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You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Jan. 15-16

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Jan. 15-16

by Anne Laurie|  January 16, 20226:20 am| 46 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19, Foreign Affairs

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good news, everyone! https://t.co/l7NhOTY1pv

— James Palmer (@BeijingPalmer) January 15, 2022

Very thoughtful – and insightful – article from @JoelAchenbach @washingtonpost about the "new normal" and "living with the virus".

Put this on top of your reading list for this weekend.https://t.co/emq3ZpcSrO

— Kristian G. Andersen (@K_G_Andersen) January 15, 2022

… The phrase often heard now in the United States and many other nations is “live with the virus.” That new stance is applauded by some officials and scientists, and welcomed by people exhausted with the hardships and disruptions of this global health emergency entering its third year.

But there are also disease experts who fear the pendulum will swing too far the other way. They worry that many world leaders are gambling on a relatively benign outcome from this omicron variant surge, and sending messages that will lead people who are normally prudent to abandon the social distancing and mask-wearing known to limit the pathogen’s spread. Epidemiologists say the live-with-it strategy underestimates the dangers posed by omicron…

No national leader would ever say that it’s time to quit the struggle, but the tone of the contest has changed, with little talk of beating, crushing, defeating the virus. SARS-CoV-2 is part of the world now, a “pantropic” virus that can infect people, deer, minks, rats and all sorts of mammals…

In the short term, experts believe omicron is essentially unstoppable but of limited threat to individuals even as it causes societal chaos. Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said he believes that about half of the U.S. population will be infected with omicron during the next three months, with most cases asymptomatic…

There is fatalism mixing with pandemic fatigue and, in some countries, science denial or ideological rejection of the restrictions and mandates that many public health experts consider to be common sense measures in a pandemic. And anecdotally, people may rationally feel the battle is lost, the virus has won.

Public health officials warn that this is a dangerous attitude. It’s true that for an individual, risk might be low. But when a virus spreads as quickly as omicron does, the equation suddenly spits out alarming results — millions of people sick at once, many of them with underlying conditions that have already put them on the edge of a cliff and vulnerable to a shove.

Rasmussen, the University of Saskatchewan virologist, is among the experts who think people have misunderstood the concept of endemicity — which is the point at which a virus continues to circulate at low levels but is not generating epidemic-level outbreaks. She fears some people hear the “endemic virus” talk as a sign that resistance is futile.

“People think that means we just give up,” she said. “They think ‘endemic’ means that we’re all going to get covid eventually. I’m hearing people say, ‘Why not just get it over with now, and I’ll be bulletproof?’ None of this is what endemicity means.”

I don’t think a lot of Americans realize just how low the US ranks in vaccinations and boosters compared to the rest of the industrialized world.

Or how much harm that’s doing us. https://t.co/RrTC52F75z

— Derek Lowe (@Dereklowe) January 15, 2022

This has become a common attack on Biden's plan, but I don't get it. You don't order a Covid test after you've been exposed. You have Covid tests at home so that if you've been exposed, you can test yourself. This is a way for ppl to get tests they can keep at home going forward. https://t.co/TEWZqCXrTR

— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) January 15, 2022

Who are these people who only buy Advil after they get a headache, rather than having a big bottle of it in the medicine cabinet?

— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) January 15, 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidance for Americans on wearing masks to protect against COVID-19, recommending wearing 'the most protective mask' one can https://t.co/PmeQBVGugq pic.twitter.com/2rtxUJKnxU

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

======

#COVAX has delivered its first billionth dose of #COVID19 vaccines to 144 countries & territories across the world. It’s a key milestone in the largest and most rapid global vaccine rollout in history but the world stands at yet another crossroads in our fight against COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/UdFLRguZT5

— Seth Berkley (@GaviSeth) January 15, 2022

If the world unites to ensure adults in lower-income countries are immunized at levels achieved in high-income countries, between 940,000 and 1.27 million
deaths could be prevented in the next year. We can – we must – must work together to #breakCOVID now. pic.twitter.com/ADkqHdXRs7

— Seth Berkley (@GaviSeth) January 15, 2022

Beijing has reported its first local omicron infection, according to state media, weeks before the Winter Olympic Games are due to start. The infected person lives and works in the city’s northwestern district of Haidian. https://t.co/FlOJsFq558

— The Associated Press (@AP) January 16, 2022

Beijing Omicron case prompts temple closures, queues for COVID-19 tests https://t.co/oyqjflOe1o pic.twitter.com/IeWRz8bDfM

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

China urges local govts to minimize impact from COVID-19 curbs over Lunar New Year https://t.co/ilrRBLRDOG pic.twitter.com/CwfozKW7QP

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

BEIJING, Jan 16 (Reuters) – China’s state planner on Sunday urged local governments to minimise the impact from COVID-19 restrictions over the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday to help a rebound in consumption, as rising cases of the Omicron variant threaten economic growth.

“Local governments should avoid simplified, one-size-fits-all … COVID-19 epidemic and control measures (over the holiday) and minimise the impact on the people’s life,” the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement.

