415 close-contact screenings, and 253 other screenings. Perak reports 669 cases: 22 in clusters, 327 close-contact screenings, and 320 other screenings. Pahang reports 630 cases: 171 in clusters, 376 close-contact screenings, and 83 other screenings. Penang reports 620 cases: 13 in clusters, 257 close-contact screenings, and 350 other screenings.

    Melaka reports 206 cases: 13 in clusters, 86 close-contact screenings, and 107 other screenings. Kuala Lumpur reports 201 cases: two in clusters, 92 close-contact screenings, and 107 other screenings.

    Negeri Sembilan reports 188 local cases: 96 close-contact screenings and 92 other screenings.

    Perlis reports 66 cases: 40 close-contact screenings and 26 other screenings. Putrajaya reports 24 cases: 18 close-contact screenings and six other screenings. Labuan reports no new cases today.

    12 new cases today are imported: three in Negeri Sembilan, three in Sabah, two in Selangor, one in Sarawak, one in Johor, one in Terengganu, and one in Kedah.

    The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) administered 211,517 doses of vaccine on 2nd October: 89,695 first doses and 121,822 second doses. As of midnight yesterday, the cumulative total is 44,145,505 doses administered: 23,736,676 first doses and 20,511,444 second doses. 72.7% of the population have received their first dose, while 62.8% are now fully vaccinated.

  13. 13.

    Amir Khalid

    @Ken:

    the skills that allow an MBA to deftly manage a business

    Objection: asserting a fact not in evidence.

  15. 15.

    Sloane Ranger

    Saturday in the UK we had 30,301 new cases. This is an increase of 3.1% in the rolling 7-day average but Wales does not report on Saturdays and many offices are closed over the weekend elsewhere so this is probably an undercount. New cases by nation,

    England – 26,794 (down 2042)

    Northern Ireland – 992 (down 47)

    Scotland – 2515 (down 178)

    Wales – Does not report on weekends.

    Deaths – There were 121 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This means that the rolling 7-day average has decreased by 16.9%.103 deaths were in England, 1 in Northern Ireland, 17 in Scotland and Wales does not report on Saturdays.

    Testing – Not updated at weekends.

    Hospitalisations – Not updated at weekends.

    Vaccinations – As of Friday, 1 October, 48,901,277 people in the UK had had 1 shot of a vaccine and 44,935,470 had had both. The percentage of individuals vaccinated in not being updated until they can show vaccinations for 12-15 year olds.

  16. 16.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Robert Sneddon: Look at the actual numbers, though–what New Zealand considers an alarming outbreak that shuts down the country would be considered zero COVID here. Their nationwide case rates are literally about the same as the new daily cases in my *town* in Massachusetts–in the least-bad corner of the United States. And they’re vaccinating at a good clip, though with a late start.

  17. 17.

    TheQuietOne

    Anyone else wonder about all these college and pro stadiums being filled weekend after weekend? How does this ever really end with this sort of behavior?

  18. 18.

    The Oracle of Solace

    “Professional-class ppl underestimate how opaque ~medicine~ is to a lot of communities.” This is a good observation, and another tangible way in which the Right’s devaluation of knowledge and expertise hurts so many people. Which is just a roundabout way for me to say I’ve started reading Jonathan Metzl’s Dying of Whiteness.

  20. 20.

    YY_Sima Qian

    On 10/2 China reported 2 new domestic confirmed cases & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

    Fujian Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case. 30 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 264 active domestic confirmed cases.

    • At Putian 10 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 108 active domestic confirmed (29 mild, 78 moderate & 1 critical) cases in the city. Fengting Township (except for 25 villages & communities at Low Risk) remains at High Risk. 1 village & 1 community have been re-designated as Low Risk. 3 zones & 1 residential compound remain at Medium Risk.
    • At Quanzhou 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 11 active domestic confirmed cases. 
    • Xiamen reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (moderate), a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine. 19 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 142 active domestic confirmed cases (37 mild, 132 moderate) in the city. Xinmin Township remains at High Risk. 2 villages have been re-designated as Low Risk. 2 villages, 2 communities & 2 residential compounds remain at Medium Risk.
    • At Zhangzhou there are 3 active domestic confirmed cases (all moderate) in the city, though they are actually being treated at Xiamen.

