Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

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

Shut up, hissy kitty!

Petty moves from a petty man.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

Not all heroes wear capes.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Books are my comfort food!

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

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

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus (& H5N1) Updates: July 24, 2024

COVID-19 Coronavirus (& H5N1) Updates: July 24, 2024

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… Even with the spate of farmworker infections, the threat of bird flu to humans is, at the moment, considered low. Researchers are keeping an eye out for two red flags. The bigger one would be the virus’s ability to spread between people. All of the people who have tested positive in the U.S. were infected by exposure to sick cows or poultry, and they have not seemed to pass the virus along to anyone else. Symptoms have generally been mild, including respiratory issues, though several people have developed serious cases of conjunctivitis, or pink eye. (No one in the U.S., or globally, has died from this variant of H5N1.) “There is no evidence at this point that this virus is going human to human, and therefore it really does not pose a threat to public health,” Jenna Guthmiller, an immunologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, told me…

The current strain of H5N1 has already mutated to infect mammals, and a few genetic changes could be all it takes for the virus to spread more efficiently to humans—or, worse, between them. “We’re at the highest risk of the virus” since the early 2000s, when a different strain of H5N1 led to numerous deadly human infections in East and Southeast Asia, Webby said. Not because the virus itself is necessarily more infectious but because it is spreading among so many different animals, and especially mammals—giving it more opportunities than ever to find a way to replicate in humans. But, again, despite all that transmission—all those chances for the virus to mutate into something that can reliably sicken humans—it hasn’t yet. That could “absolutely” continue to be the norm, David Topham, a flu expert at the University of Rochester Medical Center, told me…

But a supercharged bird virus with a taste for infecting mammals is not the kind of thing that should be left up to chance. It is fortunate that only 11 farmworkers have been infected—as far as we know. Tools to curtail the spread of bird flu are available, but they’re not being used, or used appropriately. Personal protective equipment is helpful when worn correctly, but doing so isn’t feasible when it involves wearing respirators and Tyvek suits in temperatures that reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike many other countries, the U.S. does not vaccinate chickens against H5N1, in part because it’s expensive to do. And cost is also why only 60 farmworkers have been tested for bird flu, giving an imperfect window into the virus’s spread. “It’s going to be a lot more costly to deal with another pandemic than to deal with immunizing our farms,” Topham said.

America’s response has been painfully shortsighted, and the country is paying the price: Had bird flu been kept in check earlier, it might never have made it into cows, and might never have developed the mutations that allow it to flirt so closely with human-to-human transmission. At this point, bird flu’s future has no good options—only one that’s bad, another that’s abysmal, and one that relies on nothing but dumb luck.

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The recent European World (soccer) Cup is being blamed for the latest upticks:

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Reader Interactions

39Comments

  1. 1.

    New Deal democrat

    BIobot’s latest update yesterday stated that  “COVID-19 activity and community viral load continued to increase during week 28. The national average SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration is now 555 copies per mL.” This is about 5x as much as it’s May low, but only about 1/2 as much as it’s high last January. All four regions participated. The CDC national and regional data showed similar increases, except that the regional increases were especially sharp in the West (where the level was about 75% of its Holiday peak) and South.
     
    Emergency room visits have also risen to about 40% of their peak last winter. And weekly deaths have also started to increase from their recent low of 294 to 385 for the week of June 22. They are probably going to be back over 1000 this week when the final data is in.
     
    Last Friday’s variant update showed that the new KP.x variants make up about 80% of all cases, with LB.x strains making up another 10%. This spring’s JN.x variants now make up less than 10% of all cases. In the past, the “fittest” new variant has had to approach 90% of all cases before there has been a peak.
     
    I suspect this summer’s wave will only begin to abate when summer vacation season begins to wind down.

  2. 2.

    WereBear

    Anything remotely “biblical” winds these people up. But I am hearing the faithful are not pleased with the idea of Christian Nationalism, and the likely forced conversion therof.

    I don’t know how many Catholic fans Trump has, but this won’t help at all. Since they are all so devoted and fundamentalist and medieval.

    But only to their version.

    But hey, not like wars break out over that, or anything.

  3. 3.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Gotta love that last tweet from The8BitIdiot.

    Yes, they are out there.
    In fact, they are everywhere.
    One is probably coming over to you right now, the meanest and ugliest and nastiest and most horrible and all kind of things and he’s gonna sit down next to you and ask, “Kid, whad’id you get?”

    And you’re gonna say, “I got vaccinated.”

    And they’re all gonna move away from you.

  5. 5.

    Lapassionara

    @OzarkHillbilly: Seriously, how do these people even get out of bed every day. The nonsense about the vaccine is multiplying.

    and thanks, AL, for your heroic efforts on our behalf.

  6. 6.