It said low-risk places in China meet the reasonable demand for short trips from urban and rural residents, and step up the supply of everyday products over the holiday period…

Local governments are on high alert to potential COVID-19 cases from outside, with many urging residents to stay put for the third straight year during what is usually the busiest travel period of the year…

India daily COVID-19 case count touches 8-month peak, 314 deaths https://t.co/13DkqZJjyA pic.twitter.com/pWU5fJtAAJ

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

Australia's daily COVID-19 infections dip below 100,000 https://t.co/6GsxejLt4y pic.twitter.com/2FHn4BsL7L

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

Iran reports its first three deaths from Omicron coronavirus variant https://t.co/1TEpNG9Z4b pic.twitter.com/COYO07uKQ1

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

Russia on Sunday reported 29,230 new Covid-19 infections and 686 deaths.https://t.co/HWXoZ9fZJk

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) January 16, 2022

The omicron variant of the pandemic is exposing the vulnerabilities of European public health systems once again, @lhinnant reports. https://t.co/Y5rqL647ep

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) January 16, 2022

Britain will no longer require COVID tests for fully vaccinated travellers -The Times https://t.co/MJIBUMDtMi pic.twitter.com/E06EerHhq6

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

England opens COVID booster jab programme to 16- and 17-year olds https://t.co/iIqu4ZcHlh pic.twitter.com/oQS2Txo3D8

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

Brazil registers 48,520 new cases of coronavirus and 175 deaths-health ministry https://t.co/DfRK73GPVq pic.twitter.com/q1g7Qga5jG

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 16, 2022

======

Pop-up covid test sites have ballooned as demand surges. Officials warn consumers to be cautious. https://t.co/NnbAnPK9yt

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 15, 2022

#LongCovid: New clues from under the microscope. Immunological dysfunction persists for 8 months following initial mild-to-moderate SARSCoV2 infection https://t.co/oY58nnqjti pic.twitter.com/50tt4JmBFr

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) January 15, 2022

======

The fact that one of Minnesota's busiest COVID testing locations has to move out of the convention center for a week because the space was booked by an event that's estimated to bring in 40,000 visitors is straight-up Peak Pandemic.

— Lindsay Guentzel (@LindsayGuentzel) January 14, 2022

Staff shortages: CVS & Walgreens temporarily shut some of their stores as #Omicron forces employees to call in sick. Although both chains say the majority of their stores remain open, omicron is taking a conspicuous toll https://t.co/g2N80jvapp

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) January 15, 2022

I don’t want COVID. But even more than that, I don’t want to give someone COVID.

If I get it, I could be contagious before I even know I’m sick. 3/

— Andy Slavitt ??? (@ASlavitt) January 16, 2022

,,, “Let her rip” sounds like a strategy but it’s really the absence of a strategy. The virus is already ripping. The question is what we’re doing about it. 5/

This is one of the most contagious respiratory viruses in history. Let’s say it’s only as bad as the flu for vaccinated people.

I ask you— what kind of people are comfortable spreading the flu. 6/

When you have the flu, you know it. And unless you really don’t care about others, you stay home.

With COVID, since it can spread asymptomatically, we have to be more careful & wear masks when it’s everywhere. And it’s everywhere. 7/

And if you infect others, some may have a flu like reaction. Some may barely get sick.

And others will have a pre-existing condition, be unable to get vaccinated, or have a weakened immune system. COVID can seriously endanger them. 8/…

Of course there’s no guarantee it will be the flu. This virus is still mysterious. 15 months later our son is still having intermittent symptoms. 10/

Of course there’s no guarantee of not getting COVID— even if we’re careful. Most of us take risks to see family, friends & do certain things.

But minor temporary inconveniences like a mask or a test or meeting outdoors make those things safer. 11/

Cases will begin to subside in this wave and the vaccine will have done a remarkable job despite all these viral mutations from omicron. Thee vast majority who get COVID will be fine as a result. 12/

In the meantime, to those who say “it’s inevitable” that we get COVID, it probably is for them.

But despite this, it’s still ok to say no thanks, I’d rather not.

Response from leader of the ‘Intellectual Dark Web’:

Give the gift of omicron. Set your friends and family free from this tyranny. https://t.co/OJ9z964pyI

— James Lindsay, watching narratives crumble (@ConceptualJames) January 16, 2022

In reality, we now know:

They will keep getting it again and again over time.

Each case has the potential to be deadly. Each has the potential to do permanent damage to lungs and other organs.

That damage can accumulate over time. (eg lung damage from smoking)

2/

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) January 15, 2022

They think they dodged a bullet when they just shoved a timebomb down their pants.

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) January 15, 2022

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Reader Interactions

46Comments

  1. 1.

    HeartlandLiberal

    January 16, 2022 at 6:43 am

    (knocks on mic) Is this thing on? Don’t see any comments yet. Am I waking up to be Will Smith in a better remake of a Charlton Heston film?

    Just so she sees it, again kudos to Anne Laurie for curating this COVID info. I read every post avidly, and have discovered many sources of good info.