    Heilongjiang Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case. 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 83 active domestic confirmed & 6 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.

    • Harbin reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (mild, at Bayan County), a traced close contacts already under centralized quarantine. 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 82 active domestic confirmed (67 at Bayan County, 7 at Songbei District, 2 at Mulan County, 2 at Nan’gang District, 2 each at Xiangfang & Echeng Districts) & 2 active domestic asymptomatic cases (both at Bayan County) in the city. Xinglong Township in Bayan County remains at High Risk. 16 residential compounds, 1 residential building & 1 village are currently at Medium Risk.
    • Suihua did not report any new domestic positive cases. The currently are 1 active domestic confirmed & 4 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city (all at Beilin District). 1 residential compound remains at Medium Risk.

    At Yunnan Province there currently are 9 active domestic confirmed & 3 domestic asymptomatic cases remaining in the province, all at Ruili in Dehong Prefecture.

    At Henan Province there currently are 7 active domestic confirmed cases remaining, all at Shangqiu.

    Imported Cases

    On 10/2, China reported 26 new imported confirmed cases (2 previously asymptomatic), 15 imported asymptomatic cases:

    • Yunnan Province (locations not specified) – 9 confirmed cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Myanmar; 3 asymptomatic cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Myanmar & 1 from Laos; all via land border crossing
    • Shanghai Municipality – 7 confirmed cases, 3 Chinese nationals returning from Israel & 1 3-ch from Japan, Germany & Tanzania (via Amsterdam Schiphol), & an Israeli national coming from Israel
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 3 confirmed cases, 2 Filipino & 1 Vietnamese crew members off a cargo ship
    • Pingtan in Fujian Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Pakistan; the case had arrived at Wuhan in Hubei Province on 9/14, passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine & tested negative 4 times, upon release from quarantine on 9/28 the case flew back to Fuzhou in Fujian Province & was transferred to Pingtan & re-entered centralized quarantine, testing positive on 10/2
    • Fuzhou in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, coming from Japan
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from the DRC & Ghana (both via Istanbul; 3 asymptomatic cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Japan & a foreign national coming from Turkey
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed (previously asymptomatic) & 1 asymptomatic cases, both coming from Suriname off a flight that landed at Guangzhou
    • Shenyang in Liaoning Province – 1 confirmed case (previously asymptomatic), no information released
    • Changchun in Jilin Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Nigerian (via Frankfurt; 3 asymptomatic cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Nigeria (via Frankfurt) & 1 from Germany
    • Qingdao in Shandong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from France; the case had arrived at Shanghai on 9/16, passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine & tested negative multiple times, upon release from quarantine on 10/1 the case flew back to Qingdao & re-entered centralized quarantine, testing positive on 10/2
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 4 asymptomatic cases, 3 coming from Japan & 1 from Mexico 

    Overall in China, 50 confirmed cases recovered (19 imported), 19 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation (all imported) & 2 were reclassified as confirmed cases (both imported), & 1,223 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 868 active confirmed cases in the country (510 imported), 4 in serious condition (2 imported), 346 active asymptomatic cases (335 imported), 0 suspect cases. 27,956 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

    As of 10/2, 2,212.961M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 755K doses in the past 24 hrs.

    On 10/3, Hong Kong did not report any new positive cases.

  22. 22.

    frosty

    @TheQuietOne: Yes, I’ve been wondering about the stadiums too. NFL is going “The fans are back!!” Is being outside all there is to being safer? How come there are no stories about this anywhere, either positive or negative? I feel assured AL would be seeing them.

  23. 23.

    debbie

    @TheQuietOne:

    I’ve thought the same thing here in the shadow of Ohio State. Last week, there was an MLS soccer game, a pro hockey game, and a minor league baseball game, all on the same night. Plus, that area has a DORA where people are free to take their drinks and roam the neighborhood. I can’t wait to see how a night like that affects the daily numbers. //

  24. 24.

    Robert Sneddon

    Scotland — 2,040 new cases reported today. The test positivity rate is 7.7%. There was one new death reported overnight (noting that Register Offices are now generally closed at weekends). ICU bed occupancy numbers are 71, up five from yesterday while hospitalisations remain at 965.