    Liminal Owl

    Anecdata: My beloved and I attended a small conference the weekend before last. It’s the high point of the year for us usually, and it seemed safe-ish; all participants were expected to be vaccinated (although I don’t think this was verified), masked at all times except in separate eating/drinking areas, Corsi-Rosenthal boxes placed throughout conference areas…

    (There were, however, other people—not conference participants—passing through the conference area. Mostly or all not masked  Several red hats observed.)

    We left early because I wasn’t feeling well, and both tested positive for Covid afterwards. I have a simultaneous case of strep throat.  Not sure I’ve ever felt this sick before.

  8. 8.

    NotMax

    Thus far have avoided it entirely.

    Cautious about the upcoming trip to NYC. Pushed it back to very late August/early September in hopes of skirting the spike.

    Already told Mom I’m still not happy with dining in restaurants on a daily basis, we can get take-out.

  9. 9.

    Scout211

    AL, thank you so much for your COVID and H1N5 updates.  There is so little media discussion about either communicable disease out there that most normies have no clue.

    At my book group meeting yesterday one member had just recovered from COVID and another’s sister was very slowly recovering from a bout of COVID that she caught after lung surgery for cancer.  Neither were aware that COVID was back in California at a high rate. In fact, none of the members were aware that COVID rates are high here, including the three retired public health nurses!   Plus, all of the book group members are eligible for vaccinations every six months and NONE of them had gotten the recent one.

    So I shared a few of the facts that I have learned here with them and I hope they feel better informed.

    Thanks AL,  and thanks to all the jackals who contribute to these COVID threads. 😊

  14. 14.

    Scout211

    @Liminal Owl: We left early because I wasn’t feeling well, and both tested positive for Covid afterwards. I have a simultaneous case of strep throat.  Not sure I’ve ever felt this sick before.

    Ouch! I’m so sorry.  What an awful one-two punch.

    Rest up, lots of fluids.  I hope you feel better quickly. ❤️

  18. 18.

    Liminal Owl

    @Scout211: Thanks very much. I’m resting and hydrating.

    The nurse who tested us for Covid commented on the surge and especially in California, saying that it’s not getting enough attention on this side of the country but isn’t going to stay on just the west coast.  Best wishes to you and your book group.

  21. 21.

    Soprano2

    So there are people who believe there is a gene that connects them to God, and they think the Covid vaccine destroys that gene and severs their link with God? Holy Cow, that’s some severe delusion.

  25. 25.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Soprano2:

    So there are people who believe there is a gene that connects them to God, and they think the Covid vaccine destroys that gene and severs their link with God? Holy Cow, that’s some severe delusion.

    The topper is that they apparently believe this crazy conspiracy theory more than they believe the Bible. Paul says in Romans 8:38-39, and I quote:

    For I am convinced that there is nothing in death or life, in the realm of spirits or superhuman powers, in the world as it is or the world as it shall be, in the forces of the universe, in heights or depths –  nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    Except for the Covid vax, apparently.  Guess their Bibles need an update.

  26. 26.

    WereBear

    @lowtechcyclist: To be fair, they grew up in an apocalyptic cult, which I knew as the Southern Baptists.

    I got out, but if someone doesn’t, switching to another cult is easier after that.

    I think Project 2025’s forced conversion to Christian Nationalism will dent that. Nobody signed up for the Spanish Inquisition, but I’m sure there is an as yet unpublished appendix…

  27. 27.

    lowtechcyclist

    @WereBear:

    I think Project 2025’s forced conversion to Christian Nationalism will dent that. Nobody signed up for the Spanish Inquisition, but I’m sure there is an as yet unpublished appendix…

    As long as they believe that it’s their version of Christianity (which is of course the One True Faith) that’s being nationalized, I’m sure they’ll be on board with it.  It may take a few years before the new laws and regs get detailed enough that any of them realize that maybe the other guys’ version is what’s being made the law of the land.

    Wonder if their high school history classes covered the Thirty Years’ War, or the history of England from Henry VIII through Oliver Cromwell.  If they did, and someone brought it up, they’d probably just go “what does all that old stuff have to do with us?”

  28. 28.

    WereBear

    @lowtechcyclist: Sadly, so.

    However, what is the position of Christian Nationalism about the Trinity, the Host, the resort stars their heaven situation got last year…

    The cracks to explore are endless. I’ve seen Protestant churches explode over the color of the new rug or hymnals.

    These are not stable people, and they oppress their geniuses.

  29. 29.

    narya

    @OzarkHillbilly: Honestly, it made my day. I had to stop making references to things like the “Group W bench” and “circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back” because I’d get blank looks.

  30. 30.

    Shane in SLC

    I was on the east coast with a student research assistant last week when we both got mildly sick and tested positive for Covid. It was the first time for both of us! Our symptoms remained mild, but it sure brought the research trip to a screeching halt and made getting back to Utah an adventure (not to mention the worldwide IT meltdown). What a week!