  2. 2.

    Baud

    January 16, 2022 at 6:51 am

    @HeartlandLiberal:

    Am I waking up to be Will Smith in a better remake of a Charlton Heston film

     
    “Yo man, let my people go.”

  3. 3.

    germy

    January 16, 2022 at 6:54 am

    Y’all realize the Black Death spread all over Europe because the rich people wanted their imported goods. Trade must go on!

    It wasn’t the peasants who were buying silks and exotic spices.

    — Denise Dewald, MD ? (@denise_dewald) January 13, 2022

  4. 4.

    Baud

    January 16, 2022 at 6:55 am

    @germy:

    I thought it was rats.

  5. 5.

    NeenerNeener

    January 16, 2022 at 7:00 am

    Monroe County, NY:

    NYSDOH website:

    There were 1308 new cases of COVID-19 on 1/15.

  6. 6.

    YY_Sima Qian

    January 16, 2022 at 7:01 am

    On 1/15 China reported 65 new domestic confirmed (6 previously asymptomatic) & 5 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

    Shaanxi Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case. 61 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 1,062 active domestic confirmed cases in the province.

    • Xi’an reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (mild), a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine. 59 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 1,053 active confirmed cases in the city. 1 sub-district remains at High Risk. 4 sub-districts have been re-designated to Low Risk. 17 sub-districts remain at Medium Risk.
    • At Yan’an 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 4 active domestic confirmed cases in the city.
    • In the rest of the province 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 5 active domestic confirmed cases in the rest of the province (4 at Xianyang & 1 at Weinan)

    At Yuncheng in Shanxi Province there currently is 1 active domestic confirmed case, a person arrived from Xi’an in Shaanxi.

    Guangdong Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed & 1 new domestic asymptomatic cases. There currently are 33 active domestic confirmed & 4 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.

    • Shenzhen did not report any new domestic positive cases. There currently are 14 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city, all in the same transmission chain. 1 residential compound & 3 residential buildings are currently at Medium Risk.
    • Zhuhai reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, at Nanping Township, a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine since 1/14. There currently are 7 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city, all part of the same transmission chain. 3 residential buildings are currently at Medium Risk. 
    • Guangzhou did not report any new domestic positive cases, a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine since 1/13. There currently is 1 active domestic asymptomatic case in the city, a custodian responsible for cleaning international flights at the airport.
    • Zhongshan reported 1 new domestic asymptomatic case. There currently are 1 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city, part of the same transmission chain as the cases in Zhuhai. 1 residential building is currently at Medium Risk.
    • At Dongguan there currently are 11 active domestic confirmed cases remaining, a secondary outbreak seeded by travels returning from Xi’an in Shaanxi.

    At Guangxi “Autonomous” Region 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 16 active domestic confirmed (all at Dongxing in Fangchenggang) & 1 active domestic asymptomatic (at Chongzuo) cases in the province.

    Tianjin Municipality reported 33 new domestic confirmed cases (6 previously asymptomatic, 19 mild & 20 moderate). There currently are 214 active domestic confirmed & 14 active domestic asymptomatic cases (all presumed Omicron) in the city, concentrated at Jinnan District. 5 residential compounds are currently at High Risk. 1 residential compound & 1 village have been elevated to Medium Risk. 13 residential compounds & 3 villages are currently at Medium Risk.

    Beijing Municipality reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (mild, Omicron), found via employer mandated testing due to throat discomfort.

    At Dalian in Liaoning Province there currently are 2 Omicron cases in the city, both university students that returned from Tianjin.

    Shanghai Municipality reported 3 new domestic asymptomatic cases, all traced close contacts already under centralized quarantine since 1/13. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed & 22 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 1 shop is currently at Medium Risk.

    At Jiangsu Province 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There currently are 1 active domestic confirmed (at Nanjing) & 2 active domestic asymptomatic cases (both at Wuxi) in the province.

    Zhejiang Province reported 1 new asymptomatic case, at Hangzhou, a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine. 14 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 121 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases (at Hangzhou) in the province. All areas in Ningbo are now at Low Risk. A factory & a village at Jinhua remain at Medium Risk.

    At Xiamen in Fujian Province there currently is 1 active domestic confirmed case remaining, a quarantine hotel worker.

    Henan Province reported 29 new domestic confirmed cases. There currently are 758 active domestic confirmed cases in the province.