    There were about 11,000 vaccinations carried out in Scotland yesterday (Friday) with about 80% of these being first vaccinations. 91.4% of 16+ adults are now vaccinated with their first dose and 84.5% are fully vaccinated. 71.9% of 16 and 17-year-olds have now received their first vaccination, up 0.1% from yesterday. 20.4% of 12-15 year olds have now received their first vaccination, up 3.2% from yesterday.

    Scotland is moving towards a “vaccine passport” for access to sporting events, clubs etc. This may be encouraging some 18-40 year old Young Immortals to get off the fence and get vaccinated but I think the weekend’s uptick in vaccination numbers is mostly due to 12-15 year olds getting vaccinated outside the school week.

  25. 25.

    dr. bloor

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    “Arrogant, fast and loose with numbers, and being incapable of logical thought is no way to go through life, son.  It does, however, make you the perfect Crimson MBA student.”

    /Dean Wormer

  26. 26.

    YY_Sima Qian

    Despite claiming to utilize a “broad range of 12 indicators”, the Bloomberg COVID Resilience Index seems to be heavily weighed toward mobility and heavily punishes any social restrictions. How else to explain New Zealand dropping so many places over the past couple of months, simply because of a lock down in response to a Delta outbreak originating in Auckland, no other indicator should have changed much for the country. In Sept., only 3 cities in Fujian Province & Harbin in Heilongjiang Province are under lock down in China, ~ 20M people in total, & the cities in Fujian are coming out of lock down. Against the vast continental expanse & 1.4B population in the country, that is a drop in the bucket.

    The Bloomberg Index definitely reflects the view of patrician capital, rather than plebeian labor.

  27. 27.

    smith

    @YY_Sima Qian: The Bloomberg Index definitely reflects the view of patrician capital, rather than plebeian labor.

    My thoughts exactly. Making money is more important than preserving lives.

  28. 28.

    Honus

    He says that one applicant “told me, ‘Matt, if I sign this, you’re asking me to lie.’ ”
    No, you were already a liar when you said your religion prevented you from getting the vaccine. You used Jesus to lie.

  29. 29.

    Robert Sneddon

    @Matt McIrvin: ​
      New Zealand had no cases and no deaths from COVID-19 for the longest time because they were hermetically sealed away from the rest of the planet. Now thanks to reopening the borders for tourism, a lot of whining from bar and restaurant owners and the extremely communicable Delta variant they’re trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle. It’s the same with Australia, hard lockdowns in places like Sydney while the case numbers climb across the continent.

    Only China is keeping case numbers down to something close to zero and that’s only being achieved by draconian restrictions — a cleaner at an airport gets COVID-19? Immediate police-supervised quarantine for all ten thousand airport workers and their families. That isn’t going to be possible in many other countries.

    The death toll for most Western nations after 21 months from the original outbreak is typically around 2,000 per million population — UK = 2004, US = 2158, Mexico = 2,133. Even success stories like Germany have 1,121 deaths per million reported and counting. There will be very very few First-world countries with real numbers (vide Russia) a lot lower than that.

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    @MomSense: Yeah, I read this: “What is it with MBA students? ” and immediately had the answer:

    MBAs surely have a much higher percentage of people who do not give a shit about other people.

  32. 32.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @Robert Sneddon: South Korea has managed to keep a lid on COVID in the age of Delta, albeit at a higher plateau (~ 1500 – 2500 cases / day), while still catching up on vaccination for the past few months. That is a more challenging feat than China’s elimination strategy!

  33. 33.

    Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)

    @TheQuietOne: I was offered tickets for the game in Tuscaloosa yesterday. Couldn’t do it.

    And in the “it’s even worse than you think” department, masks are REQUIRED for entry into the stadium. So there’s compliance at the gate and the masks are removed immediately afterwards. Sigh…

  34. 34.

    Peale

    molnupiravir Has the same problem as tamiflu. By the time you schedule an appointment, it’s probably going to be too late to take it. What I’d like to see someday are “sniffles clinics”, where you just go if you’re feeling mildly off and walk out the door with Sudafed, Tamiflu, molnupiravir, or Zyrtec 30 minutes later. Heck, it doesn’t even need to be staffed. Just a set of booths that are steamed clean between users. A George Jetson “snifflomat and cough center” focused on sorting out COVID from flu from a cold from allergies from bronchitis from “who knows, come back if it lasts a week”.  Quest Diagnostics + a dispensary with only a few drugs.