  31. 31.

    dmsilev

    Well, looks like it’s my turn to “help” contribute to the case counts. Got some symptoms last night, test kit came up positive this morning. Symptoms are fairly mild right now, so hopefully it’s just “wait it out” rather than needing serious treatment.

    Oh well.

  32. 32.

    lowtechcyclist

    @WereBear: ​

    However, what is the position of Christian Nationalism about the Trinity, the Host, the resort stars their heaven situation got last year…

    Like I said, that stuff is years down the road. They can all agree on banning abortion, making homosexual acts, transition care, and cross-dressing illegal, posting the Fraternal Order of Eagles version of the Ten Commandments in school classrooms, banning ‘pornography,’ i.e. in any books that have gay or trans characters at all, those characters are wicked and ultimately get what’s coming to them, otherwise they’re porn. And of course the only mention of those topics in the classroom will be to tell the kids that such things are wicked and perverted. But it will take years to fully institute all that.

    Then there will be the matter of whether Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other clearly non-Christian religions can remain legal. If they’re outlawed, shutting down their places of worship and other organizations will take some time. So it’ll be awhile before they get to questions like, are Christian Scientists, Mormons, or Seventh-Day Adventists really Christian, let alone Unitarians?

    So it’ll take them most of a decade at a minimum before they get to any doctrinal issues dividing Protestants from Catholics, let alone dividing Protestantism.

  33. 33.

    Mike in Pasadena

    Thank you AL for gathering these updates. I’ve been wearing my mask inside stores and all crowded venues like theaters.  But i still eat in a restaurant once a week, but usually at times when they are not crowded. Here on westcoast maybe its time to forgo even that indulgence. Anne, you are a treasure.

  34. 34.

    Matt

    “It’s going to be a lot more costly to deal with another pandemic than to deal with immunizing our farms,” Topham said.

    Nitpick: it’s significantly less costly for the factory farm owners to launch another pandemic out of neglect. They know they won’t face any serious repercussions no matter how many workers they kill.

  36. 36.

    Mart

    @Matt: I had work at three midwest egg farms around 2015. They said when the bird flu hit in the early 2000’s they landfilled… 24 million birds. I dunno, maybe in their best interest to protect their animals?

  38. 38.

    SomeRandomGuy

    Wildly random thought – has anyone ever tried a bit I once tried, about vaccines?

    “Look, you have an immune system. That’s like having a gun – 9mm, .45 ACP, shotgun, whatever.

    “Being vaccinated is like having the *right* gun for the situation, the optimum one you could bring to the fight.

    “Multiple vaccinations is like having the right gun, and having learned the right *tactics* for the situation.

    “Actually getting attacked – catching covid – teaches you new tactics *too*, but at the risk of casualties and injury.”

    I mean, that’s at least the right *language* for them.

  39. 39.

    SomeRandomGuy

    There is an entire sect of people who believe the Covid vaccine was designed to destroy the human soul, and sever humanity’s connection to God. How do you even reach this level of delusion?

    Cognitive dissonance. I mean, take a *terrible* person, and have the GOP become just “The Republican Party – not a grand thing about ’em.” by supporting him *to the hilt*. Even to the point of pretending he was a competent, successful President, in the face of an unending flood of evil, stupidity, and evil stupidity.

    Have a global pandemic strike, and have Republicans insist that it’s *good* to kill people, to get it over with. (Don’t say “good Republican” unless they were screaming bloody murder during Covid-19, and haven’t left the party, yet, because they’re still in the “thousand yard stare” phase. I’m sorry – anyone not screaming (metaphorically – no need to harm your throat) was saying “meh, few extra stiffs is fine.”)

    Have that SAME President try to overthrow the rightful government of the United States of America, and not *only* continue to have a ‘political career’, but to have the Republicans *praise* him.

    After all that, how the fuck is it *surprising* that people are like this? THE ONLY WAY TO BE A REPUBLICAN IN GOOD STANDING IS TO BELIEVE TOTAL NONSENSE. And you think a few weird existential thoughts about *god* is unusual? Geez, some of you neurotypicals are *idiots*.

    No disrespect meant – this is a case where a neurotypical might lecture a neurodivergent, and treat them like an idiot, for not seeing something obvious. Here, to *me*, the situation is not only obvious, but trivial. It’s not I think you’re an idiot – it’s that I see something you can’t see.

    You know why that can suck? I don’t know what it’s like NOT TO SEE. I see it, I can’t not see it, and I can’t even easily imagine someone not seeing it. But, *fuck*, a little Christian end-times bullshit, after ALL THIS OTHER bullshit? That’s really nothing. That’s reality forcing Christians to go to their faith to look for explanations of the inexplicable.

    They’ve been taught that God can only be on the side of Republicans. What else *can* they believe, but some kind of crazy-ass shit about the vaccine being the mark of the beast, or whatever? If the vaccine is just a vaccine, all the best people in the world (to them – remember, these are Republicans!) are lying. How could they reconcile that?

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