    • Zhengzhou reported 7 new domestic confirmed cases. There are 139 active domestic confirmed cases (all mild or moderate) in the city. 2 residential compounds have been elevated to Medium Risk. 13 residential compounds & 2 residential buildings are currently at Medium Risk.
    • Xuchang reported 7 new domestic confirmed cases, all from persons under quarantine. There are 347 active domestic confirmed cases (266 mild, 75 moderate, 5 serious & 1 critical) in the city, all at Yuzhou. 1 township, 1 sub-district, 4 villages, 3 residential compounds, 1 community, 1 residential building & a school are currently at High Risk. All of Yuzhou is currently at Medium Risk (except for the High Risk areas there).
    • Anyang reported 15 new domestic confirmed cases, 11 from screening of persons under home or centralized quarantine & 4 from mass screening of areas under lock down. There are 250 active domestic cases in the city (all presumed Omicron). 1 township & 1 school at Tangyin County are currently at High Risk. 1 Medium Risk residential building unit has been re-designated to Low Risk. All of Tangyin County (except High Risk areas) is currently at Medium Risk, as are 1 district, 1 village, 1 residential compound & 1 residential building elsewhere in the city.
    • In the rest of the province there currently are 22 active domestic confirmed cases (10 at Luoyang, 7 at Zhoukou, 3 at Xinyang & 2 at Shangqiu). 1 community & 1 village at Luoyang are currently at Medium Risk.

    At Yunnan Province 3 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 7 active domestic confirmed (2 at Dehong Prefecture & 5 at Kunming) & 3 active domestic asymptomatic (1 at Dehong Prefecture & 2 at Sipsongpanna Prefecture) cases in the province.

    Imported Cases

    On 1/15, China reported 54 new imported confirmed cases (6 previously asymptomatic), 47 imported asymptomatic cases, 9 imported suspect cases:

    • Shanghai Municipality – 24 confirmed cases, 6 Chinese nationals returning from the US, 3 each from Australia & Canada, 2 from France & 1 each from Brazil (via Paris CdG), Congo-Brazzaville (via Paris CdG), Niger (via Paris CdG), Tunisia (via Frankfurt), Switzerland & the Ukraine (via Frankfurt), a Canadian national coming from Canada, a  US national coming from the US, & a French national coming from France; 2 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Columbia (via Frankfurt) & Ghana (via Amsterdam Schiphol); 9 suspect cases, no information released
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 7 confirmed cases (1 previously asymptomatic), 3 Chinese nationals returning from the France & 1 each from Bangladesh, Iraq, the Philippines & the US; 8 asymptomatic cases, 3 Chinese national returning from Timor Leste & 1 each from France, Iraq (via Muscat), Oman & Uganda (via Muscat), & a foreign national coming from Oman
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 3 confirmed cases, 2 coming from Australia & 1 from the UK; 4 asymptomatic cases, 2 coming from Saudi Arabia & 1 each from Australia & Kazakhstan; all off flights that landed at Guangzhou
    • Dongguan in Guangdong Province – 2 confirmed cases, 1 each coming from Kuwait & Turkey; 1 asymptomatic case, coming from France; all off flights that landed at Guangzhou 
    • Zhanjiang Port in Guangdong Province – 2 confirmed & 1 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese crew members off a cargo ship w/ last port of call at Mozambique
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 5 confirmed cases (2 previously asymptomatic); 2 Chinese nationals each returning from Ethiopia & South Korea; 6 asymptomatic cases, 4 Chinese nationals returning from Canada & 2 from Nigeria
    • Guangyuan in Sichuan Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chines national returning from Israel; the case had arrived at Shanghai on 12/29, passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine & tested negative multiple times, upon release from quarantine on 1/13 the case flew back to Guangyuan & re-entered centralized quarantine, testing positive on 1/14
    • Yunnan Province (location not specified) – 3 confirmed (1 previously asymptomatic) & 5 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Laos, all via land border crossings
    • Shenyang in Liaoning Province – 2 confirmed cases (both previously asymptomatic), no information released
    • Dalian in Liaoning Province – 6 asymptomatic cases no information released
    • Guangxi “Autonomous” Region (location not specified) – 2 confirmed & 4 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Beijing Municipality – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Germany; 2 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Tianjin Municipality – 1 confirmed case, a Filipino crew member off a cargo ship
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Romania (via Amsterdam Schiphol) & 1 from Singapore
    • Fuzhou in Fujian Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, both coming from India
    • Putian in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, no information released
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 3 asymptomatic cases, 1 each coming from Chad, Singapore & Spain
    • Zhengzhou in Henan Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, no information released

    Overall in China, 109 confirmed cases recovered (30 imported), 30 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation (29 imported) & 12 were reclassified as confirmed cases (6 imported), & 2,390 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 3,461 active confirmed cases in the country (1,264 imported), 13 in serious condition (none imported), 751 active asymptomatic cases (701 imported), 14 suspect cases (all imported). 53,299 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

    As of 1/15, 2,933.485M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 4.504M doses in the past 24 hrs.

    On 1/16, Hong Kong reported 115 new positive cases, 8 imported & 3 domestic (2 are traced close contacts & 1 is still under investigation).

    On 1/16, Taiwan reported 51 new positive cases, 41 imported (14 from the US, 2 each from Australia, Cambodia, India, the Philippines, Vietnam & Mexico, & 1 each from Canada, Indonesia, Denmark, France & the UK, 10 yet to be published) & 10 domestic.

  7. 7.

    sab

    January 16, 2022 at 7:21 am

    Regarding the tests, yes ,we already need to have them at home.