  36. 36.

    Kent

    @TheQuietOne:

    Here in the PNW you have to present proof of vaccination to gain entry to any stadium. They do that at pre screening stations and give you a wrist band. It is convincing some to finally get vaccinated.

    They also have vax clinics at the stadiums.

  38. 38.

    Bill Arnold

    @YY_Sima Qian:

    Bloomberg COVID Resilience Index seems to be heavily weighed toward mobility and heavily punishes any social restrictions.

    Interesting. I see that Community Mobility and Deaths per 1M are weighted equally.
    Deaths per 1M is the only decent proxy in the indicators for all long term morbidity/sequelae, which is clearly a mistake, since the long term sequelae could be very significant indeed and roughly proportional to the percentage of people that have been infected. (Kidney, lung, brain (and other organs) damage are all looking common even in asymptomatic/lightly symptomatic cases.) If they are indeed very significant, then countries like China that have successfully done suppression then shifted to ubiquitous vaccination may gain a significant long-term international competitive advantage.
    The final Bloomberg Resilience Score is the average of a place’s performance across the 12 indicators, equally weighted. (Rachel Chang, November 24, 2020)
    The 12 indicators:

    People Covered by Vaccines
    Lockdown Severity
    Flight Capacity Percentage
    Vaccinated Travel Routes
    1-Month Cases Per 100K
    3-Month Case Fatality Rate
    Total Deaths Per 1M
    Positive Test Rate
    Community Mobility
    2021 GDP Growth Forecast
    Universal Healthcare Coverage
    Human Development Index

  39. 39.

    Bill Arnold

    Paywalled (there are ways…), so here are some snippets:
    Harvard Business School Suspends Most In-Person M.B.A. Classes, Networking After Covid-19 Outbreak – Despite high vaccination rate, graduate school said dozens of breakthrough infections required a temporary return to remote learning (Patrick Thomas, Sept. 28, 2021. Dude, does it not annoy you that the WSJ makes bylines not copy-pasteable?)

    Students at the business school accounted for two-thirds of all Covid-19 cases among Harvard students this month, according to an email sent to M.B.A. students late last week that was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

    In what universe is it surprising that a finishing school for greedy selfish arrogant psychopaths is good hunting grounds for a virus that spreads via the behavior of such people? (What does it say about the USA that we celebrate such people and allow them to be MOTUs?)

  40. 40.

    Ruckus

    (To be fair, the fact that we consider these people idiots doesn’t mean they aren’t sincerely fearful.)

    It is possible that true fear might be easier to come by for people whose concept of understanding approaches zero.

  41. 41.

    Ruckus

    @WaterGirl:

    I believe that a requirement for every MustBeAsshole program is not giving a shit about anyone else. Some, with a limited level of actually giving a shit (maybe 3%) may sneak through the entry process, but I imagine that at least half of those get weeded out before completing the program.

  43. 43.

    Ruckus

    Millions of Indian kids have been out of school for 18 months. The break threatens decades of progress.

    I wonder how much progress dead kids make….

  44. 44.

    Ruckus

    @Bill Arnold:

    In what universe is it surprising that a finishing school for greedy selfish arrogant psychopaths is good hunting grounds for a virus that spreads via the behavior of such people? (What does it say about the USA that we celebrate such people and allow them to be MOTUs?)

    That many of us value the dollar over every other yardstick of success, life, liberty and the pursuit of, well anything else? Way over in fact…

  46. 46.

    Cermet

    Uhm, I wonder how many MBA’s are billionaire’s – I don’t know of any; you’d think most such rich AO’s would come from that finishing school for sharks?

  47. 47.

    Bill Arnold

    Crazy Rich: The Wealthiest MBAs On The Planet (John A. Byrne on June 04, 2021)
    Answer: 9 as of June 2021, plus a few dropouts, of the 100 richest humans in the world.
    Bloomberg (top of the list):

    From today’s vantage point, thirty years later, those whom I thought were smart generally did well later in life; those whom I considered dummies did less well. The bullshitters faded away. Street smarts and common sense, it turned out were better predictors of career achievements after graduation than academic success. Given that I received average grades at ‘the B-school,’ I don’t exactly mind.”

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