The health crisis fails to dampen festive spirits at Times Square before New Year’s Eve pic.twitter.com/vyQaxb4ooP
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
I try to keep these first-of-the-morning posts upbeat, but I regret to inform y’all:
.
— Erin Brazeau (@BrazeauErin) December 30, 2021
Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: That his justice cannot sleep for ever: that considering numbers, nature and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation, is among possible events…
US health experts warned Americans that a rising tide of #COVID19 cases led by the #OmicronVariant threatens major disruptions to their lives, from schools to shopping, & urged them to prepare now for a challenging month ahead.https://t.co/aWREh5bOBl
— MicrobesInfect (@MicrobesInfect) December 30, 2021
… “We are going to see the number of cases in this country rise so dramatically, we are going to have a hard time keeping everyday life operating,” Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, told MSNBC.
“The next month is going to be a viral blizzard,” he said. “All of society is going to be pressured by this.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease official, on Wednesday said cases will likely rise through the end of January. He and other U.S. health officials have said early data shows Omicron appears less severe, but they have continued to push vaccinations, masks and physical distancing.
With testing shortages and breakthrough cases, experts warn the surge will upend hospitals, emergency response services, schools and retailers, among others, in the coming weeks…
Glass-half-full scenario, the Omicron wave will burn out by the end of January, and there’s some small-study hope that Omicron infections actually provide some extra protection against the so-far-more-dangerous Delta variant. But such hopeful signs always remind me of the old Irish proverb: Live, horse, and you’ll get grass…
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) December 30, 2021
Friday Morning Open Thread: Good Riddance to A Lousy YearPost + Comments (251)