    So I might have picked up a very mild case of Omicron Covid. Friday night I felt like a bad cold was coming on: scratchy throat, runny nose, very slight fever. So we are treating me as if I have it. But Saturday morning I felt much better, and Sunday morning I feel fine.

    But if I did/do have it, I should still quarantine within my house for a couple more days (sorry, spouse.) And I certainly shouldn’t be out looking for a test kit. Or shopping for anything else. I could be asymptomatic and spreading it, even though I always mask outside the house.

    But if I could test and was negative I could go back to normal life now. Otherwise I am in quarantine for a few more days, and then only gingerly allowed out for a week or so afterwards. And that is going by the relaxed CDC rules that other epidemiologists think are too lax.

  8. 8.

    Baud

    January 16, 2022 at 7:35 am

    @sab:

    I obviously don’t know what you have, but I know people who have gotten symptoms that don’t have covid.  There’s still other stuff out there.

  9. 9.

    Ken

    January 16, 2022 at 7:39 am

    @Baud: Actually according to an analysis done at the time, the Black Death was caused by an unfavorable planetary conjunction.

    More recent analyses suggest that that rodents on ships did spread the plague to nearly every European port. However that variant of the plague also had a high rate of pneumonic, person-to-person spread, so could skip the usual fleas-and-rodents intermediate.

  10. 10.

    sab

    January 16, 2022 at 7:41 am

    @Baud: Yes, but without a test who knows. And since I do go everywhere masked, how would I have managed to pick up a cold?

    ETA If it is barely symptomatic Omicron I don’t want to be out spreading it. If it’s just a cold that didn’t take I would really like to be back to sort of normal life.

  11. 11.

    Ken

    January 16, 2022 at 7:45 am

    @sab: Rhinoviruses can remain viable on surfaces for a fairly long time, so you can catch a cold by touching a contaminated surface and touching your face later. We are fortunate that COVID doesn’t readily spread that way — not that I’ve slacked off on hand-washing.

    ETA I agree with you on not going out while you’re not sure it’s COVID.

  12. 12.

    Betty

    January 16, 2022 at 7:49 am

    Another example of why fighting Covid has been so hard: a text circulating announcing that the UK government has confirmed that the vaccine destroys the body’s immune system. I thought I had heard them all when a guy on the radio explained that the vaccine is responsible for all the variants. There really is a lot of effort going into attacking the vaccine.

  13. 13.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 16, 2022 at 8:03 am

    To the surprise of absolutely no one: Face masks make people look more attractive, study finds

    Think about it. In your life, how many plague rats have you hugged?

  14. 14.

    satby

    January 16, 2022 at 8:05 am

    Yesterday was the first day I went back to the market, where it turns out five other vendors also had gotten sick the same week as me, so I was basically exposed everywhere I worked the week of New Year. The one I know is unvaxxed was still looking pretty bad, he had covid pneumonia and went to the hospital, but I assume they didn’t have the beds or he wasn’t bad enough for them to admit. And the Hoarse Whisperer’s tweets exactly sum up the “thinking” of the anti vaxxers and now anti-boosters (people who have gotten one but vow they’ll get no more, like the vendor next to me).

  15. 15.

    New Deal democrat

    January 16, 2022 at 8:08 am

    It’s Sunday, and since most States think COVID takes a vacation on the weekends, no useful updates.

    Yesterday I wrote that it is not sacrilege to criticize some of the Biden’s actions in dealing with the pandemic. For example, Dr. Jorge Caballero reports that the federal government will stop collecting data on in-hospital deaths, without giving any explanation:
    https://mobile.twitter.com/DataDrivenMD/status/1482452819214946305

    And gives, as an example:
    “To underscore the importance of the data that we’re about to lose, I compared in-hospital deaths reported by hospitals vs. CDC— the CDC grossly underreports totals for AZ, FL, KY, MD MS, NJ, NY, NV, OH, OR, PR, RI, SC, WI”.

    Meanwhile, a few of you may know that I mainly write about the economy, and post a really nerdy weekly synopsis of data at a big investment site. So, for example, among other things this week I reported that restaurant reservations are down nationally over 25% compared with one year ago, and wrote: “In the next few weeks, Omicron – and the public reaction to it – will be in control. Employee sicknesses and consumer hesitancy will drive the economic activity to take place.”

    Pretty neutral statement, right?

    And here is a response:

    “All the restaurants where I live have been packed. Went to a bar/restaurant last night and it was standing room only. Thankfully I live in a place where we don’t allow COVID to influence our lives. Population is growing. People are done with masks. Done with mandates. Done with coercion, fear mongering, and hysteria. Clearly, people are voting with their feet.”

    Tell me again how to make Biden’s Plan A, “everyone get vaccinated,” work in the face of that belief, shared by about 25% of adults. The need for a Plan B, which will at least maximize protection for people in cooperative Blue States, and maximize pressure on unvaccinated assholes everywhere, has been increasingly obvious since late summer. That plan would have to rely maximally on federal assistance to Blue States making use of their plenary “police power” over public health, as well as clear federal power over interstate commerce. Where is it?

  16. 16.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 16, 2022 at 8:09 am

    @Betty: Considering the lack of coherency in their attacks, I don’t think they put very much effort into them. More like they just spout off whatever pops into the void they call a brain.

  17. 17.

    satby

    January 16, 2022 at 8:10 am

    @sab: based on the new information that vaxxed people may test negative very soon after symptoms start, I’m positive that in spite of my negative test for covid I had it; I intended to get a second one but couldn’t schedule one anywhere here until last week, which would have been almost 12 days after I first got sick, and probably useless. assume you got a breakthrough, and wait out the five days to be safe.

  18. 18.

    Ken

    January 16, 2022 at 8:10 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: In your life, how many plague rats have you hugged?

    It was New Year’s, I was drunk, the alley was dark — must you keep hounding me about this?!

    Seriously, what I’ve noticed about masking is how many people’s smiles don’t reach their eyes. It’s a bit disturbing. I had to check myself in a mirror after I noticed.

  19. 19.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 16, 2022 at 8:20 am

    @Ken: “I built half the houses in this town, but do they call me Ken the house builder? Noooo. But fuck one plague rat…”

    how many people’s smiles don’t reach their eyes.

    In my case, I’m not smiling.

  20. 20.

    satby

    January 16, 2022 at 8:36 am

    @Ken: a real smile crinkles up the corners of your eyes unless botox is involved; the fake grimace some people substitute for a smile doesn’t.

  21. 21.

    sab

    January 16, 2022 at 8:46 am

    @satby: I am waiting 3 days to test. (Nurse niece had one she dropped off.) The waiting part I hate the most is being on opposite sides of the house from spouse. He’s down watching tv and I am in the spare bedroom. I have to yell when I come down so he can put on his mask. No idle chatter, no trotting down to show him a BJ comments. No cooking.

  22. 22.

    Cermet

    January 16, 2022 at 8:59 am

    @Baud: It was rats – that is exactly what the rich and powerful really are – vermin that are parasitic lifeforms that prey on superior lifeforms (aka – the middle and poor classes.)

  23. 23.

    Gravie

    January 16, 2022 at 9:05 am

    I tested positive on Friday after two days of mild symptoms and two days of negative tests. (I was concerned about my symptoms.) It has not been terrible at all — sniffles and fatigue — and I feel fine today but it demolished our travel schedule. We are currently hunkered down in a hotel 3,000 miles from home and had to push our flight home back by three days to accommodate quarantine recommendations. My husband is testing negayive so far, but we’re ripping theough our supply of test kits and aren’t sure whether we can get more. I consider us relatively lucky and am so grateful to vaccinations and boosters.

  24. 24.

    Soprano2

    January 16, 2022 at 9:10 am

    @sab: This is my criticism too – inexpensive or free tests should have been available months ago, provided by the government. The government should have bought billions of tests with the Defense Production Act so the factories didn’t close down too soon. I should have been able to cheaply have tests at home so as soon as I found out I was exposed I could test, instead of having to wait two days and pull strings to make it happen. I’d rather have tests expire than what we have now. Tests costing $25 for 2 discourage people from stocking them.

  25. 25.

    Soprano2

    January 16, 2022 at 9:13 am

    @New Deal democrat: That guy doesn’t understand that it will affect next week, not last week. Anecdotally, our business sucked this weekend – we closed at 10:30 last night because of no business. Probably a combo of Omicron and cold weather.

  26. 26.

    Eolirin

    January 16, 2022 at 9:42 am

    @Soprano2: And this is a common failure in how a lot of people think. You tell them conditions are going to lead to something and they look around and say that can’t be right, the opposite is currently happening.

    There’s no ability to process change over time. And even less ability to understand the difference between individual and aggregate circumstance. It’s why we keep failing at these collective action challenges, not that the propaganda isn’t hurting a lot too.

  27. 27.

    Percysowner

    January 16, 2022 at 9:52 am

    @New Deal democrat: ​
      Plan B was using OSHA to force vaccination levels up. The Supreme Court kneecapped that one in their ongoing quest to protect and enhance corporate profits.

    I agree the administration needs to come up with other plans to stop the spread, but I’m also aware that the New Supremes will shoot many of those plans down, because they are the Right to Life, But Only If You’re in the Womb Party.

  28. 28.

    laura

    January 16, 2022 at 10:01 am

    Sending out healing thoughts and well wishes to Amir Khalid today.

    Spouse had beers with a friend 10 days ago. Both vaxxed and boosted and the next morning the friend woke up blerhgy and tested positive  and he’s felt okay ever since. He notified spouse after the + test and we did the full quarantine, masked in and outdoors, no going out except walking the hood and he did his daily 40 mile or so bike rides. Neither of us had any symptoms and so continued to mask in public until Thursday when Roadie Brother the younger brought us a pair of tests he had left over from the last tour. Spouse and I tested Friday am and I did the back of throat then nasal swab, spouse just the nasals and we both tested negative. Spouse texted the news back to his friend who while feeling okay is still testing positive 10 days on. No idea why he hasn’t been able to clear that virus….. I was very relieved to be negative so that I could drive my dearest friend to UCSF yesterday for her initial MRI since her appendicidal cancer surgery in July. Being of service and not adding to her health burden has been a primary goal this last year. And yes, we survived the tsunami, but it put the kibosh on any plans to walk Crissy Field before heading back to Santa Rosa and on to Sacramento.

  29. 29.

    Fair Economist

    January 16, 2022 at 10:14 am

    Flu Report for 1/2/22 – 1/8/22 Flu epidemic dropping off quickly. Positivity down from 3.8% to 2.2%. Lab confirmed cases dropped from 4,412 to 2,203, with 975 added to previous weeks. H3N2 continues its unprecedented dominance, 97.9% of all typed flus and 100% of subtyped Type A. Hospital admissions dropped less sharply, from 2,616 to 1,804. Presumably precautions against Omicron have slowed flu spread.

    Mortality due to pneumonia, influenza and COVID continues to climb, to 23.1% of all reported deaths, far exceeding the maximum normal rate of 7.0% for this week and almost back to the Delta peak.

    @satby: Even if somebody with upper respiratory symptoms *doesn’t* have COVID, the world will be a better place if they don’t spread around what they *do* have.
    Considering the staggering ration of COVID to flu – with TWO HUNDRED times as many COVID cases as flu cases, even with a respectable rate of flu cases, a negative test is still probably COVID anyway.

  30. 30.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    January 16, 2022 at 10:17 am

    James Surowiecki via Anne Laurie @ Top:

    Obviously 7-12 days for delivery is lame compared to Amazon.

    Umm … right now, there are 8 Amazon packages sitting in my building lobby that have been delivered to the wrong address – 8 people in other bldgs. wondering where the fuck their packages are.

    I, personally have had one mask order from Amazon that never arrived (presumably it went to the wrong bldg.), and another mask order that had a bag of camisoles in the box instead of the masks I ordered, and sundry other Amazon screw-ups.

    So, Amazon’s delivery services are fucking horrendous, at least here in NYC.

    I’d rather wait 7 days and get the right package delivered to the right address.

    Just as a side note, packages from New Egg always get here quickly and with the correct order – so this isn’t a general problem with all deliveries – it’s specific to Amazon.

  31. 31.

    Gvg

    January 16, 2022 at 10:39 am

    @New Deal democrat: The serious problem I see is the Supreme Court and all the lesser conservative nut courts. Pretty much all effective actions have been put on hold by courts with no basis in historical law. Then some very established authorities have been now overturned by courts. The problem with using other methods is that these courts have shown they are going to stop those actions too out of spite and nonsense not precidents. If Biden uses those tools they will get taken away for other purposes until and if we ever get control of courts again, and we need those tools. Strategically democrats have to avoid the nutty courts right now.

    What we need is for some of the nuts on the SC to die. Soon. It feels icky to think that, but I do. I also feel it would be appropriate for it to be caused by Covid.

    I guess Biden should nominate as many lower court Judges as he can which will pay off down the line. Not sure what else. I was hoping some of the seditious Congressmen would go to jail and open some seats but that takes time.

  32. 32.

    mrmoshpotato

    January 16, 2022 at 10:43 am

    Only the government could be this incompetent. A COVID tests that ships “within 7-12 days” is fucking useless.

    Time passed between ordering food and it being delivered! Food is fucking useless!

  33. 33.

    sab

    January 16, 2022 at 10:49 am

    @Gvg: Everyone was critical of Harry Reid when he got a court appointment exception for the filibuster, but without it Obama was going to get 0 appointments through. Trump did get some horrible appointments through because of it, but Biden has gotten many more, and those aren’t horrible. Probably because he cares and Trump was so lazy. The contrast between the number of court appointments approved and the number of everything else (cabinet, ambassadors etc) is striking.

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    January 16, 2022 at 10:51 am

    @sab: Even if you had a test at home, it can show negative for a few days before it shows positive.  So you should probably be at home anyway.

    Hope it’s nothing.

  35. 35.

    sab

    January 16, 2022 at 10:58 am

    @WaterGirl: That’s why I am waiting for day 3 or 4. I probably wouldn’t be running around outside anyway but I would like my husband to not be treating me like a plague rat. He’s very kind about it but he is obviously nervous.

  36. 36.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    January 16, 2022 at 11:04 am

    @sab: From personal experience – takes 48 from expose for Omicron to get going. The two obvious things are the fever and a horse voice, that scratchy, horse voice is so common my doctor was pretty sure I had Omicron before I told him the rest of my symptoms.

  37. 37.

    mrmoshpotato

    January 16, 2022 at 11:07 am

    @Betty:

    Another example of why fighting Covid has been so hard: a text circulating announcing that the UK government has confirmed that the vaccine destroys the body’s immune system. I thought I had heard them all when a guy on the radio explained that the vaccine is responsible for all the variants. There really is a lot of effort going into attacking the vaccine. 

    What the slapdick dipshit moron, Batman?  Dude should totally throw himself into a volcano.

  38. 38.

    mrmoshpotato

    January 16, 2022 at 11:31 am

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    and a horse voice, that scratchy 

    Should we call you Old Record Mr. Ed?

  39. 39.

    Bill Arnold

    January 16, 2022 at 11:38 am

    @Gvg:

    What we need is for some of the nuts on the SC to die. Soon. It feels icky to think that, but I do. I also feel it would be appropriate for it to be caused by Covid.

    C. Thomas is not looking healthy. And yeah, the Republican SCOTUS 6 have just committed mass stochastic murder in service of their homicidal party’s electoral fortunes. (Future murders, to be clear, but they have pulled the trigger already.)

  40. 40.

    Sloane Ranger

    January 16, 2022 at 12:04 pm

    Only the government could be this incompetent. A COVID tests that ships “within 7-12 days” is fucking useless.

    There are some people who seem to be incapable of pre-planning, either that, or they’re so spoiled by same day or next day delivery that they don’t see the point. I presume that if they cut themselves they’d rush out to the shops, still bleeding because they don’t keep plasters (bandaids?) in their houses. Everytime I open a new box of home tests, I order a new one so I’m not caught out by delays at the Post Office.

    Anyway, here are today’s numbers from the UK, where we had 70,924 new cases. The rolling 7-day average is down by 38%. Weekend numbers should always be taken with a pinch of salt due to office closures, but the numbers are in line with the downwards trend. Cases per nation,

    England – 66,273

    Northern Ireland – 2518

    Scotland – Did not report due to technical issues

    Wales – 2133 (includes some cases from Saturday, when Wales did not report).

    Deaths – There were 88 deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported today. Again, this will be an undercount due to office closures. 79 deaths were in England, 3 in Northern Ireland, 0 in Scotland (may be affected by aforesaid technical issues) and 6 in Wales.

    Testing and Hospitalisations not updated at weekends.

    Vaccinations – As of yesterday, 52,097,840 people had had 1 shot of a vaccine, 47,905,885 had had 2 and 36,388,391 had had a 3rd shot/booster. In percentage terms, 90.6% of all UK residents aged 12+ have had 1 shot, 83.3% had had 2 and 63.3% had had a 3rd shot/booster.

  41. 41.

    J R in WV

    January 16, 2022 at 12:50 pm

    Kind of unbelievable that the Fed Govt is going to stop accumulating data on hospital deaths — how are they planning to know what to do, or even know that they need to do something, anything???

    I guess they’ve decided to surrender to the plague virus? Oh boy, good news there!

    At least there’s football all day today. Iggles at Tampa Bay, that will be humiliating for Philly. Anything to keep me distracted from the news. Which is all bad, Explosive Volcano, hostage taking at a Temple in TX, at least no one but the perp got killed…  I thought we got past anti-semitism, guess not any more than racism ended, huh?

    Raining and cold here in SW W Va, dropped from 34 to 33 over the past hour. Will start freezing soon. Glad I hit up Kroger’s yesterday, will use fresh green veges soonest while they’re still good.

    You all take care!! Stay dry and safe!!

  42. 42.

    Matt McIrvin

    January 16, 2022 at 1:29 pm

    Like I’ve said many times before: the clinical uncertainty surrounding long COVID makes it that much harder to sell people on the vaccines. Even some people who are pro-vax seem to have an idea that with long COVID, anything goes and nothing matters, that it’s just as likely (or maybe even MORE likely) from an asymptomatic case than a severe one and that the vaccines do nothing to prevent it at all.

    I have a strong suspicion that none of that is actually true. But the ambiguous and sometimes contradictory clinical data make it hard to even talk about. It might be that varying definitions of “long COVID” are responsible for some of this, and that long COVID may also be several distinct conditions conflated with one another–some people with autoimmune malfunctions triggered by infection, some with chronic viral infections that booster vaccines or antivirals might clear out, some physical organ damage, some opportunistic infections by other things, maybe some psychosomatic conditions or unrelated illnesses too.

    The one person I know with significant long COVID symptoms, my cousin, got the virus before the vaccine was available (maddeningly, JUST before it was available).

  43. 43.

    WaterGirl

    January 16, 2022 at 4:11 pm

    @sab: That would be hard, but you and your husband are both doing the right thing.  Hang in there.

  44. 44.

    pluky

    January 16, 2022 at 5:31 pm

    @Baud: Fleas on rats on ships plying the trade routes. Kind of like being able to follow the diffusion of HIV in West Africa along the trucking routes.

  45. 45.

    pluky

    January 16, 2022 at 5:36 pm

    @Ken: You should find it disturbing. There is a bit of hard-wiring in our primate brains that flags a smile that doesn’t involve the whole face as put-on and false.

  46. 46.

    TriassicSands

    January 16, 2022 at 6:44 pm

    I expect that soon the majority, including mostly younger, less vulnerable people, will decide that any disruption of their lives is too great a sacrifice to make to protect, to any degree at all, those at high risk.

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